There would be no bullpen collapse this afternoon for the Phillies.
From start to finish, the pitchers excelled, holding the Cubs scoreless on 10 hits, as they took a 2-0 victory in Chicago.
Looking to put the season opener, in which he allowed eight runs in five innings, in the rearview mirror, Cliff Lee took the mound. Lee would look much more like his old self in this outing, tossing seven scoreless innings, striking out six and walking none.
From start to finish, the pitchers excelled, holding the Cubs scoreless on 10 hits, as they took a 2-0 victory in Chicago.
Looking to put the season opener, in which he allowed eight runs in five innings, in the rearview mirror, Cliff Lee took the mound. Lee would look much more like his old self in this outing, tossing seven scoreless innings, striking out six and walking none.
Lee would exit the game in position to win after stranding Nate Schierholtz on third in the seventh.
While the offense was far from spectacular, they had given Lee all he would need, as Chase Utley smacked a solo home run to right in the top of the first to put the Phillies ahead.
Domonic Brown would single home Utley in the fourth to put the Phillies ahead 2-0, and that would be more than enough, as Lee brought his A game.
Jake Diekman would enter the game in the eighth, allowing no hits while surrendering the first walk of the day to the Cubs before handing things over to Jonathan Papelbon.
Papelbon would look vastly different from his last appearance, in which he surrendered three runs to pick up the blown save and the loss against Texas, as the veteran closer tossed a perfect ninth to complete the Phillies' shutout of the Cubs.
The offense did just enough damage in the 2-0 win, as they managed only seven hits in the game, three of which belonged to Utley.
The second baseman picked up right where he left off yesterday, finishing the day 3-for-3 at the plate, hitting his second home run of the season as well as a double.
The win pushes the Phillies above the .500 mark, as they improve to 3-2 on the young season. A.J. Burnett will make his second start of the season Sunday afternoon, as the Phillies look to sweep the Cubs before heading to Philadelphia for their first home series against the Brewers.
Notes: Jimmy Rollins returned to the Phillies lineup Saturday afternoon after missing the past two games to be with his wife for the birth of his second child. Rollins was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in his return. Carlos Ruiz got his first breather this afternoon, as Wil Nieves made the start behind the plate.
By: Kyle Babcock
Follow us on Twitter: @BroadStBeat
While the offense was far from spectacular, they had given Lee all he would need, as Chase Utley smacked a solo home run to right in the top of the first to put the Phillies ahead.
Domonic Brown would single home Utley in the fourth to put the Phillies ahead 2-0, and that would be more than enough, as Lee brought his A game.
Jake Diekman would enter the game in the eighth, allowing no hits while surrendering the first walk of the day to the Cubs before handing things over to Jonathan Papelbon.
Papelbon would look vastly different from his last appearance, in which he surrendered three runs to pick up the blown save and the loss against Texas, as the veteran closer tossed a perfect ninth to complete the Phillies' shutout of the Cubs.
The offense did just enough damage in the 2-0 win, as they managed only seven hits in the game, three of which belonged to Utley.
The second baseman picked up right where he left off yesterday, finishing the day 3-for-3 at the plate, hitting his second home run of the season as well as a double.
The win pushes the Phillies above the .500 mark, as they improve to 3-2 on the young season. A.J. Burnett will make his second start of the season Sunday afternoon, as the Phillies look to sweep the Cubs before heading to Philadelphia for their first home series against the Brewers.
Notes: Jimmy Rollins returned to the Phillies lineup Saturday afternoon after missing the past two games to be with his wife for the birth of his second child. Rollins was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in his return. Carlos Ruiz got his first breather this afternoon, as Wil Nieves made the start behind the plate.
By: Kyle Babcock
Follow us on Twitter: @BroadStBeat
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