Friday, May 6, 2011
Posted: 9:51 p.m.Updated: 11:52 p.m.
By Jim Salisbury
CSNPhilly.com
BOX SCORE
You strike out 16 batters in a game and you want to make sure two things happen:
1. You win the game.
And 2. You hustle off for a big, juicy steak afterward.
Cliff Lee got neither. The Phillies lefthander struck out a career-high 16 Atlanta Braves on Friday nightthats the most Ks by a pitcher in the majors this seasonbut still came away with a 5-0 loss because his teammates let him down offensively and defensively.
MLB
Its a neat accomplishment but it doesnt matter because we didnt win the game, Lee said of the 16 strikeouts. We lost. Who cares?
After the game, Lee hung out quietly at his locker for a long period of time. There was no quick getaway for a victory steak. He was one of the last Phillies to leave the clubhouse. He was there nearly an hour after the last pitch when Jimmy Rollins came out of the shower and admitted that the game might have gone differently had he caught Chipper Jones line drive in the third inning.
Lee had gotten the first two outs of the inning on strikeouts before allowing a two-out double to Alex Gonzalez. Jones came up and scorched a liner to Rollins at shortstop. Rollins jumped but the ball clanged off his glove for an RBI hit. Brian McCann and Dan Uggla followed with RBI doubles as the Braves went up, 3-0.
If Rollins could have made the play on Jones ball, Lee would have gotten out of the inning without allowing a run.
That ball Jimmy almost caught turned out to be real big, manager Charlie Manuel said.
Lee was asked if he believed whether Jones ball should have been caught.
It wasnt, he said. I dont know. Youll have to ask Jimmy about that. It was a hard-hit ball on a pitch that I left over the plate.
Rollins didnt shrink. He said the ball was clearly catchable. Definitely catchable.
I timed it right, Rollins added, but I jumped it wrong. I jumped higher than I needed to. I should have stayed under the ball. Cliff was great. They got a break. It happens.
Given the lack of offensive support that the Phillies have given Lee, coupled with the way Atlantas Derek Lowe pitched, one break went a long way for the Braves.
Lee has allowed just four runs over 14 innings in his last two starts. The offense has produced just one run in those games, both Phillies losses.
Whatever, Lee said of the lack of support. I dont have much control over that. My job is to keep the other team from scoring. Thats all it takes is one bad inning and you can lose a game. Thats what happened today.
Lowe held the Phillies hitless until the seventh when Shane Victorino and Placido Polanco had back-to-back hits. Polancos double drove Lowe from the game and the Phillies had their big chance with runners on second and third with no outs. The potential rally flamed out as lefty Eric OFlaherty came on and struck out Ryan Howard, Ben Francisco and Raul Ibanez. That was the ballgame right there.
We had guys standing there and we didnt put the ball in play, Manuel said.
Lowe couldnt match Lee in the strikeout departmenthe had four -- but he was on top of his game. His sinker was tremendous.
He had the invisiball going tonight, Rollins said. You see it on the plate. You swing. Its not there. Imagine that three of four more miles per hour and youve got Doc Roy Halladay.
Fourteen of Lees final 15 outs were strikeouts as he reached double-digits Ks for the fourth time in seven starts this season. He walked just one batter.
Alas, there was no win for Lee.
And no postgame steak.
Thats what happens when you strike out 16, but dont get the offensive or defensive support you need.
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