Giants’ up-Hill climb vs. LA gets steeper

LOS ANGELES — Rich Hill proved to be worth the wait, beating out Johnny Cueto in a pitchers’ duel and handing the Dodgers a 1-0 win over the Giants on Wednesday night. Los Angeles now holds a season-high three-game lead in the National League West.

Sidelined with a blister since his acquisition from Oakland at the Trade Deadline on Aug. 1, Hill threw 81 pitches before getting pulled following the sixth inning. The veteran lefty struck out three and allowed five baserunners, all reaching on singles. Justin Turner’s fourth-inning home run and three scoreless innings from the L.A. bullpen, culminating with Kenley Jansen’s perfect ninth for save No. 37, assured that Hill would walk away with a win.

“Everything felt solid. Mentally, I felt great, body feels good,” Hill said. “Something that I’ve emphasized throughout the entire season in Oakland and carried over here into L.A. is just stay within the moment, a pitch-to-pitch approach and really just making sure you execute each pitch.”

Hill’s full arsenal from a first half in which he registered a 2.25 ERA was on display. He featured a filthy curveball he can throw in any count and a four-seamer that can miss bats, and he threw them both from multiple arm slots. He even mixed in a 52-mph eephus.

“I’m not really that surprised. That’s Rich, I’ve seen it all year,” said Josh Reddick, who came over with Hill in the Oakland trade. “The guy is going to use his curveball. He utilizes it every inning and no matter what count it is. It’s something I’ve gotten used to from him, and it just goes to show what kind of competitor he is after not pitching for so long and going out and shutting down a lineup like those guys.”

It was a tough loss for Cueto, whose one run allowed in six innings was one too many. While the right-hander had exceeded 100 pitches in all but six of his starts entering Wednesday, Giants manager Bruce Bochy pinch-hit for him in the top of the seventh after he’d thrown only 94 pitches.

The frustration continued for the Giants, who have lost four in a row, eight of their last 10 and own a Major League-worst 11-25 record since the All-Star break. But Bochy believes his team can straighten itself …

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