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Phillies roll dice with Worley vs. Red Sox

Jun 29, 2011 - 2:54 PM (Sports Network) - When the Phillies signed Cliff Lee in the offseason, they envisioned him being part of a rotation of four aces that would carry them into October.

After Lee did his part in Tuesday's opener of this highly-anticipated set with the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia turns to its wild card tonight in Vance Worley.

Philadelphia opened the season with a star-studded rotation of Lee, Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt and Joe Blanton, but both Oswalt and Blanton are currently on the disabled list. That has given the young Worley a chance to start and he has responded with two solid outings since joining the rotation on June 18.

Worley faced Seattle on that day and hurled five innings of one-run ball in a no-decision. He then toed the rubber against the Athletics on Friday and carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. The 23-year-old righty ended up scattering a hit and four walks over six scoreless frames, but got a no- decision in his team's 1-0 walk-off victory.

Worley is 2-1 with a 2.83 earned run average in eight games, including six starts, and is 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA in four starts at home this season. He faces Boston for the first time.

The Red Sox will be happy to face any other pitcher than Lee, who hurled his third straight shutout in last night's 5-0 Phillies victory. The former Cy Young Award winner took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and allowed two hits and two walks to finish June with a 5-0 mark and 0.21 ERA.

The 32-year-old also set a new career high in consecutive scoreless innings, extending it to 32, and became the first Phils hurler since Robin Roberts in 1950 to throw three straight shutouts.

"Staying out of the heart of the (strike) zone. Using my breaking ball more. That's it. Gotten lucky quite a bit," said Lee when he was asked to what he can attribute this run of success. "We played a complete game today and in my last few starts. That's the key to winning. We've been doing that for a while. That's why we're in first place."

Domonic Brown and Shane Victorino both hit two-run homers for the Phillies, who have won five of their last seven and lead the Braves by 4 1/2 games for first place in the National League East.

The Phillies, who lost four of six to the Red Sox last season, bested Boston for just the sixth time in the last 23 meetings.

While Phils manager Charlie Manuel picked up his 594th victory with the club, trying him with Danny Ozark for third place on the club's all-time list, the loss left Boston manager Terry Francona stuck on 699 wins with the Red Sox.

Pitching for the first time since June 15 because of the flu, Josh Beckett was charged with five runs and five hits over six innings as Boston lost for the fifth time in six games and fell 1 1/2 contests behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East.

"I felt all right. I pitched like (crap)," Beckett tersely admitted. "It seems like the flu gets me every year. If it doesn't get me in the offseason, it gets me in spring training or some other time. I think I should get it in the offseason so I don't have to deal with this anymore."

John Lackey will hope for nice conditions in Philadelphia tonight as tries to bounce back from his shortest outing of the season.

Lackey battled the Padres and a handful of rain delays last Wednesday, never really finding a rhythm over his 3 1/3-inning outing. He was touched for five runs on four hits and four walks, snapping a three-game winning streak and giving him an 8.82 ERA over his past six starts.

Boston had scored 32 runs over the right-hander's win streak, but plated just one a week ago as Lackey fell to 5-6 with a 7.36 ERA in 11 starts.

The 32-year-old has faced the Phillies three times, going 2-1 with a 3.44 ERA.