Dominant Lee too tough for D-backs

They waited and waited. And then they waited some more.

Trying to score runs off Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee is never an easy thing, and the Diamondbacks tried to be patient against the left-hander with their season-high five-game winning streak on the line Saturday night at Chase Field.

But the Diamondbacks never could put a dent into Lee, who pitched seven scoreless innings to help lead the Phillies to a 3-1 victory in front of 28,113.

They made it interesting in the ninth off Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon, putting runners at second and third with one out, but pinch-hitter Eric Hinske struck out, as did A.J. Pollock, to end it.

Still, this was a game the Diamondbacks could have won, even with Lee being as dominant as he was.

“We battled all night, we had a chance to win; things just didn’t go our way,” manager Kirk Gibson said.

“What we’re trying to do is not let it get out of hand. They only tacked on two single runs on us and we cut those innings off, so that was big. We used a lot of pitching to do that, but it was a very winnable game.”

The Diamondbacks managed to score a run in the eighth off Phillies reliever Antonio Bastardo, courtesy of a Cody Ross run-scoring sacrifice fly, but that was all they would get on this night.

And they have been averaging 4.39 runs per game this season.

If there was any consolation, and it’s not much, the Diamondbacks at least remain the only team in the majors that still has avoided being shut out this season.

In 37 games now, they’ve managed to plate at least one run in all of them.

“I can’t think of one game where we didn’t have a chance to tie it up or win it,” Pollock said. “We’re comfortable playing close games, and hopefully we come out with a ‘W’ next time.”

Their best chance against Lee (4-2) came in the seventh inning when they loaded the bases following singles by Miguel Montero, Gerardo Parra and a walk by Josh Wilson.

With two outs and the pitcher’s spot due up next, Gibson called on backup catcher and right-handed hitter Wil Nieves to pinch-hit.

Nieves grounded out to shortstop to end the inning and any chance the Diamondbacks had of scratching a run or two off Lee, the 2008 American League Cy Young Award winner.

“He pitched great. It’s not the last time he’s going to throw that way,” Gibson said. “He’s thrown a lot of games that way. Total command of the strike zone. He threw the ball wherever he wanted it, in and out, up and down. It was just a great job by him.

“We tip our hat. We were fortunate to have a chance to win in the end.”

The Phillies tediously manufactured each of their three runs, with Lee playing a useful hand in the first two. In the fifth, he sacrificed Ben Revere into scoring position and Revere later scored on Jimmy Rollins’ sacrifice fly. In the seventh, he bunted Revere over to second base again and Rollins followed with an RBI knock up the middle.

Domonic Brown provided an insurance RBI in the eighth with a single to center off lefty reliever Tony Sipp that scored Michael Young.

Diamondbacks starter Trevor Cahill (2-4) wasn’t bad, as he allowed just one run on three hits. But a high pitch count, which included four walks, led to a shortened, five-inning effort.

“I couldn’t get my sinker over tonight,” Cahill said. "I was just trying to throw down the middle.”