In what could be a World Series preview, the Philadelphia Phillies shut out the Boston Red Sox 5-0 in a marquee matchup between two of the best pitchers in baseball. Boston’s Josh Beckett was the ERA leader (1.86) going into tonight’s game, but he couldn’t match the masterpiece thrown by Cliff Lee. See it here:
Lee shut down the Red Sox 5-0 for his 3rd consecutive shutout in June. In fact he’s now tossed 32 consecutive scoreless innings and needs another three shutouts to match Orel Hershiser who set the record in 1988 with 59 innings in a row without giving up a run. Actually, Hershiser’s record is 59.1 shutout innings, before he was scored upon in the first inning of the first game of the 1989 season – but no one has ever done better.
Cliff Lee now has given up just 1 earned run in his last 42 innings. Do you think he will surpass Herschiser, the Dodger great? History tells us that probably won’t happen. Will the Phillies play the Red Sox in the World Series? I believe they are the two best teams in baseball and they will face off in the fall, with the Phillies winning it all.
