Lilly, Cubs have a lot left
Shades of '69: Southpaw (11-4) beats Cards for seventh straight win
ST. LOUIS -- It wasn't too long ago the Cubs looked like they might never have a left-handed pitcher make a start.
These days they not only have three lefties in the rotation, but they have one who's starting to look like he might never lose another start.
These days they not only have three lefties in the rotation, but they have one who's starting to look like he might never lose another start.
That would be Ted Lilly, the $40 million free agent who beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-1 Wednesday night at Busch Stadium to earn his seventh straight victory -- longest winning streak for a Cubs lefty since Ken Holtzman won eight straight decisions in 1969.
(AP)
PHOTO GALLERY
Cubs crush Cards
That would be Ted Lilly, the $40 million free agent who beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-1 Wednesday night at Busch Stadium to earn his seventh straight victory -- longest winning streak for a Cubs lefty since Ken Holtzman won eight straight decisions in 1969.
Almost 40 years later, Lilly not only appears to be justifying that four-year contract he signed over the winter, but he and Rich Hill and Sean Marshall also seem to be in the process of turning Wrigley Field logic on its head.
And maybe even helping the Cubs do the ill-fated 1969 club one better. Lilly's streak coincides with the Cubs' major-league-best 31-15 record since losing the first two games in June, and Wednesday's victory pushed the Cubs to just two back of first-place Milwaukee in the National League Central -- the closest they've been since April 14.
Who says you can't win on the North Side with so many lefties?
''I guess I understand the theory behind that,'' said Lilly (11-4), who also has effectively ignored it. ''If you're a lefty that's given up a lot of fly balls over there to left and the wind does happen to be blowing out, I can see that.''
So maybe the wind has blown in a little more often at home this season than most. But that doesn't completely explain a seven-game win streak that includes four home wins and a season ERA that dropped to 3.46 (just behind Marshall's 3.25 and ahead of Hill's 3.58). Or that right-handers are hitting just .226 against Lilly this year -- including a combined 0-for-7 from the usually fearsome Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen on Wednesday.
''For me it comes down to locating and getting my fastball in and being able to work the outer half of the plate as well,'' said Lilly, who gave up one run on six hits, all singles, in seven innings.
But three lefty starters for the Cubs? As recently as 2001, they didn't have a lefty make a single start. They went three straight seasons without a lefty making a start as recently as 1994-96. And in 1997 and '98 only one lefty, Terry Mulholland, had any Cubs starts.
Maybe that's been the missing ingredient for 99 years. Or maybe it's just about good pitchers, regardless of the righty-lefty thing.
''All three have pitched well,'' said manager Lou Piniella, whose five-man rotation doesn't have an ERA worse than Jason Marquis' 3.92.
''You know why it works well for us?'' he added, of the lefty-heavy rotation. ''Because the strength of our bullpen is right-handed, and we pitch the bulk of our innings out of the bullpen right-handed. So having three left-hand starters fits like a glove right into the strength of our bullpen.''
As long as they keep the ball down when the wind's blowing out, or get run support like Lilly has -- seven runs or more in each of his past six starts.
''I'm having fun,'' he said.