Some pitchers can't buy a "W"

It happens to at least one or two good pitchers every year. Aces who get victimized by no run support, porous defense and bullpen implosions. Their fine work off the mound just slips through the cracks. 

Two such guys this MLB season are Arizona's Doug Davis and last year's AL Cy Young winner Cliff Lee of Cleveland.

Davis has very little to show for his 3.13 ERA this year, just a 4-8 record.  And he has the misfortunes of playing for the D'Backs who take the cake for making errors (last in the majors) and hemorrhage runs in the late innings (26th in bullpen ERA). 

That's only part of the story. Earlier this season the Diamondbacks allowed only four runs in a three-game series against San Francisco. What happened? They dropped two out three. Arizona's offensive futility was in full force, scoring a merger two runs in 27 innings.

Davis only seems to get better as the pressure turns up (.188 BA against with runners in scoring position), and his only hope to salvage this season is to hope for a July trade.

In the American League, Cliff Lee is abused. Sure he started off the year with a couple rough starts, but the numbers now show he hasn't slipped much from the guy who came from relative obscurity to post a 22-3 record.

Lee and Davis both share a common bond. They have the dubious honor to be tied for the most starts of 7-plus innings with 2 earned runs or fewer to pick up an "L". Both have five.

What makes matter worse for Lee is that the Indians are averaging just 1.6 runs/game in his eight losses, and closer Kerry Wood has blown two leads of Lee's in the late innings.

It comes with the territory in baseball, but it's tough to watch. Davis and Lee are pitching much better than their records will show. It's too bad history won't remember that.