Lee records fourth win as Phillies top D-backs
PHOENIX -- Few were happier to turn the page on 2012 than Philadelphia All-Star left-hander Cliff Lee, who did not get a win last year until July 4 and did not get his fourth win until Sept. 1.
Lee already has four now, after throwing seven shutout innings for a 3-1 victory over Arizona at Chase Field on Saturday.
"That's the way the game goes sometimes. Sometimes you get all the breaks. Sometimes you don't get any," Lee said. "Last year it seemed like it was my year not to get any breaks. Things like that happen. There's nothing you can really do, other than go out and do your job and not let it affect you. That's behind me. It's a new year now."
Lee (4-2) gave up six hits and two walks and struck out three while improving to 4-1 in six starts against the Diamondbacks. He has held Arizona to a .205 batting average .
"I can't control run support and errors and whatever," Lee said. "My job is to pitch and try to give the team a chance to win, and that's where I'm going to stay."
Jimmy Rollins had two hits and drove in two runs to help the Phillies (17-21) break a three-game losing streak. Rollins hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning and had an RBI single in the seventh before Domonic Brown gave the Phillies a 3-0 lead with a single in the eighth.
"He worked hard and he got rewarded, " Rollins said of Lee.
Cody Ross' sacrifice fly off Phillies reliever Jonathan Papelbon in the last of eighth made it 3-1.
Gerardo Parra singled with one out in the ninth for Arizona and pinch-hitter Eric Chavez doubled before Papelbon struck out the final two batters for his sixth save, his first five-out save since July 14, 2012.
"I asked him to do it. I don't like doing that. We probably still have him tomorrow," Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel said of using Papelbon for 29 pitches.
Diamondbacks center fielder A.J. Pollock had two doubles to take the National League lead with 14. Boston's Mike Napoli leads the majors with 16. Parra had three hits, all singles.
Arizona (21-16) had a five-game winning streak broken.
D-backs starter Trevor Cahill (2-4) lost for the first time in four starts. Cahill gave up one run in five innings but was lifted for a pinch-hitter after throwing 96 pitches. He gave up three hits but walked four.
"I kind of lost command of the sinker. I don't know why it is so inconsistent. One game I feel like I have command of it, and the next start I can't even throw one," Cahill said.
Philadelphia's Ben Revere had two singles and a walk and scored twice, both on RBI by Rollins. He scored on Rollins' sacrifice fly in the fifth and then on Rollins' single in the seventh after walking and stealing second.
Lee threw 114 pitches for his second victory on the road trip. He beat San Francisco on Monday, lowering his ERA against the Giants to 0.88 in six starts.
NOTES: Lee had three sacrifice bunts, setting up runs in the fifth and seventh innings. ... Philadelphia recalled right-handed reliever Justin De Fratus from Class AAA Lehigh Valley on Saturday and returned right-hander Tyler Cloyd to Lehigh Valley. De Fratus was 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA in 13 appearances at Lehigh Valley. ... Cloyd gave up two runs and two hits in 6 1/3 innings on Friday. Because of two off days next week, the Phillies do not need a fifth starter again until May 21, at which time Cloyd would be eligible to return. ... The Diamondbacks have committed a major-league-low eight errors, the only team in the majors in single digits. They also have a major-league-high 13 outfield assists. ... Rollins tied Bobby Abreu for 10th place in franchise history with his 199th home run on Friday. Rollins, in his 14th season, is in the Phillies' top 10 in 13 offensive categories and is eight RBI from the top 10 in that category. His leadoff homer Friday was the 44th of his career, tying for fourth in major-league history with Brady Anderson.
