Phillies 10, Reds 4
Up next: at N.Y. Mets
Friday, 7:10 p.m. (CSN)
What went right …
1 He can do no wrong
Is there anything the unflappable Cliff Lee can’t do? The Phillies left-hander threw eight strong innings, while driving in three runs. His ground-rule, bases-loaded double in the sixth inning staked the Phils to a 6-4 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. And Lee (4-4, 3.50 ERA) threw hard, allowing four runs on 10 hits with eight strikeouts.
2 Welcome back, Chase
It took Chase Utley 15 plate appearances, but the All-Star with the compact swing notched his first home run of the season in the eighth. He is 2-for-14 since returning from the DL. Utley had a night off Tuesday, but stepped in to pinch-hit and drew a walk. His schedule is being monitored closely by both team doctors and skipper Charlie Manuel.
3 Respect
Some 12 hours after earning his first big-league win, Wilson Valdez was back in the Phillies’ lineup, batting seventh and starting at third base. Valdez received a standing ovation from another sold-out crowd at Citizens Bank Park when he stepped to the plate in the second inning. On Wednesday night, Valdez became the first player in MLB history to start a game in the field and log a pitching win since Babe Ruth did it way back on Oct. 1, 1921.
