Lee Beat Up as Indians Fall to Phillies 6-4
If Cliff Lee was set to be the #5 starter for the Indians in two weeks when the season starts, one has to wonder if that was blown yesterday in the teams loss to the Phillies. Lee was not very good, allowing six runs on 11 hits over four innings. Eric Wedge gave him a vote of confidence in the post game, but bottom line is this looked like the Lee that got shelled enough to eventually put him in the minors last season.
Lee didn’t get any help from Andy Marte at third, who basically ole’d two balls in the second inning that allowed the Phillies to score five of their total six runs. Marte allowed one past him by Jimmy Rollins that allowed two runs to score, and then Shane Victorino hit one that Marte couldn’t come up with that allowed two more runs to score.
Some other notes from the loss: Jorge Julio left the game in the 8th with a blister on his right index finger. Aaron Herr hit a homer in the 9 hole for Lee in the fifth to make it 6-3. Victor Martinez also homered for the Indians in the 9th to make it 6-4, it was Victor’s first spring homer. Jhonny Peralta went 2-for-3 with a double and is hitting .296 for the spring. The team is off today, and will be in Port St.Lucie tomorrow to play the Mets.
Matt has covered Major League Baseball and the "other two" Pro teams in Cleveland since 1994. He has been on the beat of the Indians in full-time mode since 1996, working for various raido and print networks around the country.
