Move over, Andrew Toney.
Cliff Lee is the new Boston Strangler in Philly sports.
All over the region this morning, Phillies fans are doing their best Rocky Balboa imitation in trying to describe what Cliff Lee did to the Red Sox last night.
Was Lee any good?
Abolut-Lee.
After a bit a hiccup at the start of the season, Lee has heated up with the weather.
Right now he’s on fire.
Lee uncorked his third consecutive shutout last night as the Phils blanked the Red Sox, 5-0, in Game 1 of a big interleague series at Citizens Bank Park.
Just for good measure, Lee drove in an insurance run as well. That gives him two Runs Batted In in June. That is one more than he has given up this month.
Lee has now pitched 32 consecutive innings without giving up a run.
In this age of relief specialists, including set-up men and closers, what Lee is doing is almost unheard of. And no less spectacular.
You have to go back to 1950 and Hall of Famer Robin Roberts for the last time a Phillies pitcher has uncorked three straight shutouts.
He did not surrender a hit until the fifth, and only surrendered one other knock to the heavy-hitting BoSox lineup.
Lee finished with five strikeouts and two walks.
The lefty whose return to the Phils – in the process shunning more money from the vaunted New York Yankees – made him something of a folk hero in these parts, struggled at the start of the year.
He entered June 4-5 with a 3.94 ERA, very un-Lee like.
But in June Lee has been sizzling, going 5-0 with a 0.21 ERA.
Another sellout crowd that packed Citizens Bank Park gave their hero several standing ovations, including when his sacrifice fly drove in a run to make it 3-0 Phils.
It likely will not be the last he gets this season.
Cliff Lee is the new Boston Strangler in Philly sports.
All over the region this morning, Phillies fans are doing their best Rocky Balboa imitation in trying to describe what Cliff Lee did to the Red Sox last night.
Was Lee any good?
Abolut-Lee.
After a bit a hiccup at the start of the season, Lee has heated up with the weather.
Right now he’s on fire.
Lee uncorked his third consecutive shutout last night as the Phils blanked the Red Sox, 5-0, in Game 1 of a big interleague series at Citizens Bank Park.
Just for good measure, Lee drove in an insurance run as well. That gives him two Runs Batted In in June. That is one more than he has given up this month.
Lee has now pitched 32 consecutive innings without giving up a run.
In this age of relief specialists, including set-up men and closers, what Lee is doing is almost unheard of. And no less spectacular.
You have to go back to 1950 and Hall of Famer Robin Roberts for the last time a Phillies pitcher has uncorked three straight shutouts.
He did not surrender a hit until the fifth, and only surrendered one other knock to the heavy-hitting BoSox lineup.
Lee finished with five strikeouts and two walks.
The lefty whose return to the Phils – in the process shunning more money from the vaunted New York Yankees – made him something of a folk hero in these parts, struggled at the start of the year.
He entered June 4-5 with a 3.94 ERA, very un-Lee like.
But in June Lee has been sizzling, going 5-0 with a 0.21 ERA.
Another sellout crowd that packed Citizens Bank Park gave their hero several standing ovations, including when his sacrifice fly drove in a run to make it 3-0 Phils.
It likely will not be the last he gets this season.
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