Lee's curveball and completing games
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Lee's curveball and completing games
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
WASHINGTON -- The 60th pitch Cliff Lee threw Thursday night was a curveball. It was his first curveball he threw. Ian Desmond swung through the 77 m.p.h. hook after seeing a 93 m.p.h. fastball on the pitch before.
That must have given Lee a bright idea.
He threw Desmond a curve on the next pitch and he swung at air again for strike three to end the sixth inning.
Hmm.
"It just kind of happened that way," Lee said.
That might be the most amazing part of Lee's complete-game shutout. He threw seven curves from the sixth inning on. Washington hitters whiffed at five of them. Four were on strike-three pitches.
Nasty.
"When he started getting his hook over, it set up his fastball that much better," Charlie Manuel said. "I knew from that point on he might be pretty tough."
To begin the seventh, Lee struck out Rick Ankiel on a curve. Then he fanned Jayson Werth on one. And then Adam LaRoche swung and missed for the circle K -- all on curveballs. The Nationals hadn't seen the pitch all game and Lee broke it out third time through the order and dominated with it.
Four straight strikeouts, all on the curve.
Lee will always be a fastball guy first because that's who he is. He made it through the Washington order throwing fastballs, cutters and changeups for five innings.
In 2010, Lee pitched a career-high seven complete games. He said he believes he can equal Roy Halladay, who has thrown nine complete games in each of the last three seasons.
"I want to," Lee said. "I think I can. I throw enough strikes to do it. It's just a matter if I can get away with the mistakes to get deep enough into the game."
As noted in today's Inquirer, the Phillies threw back-to-back complete games for the first time since 1999 when Paul Byrd and Curt Schilling did it. What happened in the next game? Chad Ogea allowed six runs to the Mets in 4 1/3 innings.
This time, the Phillies have Roy Oswalt to follow Roy Halladay and Lee.
If the first 12 games are any indication, there could be more than a few special trips through this starting rotation during the 2011 season.
Have a question? Send it to Matt Gelb's Mailbag.
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Chad Ogea??? Wow, I don't even remember that name. This is really a special pitching staff...and we are still yet to have a game over 3 hours. Amazing!— stanbro- Roy 2 - your time to shine, now...— M60tanker
- Just awesome job by our guys !— chachi
- That curve ball was flat out fun to watch. I think guys going down on strikes to a monster curve is one of the best things about baseball. Never gets old. Let's go Oswalt! I'm gettin good and drunk for this game tonight - see you all up in the bleachers.— Jeffritoe
- It would be nice but I'm not entirely sure Oz can do that, the Florida weather might wear him out too soon... then again he did pitch in Houston...— fcolmenarez
Comment removed.- I'd like to know when's the last time any team had 2 straight complete games in April. I'm sure it probably hasn't happened in at least 25 years. With pitchers being the big investment they are and it being so early in the season coaches are more committed to the pitch count and hesitant to let their starters go deep in games.— Dozer
- Last time was Schilling and Byrd and I thought they said it was in "89"? date does not sound right.
— DUDESKINS - the sign of an elite pitcher - go through a team's batting order 1-2 times, the team starts to see your pitches and gets an idea of what you're doing, then the elite pitcher changes his style and throws a different variety of pitches to fool them again. not too many can do that. we have 2 of them.— The Boston Strangler
- With a nasty slider and curveball like that, he'll extend his career when his fastball slows up.— ej610
- I wonder if it was Chooch's or Lee's idea to use the curveball late in the game.— ej610
- i so do not miss the chad ogea / amaury telemaco days— philly in nyc
- I hope this gets the juices flowing for Oswalt again.— Joe at the shore
- Yeah, I would like to see Ozwalt get more props than he does, 9&1 since coming over , WOW! Can't get much better and the guy seems like just an average everyday kinda guy.Seems like he likes it here. — DUDESKINS
- To watch Halladay and Lee pitch back to back is a real treat for Phillies fans. Would love to see them both win 20 games this year. Lee's performance last night was one of the best games I've ever seen pitched.— bradco
