The thing about the Philadelphia Phillies is that, four games out of five, they probably have the pitching advantage. So the thing about the Philadelphia Phillies is that, four games out of five, if their starter gets out-dueled, it's a pretty big story.
Phillies Vs. Diamondbacks: Ian Kennedy Out-Duels Cliff Lee With Dazzling Shutout
So Monday night, we had a pretty big story, as Ian Kennedy bested Cliff Lee and the Arizona Diamondbacks blanked the Phillies 4-0.
Make no mistake: Lee was outstanding. For seven innings, the veteran carved through the Arizona lineup, striking out 12 batters while issuing only a single walk. Lee, though, paid dearly for two mistakes - one that Chris Young hit out of the park in the third, and one that Gerardo Parra hit out of the park in the fifth. Outside of those two home runs, Lee was as great as ever.
But Lee's opponent didn't seem to make any mistakes at all in a complete game shutout - the first complete game he'd thrown in the bigs. Kennedy came in with a 5.64 ERA over four starts, but on Monday the Phillies' hitters posed little challenge. Placido Polanco hit a double in the first, and he also reached second base in the sixth on a single and a balk, but those were the only times the Phillies so much as put a runner in scoring position. They were limited to three hits in all, with zero walks and ten strikeouts. That strikeout count was the second-best of Kennedy's career, as he kept the Phillies off balance with a dynamite curveball. Not bad for a new father.
Even with the loss, the Phillies remain tied for the best record in baseball, but for a night they were shown to be vulnerable, just so long as the other guy on the mound throws the game of his life. Kennedy’s ERA now stands at a much cooler 4.02, and his K/BB improved to 24/8. Lee’s is a paltry 39/4.
The series continues on Tuesday, with Roy Oswalt and Daniel Hudson.
For more on the Phillies and Diamondbacks, please check out team blogs The Good Phight and AZ Snakepit.
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