As if Cliff Lee’s performance on Monday night wasn’t incredible enough, he made a little bit of history in the process.
As ESPN’s Jayston Stark aptly pointed out, Cliff Lee became the first player in MLB history to strike out 14 batters, get 3 hits, and produce 4 RBI’s in the same game, and he was just as fantastic as it sounds. Lee pitched 8 innings, allowing 8 hits and 2 earned runs while striking out the aforementioned 14 batters, and normally, that would be enough to generate all kinds of positive reports.
Then, he took to the plate, and the lifetime .158 hitter (with a .382 OPS) put up a 3-for-4 day with the bat, including his first career triple and a team-leading 4 RBI. This was, obviously, the far more unlikely performance from Lee, as he is known as a typical American League-bred pitcher who can’t hit, but everything seemed to go right for Lee in Citizens Bank Park on Monday.
The results of the game are moot as both teams remain far from playoff contention, but Lee’s showing sticks out as one of the most impressive of 2013. In a down year for Philadelphia, he’s been one of the lone bright spots with a 2.95 ERA, and apparently, he can do some quality work with the bat, as well.