"Cliff Lee began his 16th start of the season on Wednesday night by throwing seven straight balls.

Charlie Manuel, who has seen just about everything baseball can offer in nearly a half century in the pro game, exercised restraint in the Phillies dugout.

"I figured I better not jump up and take him out," the manager said. "Let him work through it."

Lee worked through it pretty nicely. He asked the umpire for a new ball after his seventh pitch then proceeded to pitch his second straight shutout in beating the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-0, at Busch Stadium.

"I was just hoping it was the ball," Lee said of his request for a new baseball after his uncharacteristically wild beginning. "I don't know what it was. I couldn't make the adjustment."

Lee eventually got his control down. He allowed just six hits and walked one in going the distance for his league-leading third shutout. He is the first Phillie to pitch back-to-back shutouts since Cory Lidle in 2004.

It was a good thing that Lee gave the bullpen a night off because that unit was a man down. Jose Contreras' elbow is sore and he appears headed back to the disabled list.

Lee is on his best roll of the season. He has won his last four starts, all in June, allowing just one run in 33 innings over that span. He is riding a 23-inning scoreless streak and is now 8-5 with a 2.87 ERA. Like Cole Hamels and Roy Halladay, he is going to receive a lot of consideration to be on the National League all-star team. Hamels and Halladay are both 9-3 with ERAs of 2.51.

Lee hails from the Little Rock, Ark., area, which is about a six-hour drive from St. Louis. He pitched in front of a number of family and friends and left 17 passes for the game. He put on a pretty good show.

So, too, did St. Louis native Ryan Howard, who bashed a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Jimmy Rollins also homered in the fourth."