No pitcher on the Phillies other than Cole Hamels really racked up many wins during the 2012 season and for the most part it was deservedly so, but their was one pitcher who despite having a fantastic season just could not seem to get a W.
Cliff Lee won only 6 games during the 2012 season and lost 9, this despite starting 30 games, surpassing 200 innings and strikeouts, and pitching to a 3.16 ERA. To put his win total in some context, Cole Hamels had 17 wins, Kyle Kendrick and Roy Halladay 11 each, and Joe Blanton, who only made 20 starts before being traded, had 8 wins despite having a 4.59 ERA. Even the Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon amassed 5 wins during the course of the season. There were quite a few contributing factors to Lee's lack of wins in 2012, a mediocre offense who supplied him with little run support, an extremely shaky bullpen that could not hold leads, and of course some overall bad luck.
Despite having the second best pitching season for the team other than Hamels, Lee just could never catch a break in 2012. Hamels and Lee put up extremely similar numbers over the course of the 2012 season, but with much different outcomes, Hamels went 17-6 while Lee went 6-9. Look for this to change in 2013, with what appears to be a much more stable bullpen entering camp, an offense that may not be much better than last year but will hopefully provide some timely hits for a team looking to bounce back this year. Perhaps Lee should talk to Hamels as he seems to have been plagued by poor run support in past seasons, but most likely he will just quietly keep doing what he does best, pitch with pin-point accuracy. If Cliff Lee can pitch the way he has in seasons past, look for him to accumulate quite a few wins in 2013, as he is still one of the best left-handers in the game. So with a little hitting, a stronger bullpen, and most importantly some luck, Cliff Lee should put up some wins in 2013. Go Phils!
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