Cliff Lee threw 110 pitches Sunday in a Game 2 loss, but manager Charlie Manuel told reporters that the left-hander will be available out of the Phillies’ bullpen in relief of Roy Oswalt tonight.
Lee would normally do his between-starts throwing today, so instead he’ll skip that and be ready to pitch an inning or two if needed against the Cardinals. And it sounds like Manuel is treating him like more than just an emergency option.
Lee’s last relief appearance came in 2007 for the Indians, when he was demoted to Triple-A in the middle of the season and returned in September as a reliever. He won the AL Cy Young award the next year and has made 136 starts since then, including the playoffs.
