Lee Masterful in Phils’ 8-1 Victory Over Diamondbacks (Part I)

Written by: Josh Landsburg on 20th August 2009

Lee Masterful in Phils’ 8-1 Victory Over Diamondbacks (Part I) | read this item

Although the offense was a big part of the game last night, the story was Cliff Lee’s masterful, complete game, two-hitter. Lee’s (4-0) final line was nine innings pitched, two hits, one unearned run, no walks, eleven strikeouts, and one hit batter. It was the greatest pitching performance I have witnessed, live and in person. Lee, perfect through the first three frames, would have continued on that pace through 5 1/3 innings if not for 3B Pedro Feliz’s error to start the fourth inning. Lee still kept the no-hitter in tact through 5 1/3 innings, keeping his composure throughout.

When asked if he was aware of the no-hitter during the game, Lee said, “Yeah, but I wasn’t too concerned about it. My job’s not to throw a no-hitter; my job’s to give the team a chance and get as deep into the game as I can. If it ever happens, (a no-hitter), I’ll be happy, but I’m not too concerned or worried about that.” Lee’s pure “stuff” was simply dominant throughout the game, and he had hitters off balance all night long, hence the eleven strikeouts, which tied his career high. Even more impressive was Lee’s strike- to-ball ratio. Lee threw 106 pitches, 81 for strikes, 25 for balls, more than a 3:1 strike-to-ball ratio! Prior to the game, the premier pitching match up between Dan Haren and Cliff Lee was highly anticipated. Lee exceeded the expectations, while Haren struggled once again with left-handed hitters.

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