ABJ
Cliff Lee tries not to dwell on past Indians pitcher keeps focus on next game: today's doubleheader
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Monday, May 12, 2008
CLEVELAND: Here he comes again: Mr. (Almost) Perfect.
There is an argument to be made that nobody has pitched with more expertise or effectiveness than Cliff Lee in his first six starts of the season.
He will go to the mound again tonight in the second game of a doubleheader against the Blue Jays, hoping to improve on a 6-0 record and an 0.81 earned-run average.
''I'm just focused on my next start,'' Lee said. ''I get a game plan, and I use it to attack the hitters. I have to get past my last start; I can't dwell on it. When you do, that is when things blow up on you.''
Ask Lee why he has been virtually unhittable and he will say, ''I'm commanding my fastball better and staying ahead in the count.''
Sounds too simple, but for a starter whose pitches move with the funkiness associated with being left-handed, those fundamentals can make a huge difference. Also, Lee realizes he is in a rarified zone that probably won't last forever.
Cont...