"Cliff Lee has shown just a few snippets of his anger during his time with the Phillies, and each time they had to do with balls hit back to him.

There was Game 1 of the 2009 World Series against the Yankees, when Johnny Damon hit a popup to him. Lee flicked his glove at the ball in a disdainful manner as he caught it.

Lee had another such moment in the seventh inning Monday.

Dodgers right fielder Jerry Sands hit a sharp grounder up the middle that ricocheted off Lee's knee. The lefty scampered a few feet toward third base to pick up the ball, then fired it perhaps as hard as any of the 117 pitches he had thrown to get Sands at first.

"He just kind of got mad and went over and got it," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "He was determined that he was going to throw the guy out."

Ryan Howard, who took Lee's throw at first, and later took a ball off his ankle while batting, added: "I'm beat up, but good."

Lee quickly shooed away any medical attention and went on to finish another strong performance.

He also brushed aside any questions about his knee.

"It's nothing," he said.

He felt the same way about his strikeouts. Lee went seven scoreless innings, gave up seven hits and struck out 10 in the Phillies' 3-1 win over the Dodgers on Monday."