Cliff Lee masterful as Phillies top Braves
ATLANTA - Before Charlie Manuel tasted victory in this, his 69th year, he was salty. Maybe it was the brutal, see-your-breath weather. Maybe it was his lineup, which had not produced. Maybe he was just tired of answering questions about a small swatch of a long season.
"We've played two ball games," Manuel deadpanned before Thursday's 2-0 Phillies victory. "I'm going to panic. I'm going to go up there and jump off the top of the stadium. It'll be my luck to live."
The manager laughed. His point was made. So he took his chances with Cliff Lee on the mound rather than a free fall from the top of Turner Field.
Good idea.
Lee was masterful in eight innings against the Braves. If it were not April and 40 degrees, maybe Lee would have attempted the shutout. But 106 pitches of dominance against a lineup that battered Cole Hamels and Roy Halladay were sufficient.
"The last three innings he even got better," Manuel said. "He was clicking. Command and location. He had good tempo and rhythm. He used his pitches, man. He was aggressive with his fastball. That was a typical Cliff Lee game."
A typical Cliff Lee game did not guarantee victory in 2012. The lefthander was not awarded a win until his 14th start, and the Phillies were 12-18 in his outings. The new year provided a new narrative.
By beating Atlanta, the Phillies ended one of the more incredible streaks. Atlanta had won 23 straight regular-season games started by Kris Medlen. That was the longest such run in baseball history.
The Phillies received one quality starting performance and they won one game in this opening series. They avoided their first 0-3 start since 2007. The home opener at Citizens Bank Park awaits Friday afternoon.
Lee allowed two hits, the fewest in any start of more than six innings in his career. He walked none, struck out eight, and threw 78 of his 106 pitches for strikes. He neutered a potent Atlanta lineup with the help of the weather, which was not conducive to hitting. The wind killed a few deep flies.
Atlanta posted a league-leading .621 slugging percentage by blasting 10 extra-base hits in the season's first two games. They were held to two singles Thursday. No Braves runner reached second base.
Staked to a second-inning lead, Lee followed his simple plan.
"It makes it easier to attack the zone," he said. "You're not as worried about a solo home run. Make them swing their way on base. Try not to walk anyone. Be aggressive. Throw fastballs over the plate, and let the defense make plays."
He required a mere 31 pitches to record nine outs from the sixth to the eighth innings. The cold weather, Lee said, made it less taxing to eclipse 100 pitches so soon in the season.
Lee's effort masked another lackluster offensive performance. The Phillies stranded nine runners on base. The grand total for the three-game series was 26.
They cornered Medlen in the early innings. The 27-year-old righthander, making his first career start in April, tossed 49 pitches in the first two innings. He stranded the bases loaded in the first when Domonic Brown bounced to second. In the second, the Phillies loaded the bases with none out and scored twice.
Laynce Nix, making his first start of the season, singled to begin the inning. Erik Kratz doubled to left. Lee drew a seven-pitch walk in what was possibly the most important plate appearance of the night.
When Ben Revere tapped a grounder to shortstop for a run-scoring fielder's choice, the Phillies had their first lead of 2013 in the season's 20th inning. The other run scored on a Chase Utley sacrifice fly.
With Lee's relentless assault of the strike zone, it was enough.
Contact Matt Gelb at mgelb@phillynews.com. Follow on Twitter @magelb.
