Lee helping Phillies send a strong message
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Al Bello/Getty Images
Cliff Lee improved to 4-0 with the Phillies with a complete-game, 11-strikeout effort Wednesday.
By John Kruk, ESPN
The Phillies got what a lot of teams wanted, and that was a top-of-the-rotation pitcher in Cliff Lee. He's been outstanding, including a complete-game, two-hit, 11-strikeout masterpiece against the Diamondbacks. So, everyone wants to know, why then do the Phillies need Pedro Martinez?
TOUCH 'EM ALL
Who went deep? Keep track of all the home runs hit each day on "Baseball Tonight" and on the Baseball Tonight Clubhouse page.
For more, check out the Home Run Tracker page.
| Home Run Tracker | ||||
| NAME | HR | OPP | SITUATION | |
| Ryan Howard, PHI | 31 | Haren | Bot 5: 1-2, 1 Out. 2 on. | |
| Jason Bay, BOS | 27 | Halladay | Top 5: 0-0, 1 Out. 1 on. | |
| Jayson Werth, PHI | 26 | Haren | Bot 5: 0-0, 1 Out. None on. | |
| Chase Utley, PHI | 25 | Haren | Bot 3: 0-0, 1 Out. 1 on. | |
| Clint Barmes, COL | 20 | Rivera | Top 5: 0-1, 2 Outs. None on. | |
ON DECK: THURSDAY'S BEST MATCHUPS
Braves at Mets, 7:15 p.m. ET
Johan Santana has been uncharacteristically inconsistent lately. A good start July 30 against Colorado (0 runs), was followed by a so-so one his next time out against St. Louis (5 runs). He limited the Padres to one run at San Diego, then gave up four over 6 2/3 innings against the Giants. What happens next?
Twins at Rangers, 8:05 p.m. ET
Derek Holland has come off consecutive solid starts against a pair of solid opponents, posting a complete-game win on the road against the Angels, then following it up with 6 2/3 strong innings in a victory against the Red Sox. Anthony Swarzak has lost his past three starts and not lasted more than four innings in any of them.
Marlins at Astros, 8:10 p.m. ET
Josh Johnson, with his 12-2 record, has quietly posted the best winning percentage in baseball this season. He is 5-0 over his past six starts, and has 26 strikeouts against four walks over his past three outings. Wandy Rodriguez is coming off his worst outing of the year (10 runs in four innings at Milwaukee). Before that, he had won his past six decisions.
For the rest of Thursday's schedule, click here.
BBTN ON THE AIR: THURSDAY
| TIME | WHO'S ON? |
| 9:30 p.m. ET ESPN |
Host: Karl Ravech Analysts: Tim Kurkjian, Fernando Vina, Buck Showalter |
| 12 a.m. ET ESPN |
Host: Steve Berthiaume Analysts: Tim Kurkjian, Fernando Vina, Buck Showalter |
BBTN MINUTE: LEE STILL ROLLING
SIMON SAYS
ESPN researcher Mark Simon digs deep, looking for the night's best baseball numbers.
| Complete games with two hits or fewer and 11+ strikeouts (2009) | |
| Pitcher | Opponent |
| Cliff Lee | Diamondbacks |
| Jonathan Sanchez | Padres* |
| Jon Lester | Rangers |
| Justin Verlander | Indians |
WEB GEMS
WEDNESDAY'S BEST AND WORST
| BEST |
 • Hard to argue with selecting Cliff Lee, who improved to 4-0 since joining the Phillies. His ERA with the Phillies is 0.82 in those four starts and he has struck out 34 and walked only six. He has gone at least seven innings in all four starts and at least eight in three. |
WORST |
 • Bobby Parnell made history. No, not good history. Parnell allowed nine hits and nine runs in three innings of work in a 15-2 loss against the Braves. The nine runs were the most given up by a Mets starting pitcher at home in club history. |
NUMBERS TO KNOW
The Giants' Matt Cain was exceptional in July, going 3-0 with a 0.94 ERA in six starts.
The 24-year-old right-hander has struggled in August, though. He is 0-2 with a 4.84 ERA in three starts this month. And a big reason has been the ineffectiveness of his slider, which has gone from unhittable to pedestrian as he uses it more often.
| Cain's slider (past two months) | ||
| July | August | |
| Pct. of pitches | 10.2 | 19.3 |
| BA against | .000 | .278 |
| Strike pct. | 78.0 | 66.0 |
| Miss pct. | 27.0 | 7.0 |
| Chase pct. | 42.0 | 26.0 |
FANTASY: PREVIEW OF THURSDAY'S GAMES
AJ Mass examines the 12 games on Thursday's slate.
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