Philadelphia Phillies: Just Another Birthday, Cliff Lee Leads Phils to 3-0 Win

To the fans in my section chanting “Let’s go Clifford,” remember, his name is Clifton!

Less than a month ago, some Phillies fans started to question the Cliff Lee signing.  After an abysmal performance against the Nationals where Lee allowed six earned runs over 5.1 innings, his ERA sat at 3.94.

Clifton’s been nothing short of sensational since.

Over his last three starts, Lee’s given up just one earned run over his last 24 innings pitched.  He’s allowed just 13 hits while striking out 21.  He’s picked up the win in each of his last three outings. 

His ERA now sits at 3.12.

Oh, and he’s also swinging the stick quite well.  His RBI double in the fourth inning gave Philadelphia a 1-0 lead.

His .242 batting average is right up there with Raul Ibanez (.242), Carlos Ruiz (.245) and Ryan Howard (.251).

His average is better than Domonic Brown (.229), Ben Francisco (.216) and Michael Martinez (.203).

He and Cole Hamels are battling for bragging rights; Hamels too is hitting .242.

Ryan Howard went yard for the second time in the series.  Both home runs came via the opposite field.  Before the start of the four-game set, Howard’s last opposite field hit came on May 10 at Florida.

Could this be a sign of things to come?

In other news, John Kruk got the nod as the 33rd member of the Phillies Wall of Fame. 

He’ll be the second player from the 1993 National League winning team to be inducted; Darren Daulton is the other.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com