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LHP Hill pitches seven scoreless innings; Cubs beat Reds

Apr 14, 2007 - 9:34 PM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Rich Hill made manager Lou Piniella proud.

A day after Piniella lambasted ace Carlos Zambrano for squandering a five-run lead, Hill allowed just three hits in seven innings as the Chicago Cubs posted a 7-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

It was the second straight strong outing for Hill (2-0), who gave up one run and one hit in seven innings on April 6 at Milwaukee.

This time, the 27-year-old lefthander yielded just three singles in lowering his ERA to 0.64.

"Rich is serious about his business," Piniella said. "He just goes out, throws strikes and changes speeds. Rich should win a lot of ballgames for us this year."

"I think the reason for my success is just staying aggressive," Hill said. "I am attacking and making the other team swing the bat. That is about as simple as I can make it."

Hill's latest performance could not have come at a better time for the Cubs, who entered with a four-game losing streak. The latest loss on Friday clearly irritated Piniella after Zambrano surrendered six runs in the fifth inning of a 6-5 loss to the Reds.

"I can now start to see some of the ways that this team has lost ballgames, I can now see it," Piniella said after Friday's game.

But Piniella had nothing to worry about on Saturday, thanks to Hill. Bobby Howry and Ryan Dempster completed the six-hit shutout with an inning apiece.

"Yeah it feels good to get my first win here (at Wrigley Field)," Piniella said. "Michael Barrett asked me if I wanted a baseball, a great gesture on his part but I said no. It is a fun park to play in and manage in because of all the elements. It is like playing the British Open."

The Cubs snapped a scoreless tie with two runs in the fifth inning against Bronson Arroyo (0-2). Michael Barrett and Cliff Floyd led off with back-to-back singles and the runners advanced on a wild pitch. Ronny Cedeno plated Barrett with a sacrifice fly and Floyd scored when Cesar Izturis successfully executed a squeeze play.

"He (Izturis) dove across the plate to get at that pitch," Arroyo said. "(Catcher David) Ross came out and we agreed to walk him, so we just threw the ball a foot or two outside on the first two pitches. We should have done a couple of pitchouts instead for the next two."

"I realized after the first pitch they might be walking me," Izturis said. "Arroyo is a smart pitcher, so you just have to be ready when you get a bunt sign."

Derrek Lee highlighted a five-run seventh inning with a three-run double off reliever Victor Santos.

"Today was probably the toughest day to play with all the cold and wind," Lee said. "So to scratch out seven runs with all the walks and bunts, really shows what this team can do. This was a big win for us."

The five-run seventh began with an error on Reds first baseman Jeff Conine for missing a throw. Alfonso Soriano had an RBI infield single and Ryan Theriot added a run-scoring single off Arroyo.

After reliever Jon Coutlangus walked Jacque Jones to load the bases, Lee cleared them with his double off Santos.

The Cubs again played without third baseman Aramis Ramirez, who missed his second straight game with tendinitis of the right wrist.

The Reds slipped to 1-4 against lefthanded starters.

"We have to do better against lefthanders," Cincinnati manager Jerry Narron said. "We are 1-4 against lefties and that has to change. We have to get guys hitting the ball against lefthanded pitching."