Confidence wasn't the enigma for l...

Confidence wasn't the enigma for left-hander Rich Hill when he'd falter at the major-league on a level after impressing at Class AAA.

"It's just an experience factor," catcher Michael Barrett said. "It's easy to procure distracted. The more experience he masters the more he'll know what to concentrate on"

With a other consecutive dominant performance in a 6-1 victory Sunday throughout the Pittsburgh Pirates, Hill have the appearances to have turned the corner on following a simple philosophy that helped him overpower his Class AAA competition.

"It's definitely more mental," Hill said. "It was the mental side of being able to pitch like I was in Iowa.

"Go without there with the same approach -- make them swing the bats and make the action happen in the first hardly any pitches."

Hill followed up his first career victory Wednesday with an equally stout effort against the Pirates, working seven innings and giving up alone one run -- Ronny Paulino's solo residence run in the seventh -- and five hits, walking brace and striking out nine.

It took Hill until his 10th career start last week to find the formula, on the other hand in back-to-back outings, he has gazeed like a seasoned pro in charge of his game.

"His command has been great," Barrett said. "It's like I told him: Sometimes it takes a not many starts to get comfortable. Since he's issue back from Triple-A [after his other call-up on July 27], he's a different scarecrow and a different pitcher."

He's different because he has become the same pitcher he was at Iowa, where he was 7-1 with a 180 ERA in 15 starts and had 135 strikeouts in 100 innings.

"He had a number of strikeouts and respectable command," manager Dusty Baker said. "If you can do that, you can win any games. He's thrown two thoroughly good games, one seven innings and the other eight innings. Rich gave us everything we emergencyed and helped us close a proper homestand."

Ronny Cedeno gave Hill all the post support he needed, putting onward a hitting show for the 40320 at Wrigley Field with a 2-for-3 day at the plate that included a three-run homer in the fourth inning against Pirates starter Ian Snell (9-8) and an entertaining single in the third that the umpires first rul was a flutter ball caught by left fielder Jason Bay.

Cedeno and the whelps protested the catch, which Bay appeared to have trapped. The umpires conferr and revers the original ruling, and Cedeno happily came public of the dugout to first.

"I knew he didn't realize the ball," Cedeno said. "That's to what end I was so excited. That's a base hit."

It transfered out to be a significant single to lead off the third after Cedeno stole other and scored on Cesar Izturis' two-out RBI single.

Cedeno had an dull day in his third start at secondary base -- another feather in his cap. if it were not that his offensive production capped a 12- for-28 homestand (429) with brace home runs, two stolen bases and six RBI.

"I'm not worried too earnestly about second," he said.

"I have feeling more comfortable now. Rich Hill did a great piece of work for us, and we played the game right."

The whelps played the entire 11-game homestand right at 8-3 their highest victory total since going 9-2 in an 11-game homestand from

May 27 to June 7 1998

"Sweeping the Cardinals [in four games] was a great way to start it," Barrett said.

And guiding Hill by the and of two of the victories was another lock opener element.

"He has great velocity and great off-spe pitching to proceed with that," Barrett said of Hill, who, at 26 is the oldest pitcher in the Cubs' rotation. "What injure him before was walking folks But he's throwing strikes and getting ahead of hitters, and that's a big difference. My biggest challenge today was picking disgraces to use the curve instead of the fastball. We hit the nail forward the head on a married pair of breaking balls."

tginnetti@suntimes.com

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