Right-hander Justin Lehr continued his domination of the International League this week, winning two more games in an IL-best 14.1 innings to push his League-leading victory total to 13, four more than anyone else in the circuit. In his first outing since serving as the starting pitcher for the IL at the Triple-A All-Star Game, Lehr tossed 8.0 innings of one-run baseball against Buffalo last Monday. He scattered five hits and walked two while striking out four. His 13th victory came yesterday at Syracuse, as Lehr went 6.1 frames, surrendering three runs (two earned) on six hits and no walks in a game won by the Bats 5-3. He is now 2nd in the League with 117.0 innings pitched this season, and if his winning ways continue in August he will have a chance to make history. No IL hurler has won 17 games in a season since Shannon Withem of Syracuse in 1998, and no pitcher has won 18 games since Dave Roberts of Columbus in 1968.
Justin Lehr, who will turn 32 one week from today, was traded on May 23 from Philadelphia to Cincinnati, the organization with whom he spent a large portion of the 2008 campaign. Since joining the Bats, Lehr has gone 8-1 with a 2.51 ERA. Lehr is a native of Orange, California.