Lee, Phils snap Giants' winning streak
SAN FRANCISCO -- There's something about a sellout crowd that inspires Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee.
Yes, even if that big crowd is rooting for the other team.
Lee continued his mastery of AT&T Park with five-hit pitching over eight innings, and the Phillies ended the San Francisco Giants' six-game winning streak in convincing fashion with a 6-2 victory Monday night.
Michael Young provided Lee with more than sufficient offensive support, collecting three hits and two RBIs.
The series-opening matchup of star lefties Lee (3-2) and Madison Bumgarner (3-1) quickly turned one-sided when Young highlighted a three-run second inning with a bases-loaded, two-run double.
"It was big," Young said of his slicing drive to the base of the fence in right field. "We knew this was a great game coming in, with two of the best lefties in the league. We were fortunate to have some decent at-bats and put some runs together."
After John Mayberry Jr. led off the second inning with a single, Erik Kratz hit what could have been a double-play grounder toward second base. However, Marco Scutaro tried a fancy glove flip to shortstop Brandon Crawford as they crossed paths, and when they missed connection, both Phillies were safe. It was ruled a hit.
Bumgarner was able to get two outs before walking Chase Utley to load the bases. Young then connected on his first of two doubles to produce the game's first two runs.
A Bumgarner wild pitch on an 0-2 count to the next batter, Ryan Howard, completed a three-run inning.
"Got three runs quick. That was really big for us," said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, whose team was coming off 2-0 and 14-1 losses to Florida over the weekend. "That's exactly what it took."
Lee, who received a total of six runs of support in his previous four starts, agreed.
"It definitely makes it easier when you've got a 3-0 lead," he said. "I gave up a home run to Hunter (Pence) and still had a two-run lead."
Lee, who pitched 10 shutout innings the last time he toed the slab at AT&T last season, was denied a possible repeat when Pence took him into the left field bleachers for a solo shot in the bottom of the second.
However, Lee, who hadn't won since April 8, wasn't rattled by the blast, facing only the minimum 15 batters in the third through seventh innings, with double plays offsetting a pair of singles. That allowed him the luxury of giving up an eighth-inning run that followed Pence's third hit of the game, a double.
"Take him out of the lineup," Lee said of Pence, "and it would have been a really good day."
The win was Lee's fourth without a loss in five career appearances at AT&T Park. He struck out six and walked none before turning the ball over to closer Jonathan Papelbon, who inherited a non-save situation when the Phillies increased their lead to 6-2 in the top of the ninth.
"You've got to step up to the occasion," Lee said of pitching against the defending World Series champions in front of a sellout crowd of 41,171. "This is a great environment. I love playing in it, whether it's away or at home."
Scutaro, who had one of the Giants' hits against Lee, simply tipped his cap to a master.
"That's the real Cliff Lee," Scutaro said. "He's one of those guys who keeps hitting the corners. He's like Greg Maddux. He has all the pitches."
Papelbon retired the Giants in order in the ninth, ending the Phillies' two-game losing streak.
Jimmy Rollins' sacrifice fly scored Kratz with an insurance run in the ninth. Freddy Galvis, pinch-hitting for Lee, had the big blow of the inning, a hit-and-run double off Jean Machi that advanced Kratz to third.
"Tonight is more of what I expect from this team," Lee said of the Phillies (15-18). "We definitely haven't played up to our potential. I expect us to pick it up."
Young's second double led off the fifth, and the Phillies used textbook baseball to get him home. He took third on Howard's grounder to the right side and scored when Delmon Young lifted a sacrifice fly to medium-deep right field.
Domonic Brown followed with his sixth homer of the year, a ball that one-hopped into San Francisco Bay.
Bumgarner, who began the day with the second-best ERA in the National League at 1.55, was lifted after six innings, having surrendered five runs on eight hits. He struck out seven. Bumgarner had allowed only seven runs in his first six starts.
NOTES: Pence's home run snapped a string of 21 1/3 consecutive shutout innings for Lee at AT&T Park dating back to 2011. ... The Phillies had as many hits (five) in the first two innings against Bumgarner as they had total in two games at home against Florida over the weekend. ... The Phillies went 23-10 at National League West sites the past two seasons. ... The Phillies placed RHP Roy Halladay on the disabled list with soreness in his right shoulder and gave him permission to be examined by Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles while the team is on the West Coast. The veteran fought shoulder pain for 2 1/3 innings Sunday against the Marlins, allowing nine runs. ... The Phillies opted to fill Halladay's roster spot with a reliever, Joe Savery. The left-hander had allowed just one earned run in 13 1/3 innings for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. ... Giants LHP Jose Mijares' seven-day bereavement period ended Monday, but when he couldn't get back in town in time for the game, he was placed on the restricted list. He is expected to be activated Tuesday. ... Giants legend Willie Mays was on hand to celebrate his 82nd birthday.
