Lilly continues to be rock of Cubs' rotation

Posted September 13, 2009 11:00 pm

By Bruce Miles

Just call him Steady Teddy.

If there's one player on the Cubs you can count on to do the same thing year after year, it's lefty Ted Lilly.

Lilly ground out another victory Sunday, this time slogging through 6 innings at Wrigley Field against the Cincinnati Reds and coming out on top 5-2.

The victory was Lilly's 12th of the season. He won 17 a year ago and 15 in 2007. In his final year with the Toronto Blue Jays, in 2006, Lilly won 15.

"I take pride in what I do, that's for sure," said Lilly, who has a 3.05 ERA and who has become the de facto ace of the Cubs' staff.

"It's real important to me. This is a pretty special opportunity that I have, not only to play major-league baseball, but to be able to do it here in Chicago. I think anyone in their right mind would consider themselves to be fortunate.

"As far as knowing what you're going to get, I don't know what you're going to get. I guess I just go in there with the mind-set of knowing that there's no guarantees and I'm going to have to give it everything that I have to have a chance to win."

Lilly gave a lot Sunday, throwing 26 of his 119 pitches in the first inning as he stranded a pair of Reds on the basepaths.

He struck out seven and worked out of minor jams in the first, third and fourth innings.

"He's really, really pitched well at home all year," said manager Lou Piniella, noting Lilly's 8-1 home record. "He has dominated here at home. Yeah, he gives you that feeling that every time he goes out there he's going to give you a really good chance of winning a baseball game."

The Cubs gave Lilly some support with 3 runs in the fourth against Homer Bailey. No. 7 hitter Koyie Hill had an RBI single, and No. 8 man Andres Blanco (3-for-4) singled home 2.

"I asked him a little while ago, 'When's the last time you had 3 hits in a major-league game,' " Piniella said of Blanco. "I still don't have the answer. I tell you what, he's got a good glove. And he's a versatile kid. If the bat's there, he can help a major-league team, including ours."

If Blanco drew a blank on his own record, it was in 2005 that he enjoyed his last 3-hit game. The Cubs got a solo homer from Derrek Lee (No. 32) leading off the seventh, and a pinch-hit RBI forceout from Bobby Scales in the eighth.

Relievers Esmailin Caridad and Kevin Gregg worked a scoreless inning each before John Grabow gave up 2 in the ninth.

Bruce Miles' game tracker Lilly in the field: Ted Lilly recorded his 20th quality start of the season, working 6 innings of shutout ball. He threw a season-high 119 pitches. Lilly is 8-1 at Wrigley Field with a 1.60 ERA. Another homebody: Third baseman Aramis Ramirez was 2-for-4. He is 51-for-125 (. 408) at Wrigley Field this season. Despite playing in only 68 games, he has 23 multihit games. Drawing a Blanco: Shortstop Andres Blanco was 3-for-4 with 2 RBI, giving him a career-high 11. His 3 hits tied a career best, and he did it for the first time since Sept. 11, 2005, while with Kansas City. D-Lee doings: First baseman Derrek Lee extended his hitting streak to six games. He's 10-for-24 (. 417) in the streak. Cubs scouting report Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field TV: Comcast SportsNet Monday and Tuesday; Channel 26 Wednesday; Channel 9 Thursday Radio: WGN 720-AM Pitching matchups: The Cubs' Ryan Dempster (9-8) vs. Jeff Suppan (6-9) Monday at 7:05 p.m.; Carlos Zambrano (8-6) vs. Yovani Gallardo (12-11) Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.; Rich Harden (9-8) vs. Braden Looper (12-6) Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.; Randy Wells (10-8) vs. Dave Bush (4-7) Thursday at 1:20 p.m. At a glance: The Cubs are 6-4 against the Brewers, 3-1 at Wrigley Field. The 1 loss came July 4, when former Cubs farmhand Casey McGehee went 4-for-5 with 5 RBI. McGehee had 2 homers and 6 RBI Saturday. Entering Sunday, he had a hitting line of .306/.367/.522 to go along with 15 homers and 57 RBI, which led NL rookies. Prince Fielder is 12-for-32 with 2 homers and 9 walks vs. Zambrano. Against Suppan, Derrek Lee is 21-for-49 with 4 homers. Next: St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, Friday-Sunday

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