Instead of his glove and his temper, Ted Lilly got attention for his pitching and his bat.
After giving up a first-inning homer to Chris Young, Lilly regrouped and helped the Chicago Cubs beat visiting Arizona 3-1 yesterday in the teams' first meeting since the Diamondbacks' first-round playoff sweep seven months ago.
Lilly pitched seven innings and also singled in the tying run as the Cubs won for just the fifth time in 14 games. Young homered off Lilly in Game 2 last October in Phoenix during Arizona's 8-4 win, prompting Lilly to slam his glove on the pitcher's mound in frustration.
Did Lilly think back to that game, one that saw him give up six runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings and put the Cubs in an 0-2 hole?
“Maybe a little bit,” Lilly said. “I don't want to admit it too much. You sort of let it go, but you don't forget. And at the same time not try to come out of your game and do anything crazy.”
Lilly (3-4) allllowed only three hits against the top-scoring team in the major leagues and struck out 10 on a chilly 46-degree day at Wrigley Field.
Carlos Marmol got out of the eighth with the help of a strange double play when Arizona's Eric Byrnes was called for interference at the plate. Kerry Wood pitched the ninth for his sixth save in nine chances.
PHILLIES 7, GIANTS 4: Jimmy Rollins led visiting Philadelphia to victory in his long-awaited return. The reigning NL MVP came off the disabled list and hit a two-run homer, an RBI double and also singled, sending the Phillies past struggling San Francisco. Carlos Ruiz drove in two runs for the Phillies, including the go-ahead score in the eighth, and Cole Hamels (4-3) struck out seven in seven innings to win his second straight decision. The Giants lost their season-high fifth straight game and sixth in seven to drop a season-worst eight games under .500 (14-22).
ASTROS 7, DODGERS 1: Brian Moehler pitched five scoreless innings and Lance Berkman went 3-for-4 with a home run in a victory over host Los Angeles. The 36-year-old Moehler (1-0), filling in for the injured Wandy Rodriguez, allowed five hits and a walk while striking out five. Derek Lowe (2-3) gave up six runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings with five strikeouts and two walks. The right-hander has not recorded an out in the sixth inning in any of his last five starts.
