Lilly solid as money in the bank
More than a few eyes were rolling at the winter meetings when word leaked that the Cubs signed a career 59-58 starting pitcher to a four-year, $40 million contract.
Now, those same eyes are expressing admiration.
It was money time at Wrigley Field on Wednesday night, and Ted Lilly continued to earn his pay.
"There's no bigger game than tonight,'' manager Lou Piniella said after the Cubs edged the Reds 3-2. "It started with Lilly. What a nice job he did for us. I thought (Lilly) had as good of stuff tonight as he's had all year.''
While he didn't get a decision, Lilly had a lot to do with the final outcome.
"That's what you come to expect, a solid 7-8 innings from him,'' said Cubs shortstop Ryan Theriot. "He's been extremely successful.''
Working on just three days' rest for only the second time in his nine-year career, Lilly looked a lot stronger than rotation mate Carlos Zambrano did the night before on a similar shortened schedule.
The left-hander yielded a solo home run to Cincinnati's Edwin Encarnacion in the second inning, and Lilly was kicking himself after Adam Dunn also hit a solo shot in the fourth on a "lackadaisical'' pitch.
Other than that, the 31-year-old pitcher was outstanding.
"I felt good,'' Lilly said. "I felt good physically and emotionally getting into that situation. And my adrenaline got up there in the seventh.''
That was Lilly's final inning before giving way to reliever Bob Howry.
With the score tied at 2-2, Dunn led off the seventh with a walk, and after Encarnacion struck out, Joey Votto reached first base on Derrek Lee's error while Dunn advanced to third.
A lesser pitcher would have caved, but Lilly stepped up and struck out David Ross and pinch hitter Alex Gonzalez to escape the jam.
"What a tough situation,'' Piniella said. "Ross can swing the bat and Gonzalez is a nice right-handed hitter. Lilly was throwing the ball so well and we just stayed with him.''
Even though it's late in the season and he had just pitched at St. Louis on Saturday in Game 1 of a doubleheader, Lilly actually seemed to get stronger when Ross and Gonzalez came to the plate.
"At that point, there wasn't anything to save,'' Lilly said. "I kind of felt that was the game right there. I wanted to get out of that inning. My adrenaline got up there in the seventh inning.''
Lilly and the rest of the Cubs get a much-needed day off today, but the adrenaline should continue to rise over the final nine games of the regular season.
"It's a lot of fun,'' said Lilly, who last pitched in the playoffs in 2003, when he was with the Oakland Athletics. "This is an environment where there is a lot at stake, and it's what you'd like to ask for at this point of the season. It certainly would be nice to have a 5-6 game lead, but that's not the case.''
Thanks to Lilly, who has been the Cubs' stopper after losses this season, they came out of Wednesday's play with a 1-game lead over the Brewers in the NL Central.
"I got away with a couple tonight,'' Lilly said. "And we did what it took to get it done.''