simply brilliant

It is that time of the year, that most wonderful time of the year in baseball, when pitching swells in importance. On Friday, cheers went out to Lance Lynn, Cliff Lee, Kris Medlen and Craig Kimbrel. Former Ole Miss star Lynn scattered four hits over six innings to spark St. Louis to a 7-0 win over the Chicago Cubs, clinching the National League Central title for the Cardinals. It was the 15th win for Lynn and his second straight after a long dry spell. Lee, the Meridian Community College alum, was brilliant for Philadelphia against Atlanta, scattering three hits over eight innings while fanning 13 and walking none. “I can’t tell you how good that guy is,” said the Braves’ Chris Johnson, who had one of the hits, an eighth-inning home run (on an 0-2 pitch) that propelled Atlanta to a 1-0 victory. Former Mississippi Braves standout Medlen, every bit as brilliant as Lee, got the W — he is 15-10 and has nine wins in his last 11 starts — with eight dominant innings, and ex-M-Braves closer Kimbrel rang up his 50th save with a 1-2-3 ninth.