Loss Aside, Lots To Be Positive About Regarding Cliff Lee

The Mariners may have lost a frustrating game Friday night, but Cliff Lee’s seven shutout innings were still something to celebrate. Says Lookout Landing on his brilliant debut:

Cliff Lee throws balls like Tom Glavine threw strikes. If a pitch misses the zone, it’s either on purpose, or it misses by two inches.
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Every time I look up, Cliff Lee has a two-strike count.
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Lee strikes out Ian Kinsler looking to end the top of the seventh. Big, sweeping, low-inside curve. That’s 98 pitches for Lee, so you know he’s done. But, man, what an outing. Some numbers:

73 strikes (74%)
9 swinging strikes (9%)
0 walks
8 strikeouts
0 runs

Great command of his fastball. Great command of his cutter. Great command of his curve. Great command of his changeup. Lee didn’t throw a perfect game, but he pretty much just threw a perfect game. Could not have gone better. Now we just need to score him a flipping run.

With Lee looking great and Felix Hernandez pitching like an ace, the Mariners have their pitching staff sorted out. Now they just need to fix the DH.