Cliff Lee Struggles for the Philadelphia Phillies, While Antonio Bastardo Shines

I’m not one to get too excited or upset seven games into a 162-game season. So I’m about as ready to jump off the Ben Franklin Bridge after Friday night’s 6-3 loss to the Braves, as I was ready to march down Broad Street after their 11-0 win over the Mets Thursday afternoon.

Cliff Lee had an off night, and the Braves managed two innings of offense for the first time this season. After a shaky start, Tim Hudson settled down and kept the Phils off the scoreboard the rest of the game. 

I prefer to savor the one positive for the Phillies tonight, and that was the work of the bullpen after Lee was forced from the game in the third.

The Braves’ offense went dormant the rest of the game, giving the Phils the chance to get back into it. Antonio Bastardo, in particular, was really sharp in striking out six consecutive batters in his two innings of relief work. 

The Phils’ bullpen will be a source of concern all season and the more quality innings we see early on, the better. If they can manage to build their confidence over the course of the summer, it’ll only make things easier should the Phillies get into the postseason again. 

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