TORONTO - Missisauga native Shawn Hill had the best start of his abbreviated career as a Blue Jays starter. He won his first game in almost two years, a 1-0 shutout.
He gave up a mere four hits — two of which never even got out of the infield — and struck out a career-high seven hitters. No matter. It still became just a footnote on a day Toronto’s Jose Bautista and Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki made baseball history.
While manager Cito Gaston talked of Hill, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, it was like a proud papa this was a day when he could overcome the Mariners’ hitters but not tales of yore.
“It’s been quite a day,” Gaston said. “We got to see some things today that we’ve never seen before. It’s one day I know I’ll remember for a long time.”
It began with Bautista’s 50th home run in the first inning. Then Suzuki took over. In the third, he sliced an opposite-field double over third base. Two innings later he lined a single up the middle for his 200th hit of the season.
“He’s just a great hitter. There’s just nothing you can do. The double wasn’t that bad a pitch,” said Hill, who got his first win since April 10, 2009. “The 200th hit was a bad pitch over the middle but at the same time he’s such a good hitter he just finds a way to put the bat on the ball. It is who he is.”
That single made Suzuki the first batter in history to hit the 200 milestone in 10 consecutive seasons. Pete Rose also did it 10 times but it took him 14 years.
Hill actually fanned Suzuki leading off the game but said there really isn’t a book on how to get him out.
“The best scouting report is: ‘Throw it...and see what happens.’ The only thing is, and I can’t say it’s a weakness because he’s good all round, but maybe up in the zone. But that’s not a place I, or most other pitchers, want to life.”
Suzuki has led the majors in hits six times, including every sesason since 2006. With 2,230 major-league hits to this point, if he can run off four more 200-hit seasons, he will also join the 3,000-hit club faster than any player in history.
“It’s unbelievable,” Bautista said. “Such a great hitter, great hand-eye coordination. He can hit balls out of the zone and he has the speed element to go with it. He runs before he’s even finished swinging.”
Hill’s win was his first since signing with Toronto after being let go by San Diego. He lost his first two starts after being called up.
“It’s been a while (between wins),” Hill said. “Nice to get that under my belt ... what am I, 16 months between, so I’m a bit overdue.”
Hill didn’t allow a runner past first base, other than the Suzuki double, and he stranded him. “I still can’t find the consistency in my curve ball,” he said. “It’s still a work in progress but it’s a step in the right direction.”
A nice step. A step overshadowed. Just goes to show that sometimes when a guy wins, he still can’t win.
