Phillies' Cliff Lee is Pitcher of the Month for 2nd Time This Year
For the 2nd time this season, Philadelphia Phillies' left-hander Cliff Lee has been named the National League Pitcher of the Month. Cliff Lee won the award in June too, and became the first ever Phillies' pitcher to be named Pitcher of the Month twice in one season.
Cliff Lee was dominant in August, allowing only 2 earned runs and 23 hits in 39.2 innings pitched and a 0.45 ERA. Cliff Lee's WHIP (Walks + Hit per Inning Pitched) was an amazing 0.78 for the month. Lee was 5-0 in 5 starts during that span.
Lee had a pretty similar June this year as well. During the month of June, Lee was also 5-0, with a 0.21 ERA, having surrendered 1 earned run in 42.1 IP.
Overall this year, Lee is 16-7 with a team best 2.47 ERA. He has also posted the first 200 strikeout season of his career. The Phillies have an amazing rotation, and Cliff Lee has been at the heart of it. To add to the amazing August, Lee threw his 6th Complete Game Shutout of the year (he has 11 for his career) last night in a 9-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves. Lee has gone from having an okay season to being right back in the thick of the Cy Young Award conversation. His biggest competitor for Cy Young may be his own teammate, Roy Halladay.
This is just September. The real fun starts next month, Phillies fans.
