Rich Hill digs hole Dodgers can’t escape in 6-1 loss to Cardinals

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal, left, fails to catch the ball thrown from right field, as St. Louis Cardinals’ Jedd Gyorko (3) scores on a sacrifice fly by Yadier Molina during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo) ORG XMIT: LAD110
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Rich Hill throws to the plate against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo) ORG XMIT: LAD101
Dodgers third baseman Logan Forsythe (11) throws to first to get St. Louis Cardinals’ Stephen Piscotty on a ground ball out, with shortstop Corey Seager watching during the first inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo) ORG XMIT: LAD102
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Mike Leake throws to the plate against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo) ORG XMIT: LAD103
St. Louis Cardinals’ Kolten Wong, right, hits a two-run single with Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal watching during the second inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo) ORG XMIT: LAD104
Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley, center, tags out St. Louis Cardinals’ Jedd Gyorko (3) trying to advance on a pass ball, but gets caught in a rundown between first and second base, with first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (23) watching, during the third inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo) ORG XMIT: LAD106
St. Louis Cardinals’ Aledmys Diaz, center, gets congratulations from teammates after scoring on a Kolten Wong single for two-runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo) ORG XMIT: LAD105
Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal, left, walks out to the mound, as starting pitcher Rich Hill, center, waits to be removed by Manager Dave Roberts (not pictured) with first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, right, watching during the fifth inning of Wednesday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Rich Hill (44) looks down as manager Dave Roberts walks out to remove Hill, with third baseman Logan Forsythe (11) and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (23) watch during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo) ORG XMIT: LAD108
St. Louis Cardinals’ Jedd Gyorko singles to left field, two runs score on an error by Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Cody Bellinger during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo) ORG XMIT: LAD107
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal, left, fails to catch the ball thrown from right field, as St. Louis Cardinals’ Jedd Gyorko (3) scores on a sacrifice fly by Yadier Molina during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo) ORG XMIT: LAD111
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal, right, fails to catch the ball thrown from right field, while trying to tag St. Louis Cardinals’ Jedd Gyorko, left, as Gyorko scores on a sacrifice fly by Yadier Molina during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo) ORG XMIT: LAD112
St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Aledmys Diaz throws out Los Angeles Dodgers’ Austin Barnes on a ground ball during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 24, 2017. The Cardinals won 6-1. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo) ORG XMIT: LAD117
St. Louis Cardinals’ Carlos Martinez, left, congratulates Yadier Molina, after Molina hit a solo home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo) ORG XMIT: LAD113
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig reacts after hitting a fly ball for an out to St. Louis Cardinals center field during the eighth inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 24, 2017. The Cardinals won 6-1. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo) ORG XMIT: LAD115
St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Tyler Lyons throws to the plate against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo) ORG XMIT: LAD116

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LOS ANGELES – Like Bigfoot, Rich Hill’s potential to be a dominant starter for the Dodgers has been occasionally glimpsed. But it has yet to be captured.

The recurring blisters on the middle finger of his pitching hand are largely to blame for that elusiveness. But Hill insisted that much-publicized digit was no more culpable than the other four on his left hand as he walked a career-high seven in just over four innings, digging a hole the Dodgers couldn’t escape in a 6-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night.

“It was a bad outing. That’s it. It was terrible,” Hill said. “I accept full responsibility for that. Just gave them the game. That’s unacceptable.

“I take full responsibility for being terrible tonight.”

Hill said the blister issues were “no issue” even though Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said “my intuition” made him wonder if that was responsible for the number of curveballs that were just “not finished.”

“I’m just so accustomed to see Rich have such good command with the curveball,” Roberts said. “The curveball he can really kind of manipulate. Today, he really had no feel. He tried to find it by changing arm angles but really couldn’t find any consistency tonight.”

There were no signs of trouble as Hill retired the Cardinals in order on only five pitches in the first inning. But he quickly lost his way after that, walking six of the next 12 batters.

Hill absolved his middle finger of guilt but said he “can’t really pinpoint” why his command was so unreliable, offering only some minor mechanical adjustments he needs to make before his next start (against the Cardinals again next week).

A stew of ingredients were probably at play including Hill’s lack of big-league competition this season. He has pitched just 17 innings over four starts while dealing with the recurring blister and had a full week off before this start.

He also did not see eye to eye with home plate umpire Rob Drake. Hill was visibly upset with the strike zone at times and even spoke with Drake before the third inning. Hill said he watched replays of some pitches – curveballs that he felt caught the top of the strike zone – from the second inning and told Drake he still felt they should have been called strikes.

“After that first inning, a very easy inning, it was encouraging,” Roberts said. “Once he took the mound for the second, I think he got frustrated with the strike zone. There were some pitches up that he felt were strikes and he felt he was getting squeezed a little bit. I think that led to a little bit to his inconsistency going forward. After that, fastball command not there, curveball command not there, getting behind hitters.

“I know he’s an emotional pitcher, but you’ve got to compose yourself in some capacity and try to execute pitches.”

Hill walked the bases loaded in that second inning, gave up a two-run single to Kolten Wong, then walked the opposing pitcher to load the bases again. He escaped that and another two-walk, bases-loaded situation in the third inning without further damage.

But another walk started the fifth inning. After a bunt single, Cody Bellinger misplayed a Jedd Gyorko single that would have loaded the bases yet again. Two runs scored when the ball got past Bellinger and Hill’s night was done after allowing half of the 22 batters he faced to reach base (seven on walks, four on hits).

Whatever issues Hill had with Drake during the walk-a-thon, fewer than half of Hill’s 82 pitches (40) found the strike zone, a lack of precision that couldn’t be blamed entirely on Drake’s decision-making.

“I was just terrible tonight,” Hill said. “Honestly, it was embarrassing.”

Facing the team with the lowest ERA in the majors over the past five weeks, the Dodgers’ fate was decided by Hill’s stumbling start.

Cardinals starter Mike Leake (1.91) leap-frogged Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw (2.01) to take over the National League ERA lead by allowing just one run over eight innings Wednesday.

Leake retired 17 of the first 19 batters he faced. Sound familiar? Tuesday night’s Cardinals starter Lance Lynn retired 21 of 23 Dodgers while holding them to one hit through the first seven innings.

Over 22 innings in the first two games of this series, the Dodgers are batting .100 (7 for 70) with 25 strikeouts against Cardinals pitching. Their only damage Wednesday came in the seventh inning when Corey Seager led off with a double (the third of four hits allowed by Leake), went to third on a ground out and scored on a sacrifice fly by Bellinger.

Rich Hill digs hole Dodgers can’t escape in 6-1 loss to Cardinals

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