Last night we were witnesses to one of the most memorable and dominant pitching perfomances in World Series history as Cliff Lee threw a complete game six hitter, allowing only one run and striking out ten. It was a performance, on the game’s biggest stage, that legends are made of.
With all of the talk about CC Sabathia, of which I’m guilty of, we over looked the guy, who, pitching in his first post season, has the lowest ERA in the history of post season pitchers with at least three starts.
Post season ERA’s*
Cliff Lee – 0.54
Harry Breechen – 0.83
Claude Osteen – 0.86
Babe Ruth – 0.87
Sherry Smith – 0.89 (really, there was a guy named Sherry that pitched in the major leagues?)
*minimum of three starts
Chase Utley looking studly and dirty. Hot or not?
And this morning few are talking about Chase Utley’s two bombs against Sabathia, both coming with two strikes and a shortened swing. Which brings to mind another question I go back and forth on, Chase Utley, would ya?
Chase Utley's slicked back look
Back to sports, we must remember that this was just one game and the chances of Cliff Lee coming back now to pitch on short rest are about as good as Levi Johnston being totally straight.
The Phillies certainly didn’t seem off their game after a full week of down time and the Yankee bullpen continued to struggle, setting up Pedro Martinez’s return to Yankee stadium for Game 2 tonight.
One last thing, kudos to Fox — you won’t hear those words from me often — for carrying the singing of God Bless America during the 7th inning stretch. There are few things that get me teary eyed, losing my poppers or running out of ambien are two that readily come to mind, but nothing stirs me like GBA at Yankee Stadium.
