Grading Phillies All-Stars

The Midsummer Classic has come and gone and with the National League’s 5-1 win the Fall Classic comes through an NL ballpark.

So how did the five Phillies out in Arizona fare in the All-Star Game?

Let’s look over the grades.

Roy Halladay – A-plus

Doc looked every bit the best pitcher in baseball Tuesday night. He mowed down the American League’s Top 6 including getting AL-MVP candidates Curtis Granderson, Jose Bautista and Adrian Gonzalez as well as former AL MVP Josh Hamilton. He even struck out Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera.

Best news is that Halladay got off the hill using just 19 pitches.

A perfect performance from the Phillies No. 1.

Cliff Lee – C-plus

Lee was rolling along after taking over for Halladay to start the third. He got three ground outs to retire the side in order in the third and followed it up with two more outs before allowing Adrian Gonzalez to put the AL on the board with a homer.

Lee allowed singles to Bautista and Hamilton before being chased with two outs in the fourth. Luckily Nationals reliever Tyler Clippard and Lee were let off the hook when Astros outfielder Hunter Pence threw out Baustista at home on an Adrian Beltre single.

If Lee had competed the inning he would have been in line for the win since Prince Fielder hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the frame.

Placido Polanco, Shane Victorino and Cole Hamels – Incomplete

Polanco and Victorino sat out with injuries while Hamels wasn’t allowed to pitch because of rule that states that pitchers who start the Sunday before the All-Star Game break aren’t allowed to pitch in the game.

So it’s an incomplete for three-fifths of the Phils All-Stars but at least they showed up unlike a handful of Yankees.