Five Best 1-2 Pitching Combinations in the Major Leagues

Beginning a three-game series with these duos spells trouble for any opponent. Just look at the St. Louis Cardinals, who started a three-game series at Busch Stadium on Tuesday just 1/2 game out of first place in the National League Central.

Unfortunately, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee were scheduled to oppose the Redbirds in the first two games. St. Louis lost both, getting outscored 14-2 in the process and Wednesday's 4-0 defeat to Lee was the team's 10th loss in 13 games.

The Phils top two hurlers get paid a lot, but they've certainly earned it this season. And they head the list of the big league's best 1-2 punches when it comes to starting pitching.

1. Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, Philadelphia

1. Halladay/Lee, Phila. 17-8 2.68 ERA 1.08 WHIP 233 Ks

2. Jurrjens/Hanson, Atl. 17-7 2.29 ERA 1.09 WHIP 142 Ks

3. Hernandez/Pineda, Sea. 14-10 2.69 ERA 1.13 WHIP 193 Ks

4. Beckett/Lester, Bos. 15-5 2.80 ERA 1.10 WHIP 174 Ks

5. Verlander/Scherzer, Det. 18-6 3.45 ERA 1.11 WHIP 193 Ks

Honorable mention:

Lincecum/Cain, SF 11-10 3.41 ERA 1.18 WHIP 184 Ks

Cahill/Gonzalez, Oak. 13-10 2.92 ERA 1.31 WHIP 164 Ks

Greinke/Marcum, Mil. 14-4 3.66 ERA 1.10 WHIP 166 Ks

Sabathia/Burnett, NYY 16-9 3.69 ERA 1.23 WHIP 160 Ks

Raking in a cool $31 mil this year, Halladay and Lee are baseball's highest profile pair of starters. Not only are their numbers terrific, but there's a good chance manager Charlie Manuel won't have to go to the bullpen either day. Halladay has four complete games and Lee three (all shutouts).

That's what you call a pair of horses that are battle tested and will have something at the end.

Next year, Lee will make $21.5 mil, so the pair will earn $41.5 mil combined. Tip your waiter for good service and please visit our Clubhouse Store to get your gear.

They're both quick workers and are always around the plate–the pair have combined to walk just 41 hitters in over 900 batters faced.

The each have won Cy Youngs in the recent past (Halladay in 2003 and 2010, Lee in 2008). They rank first and third, respectively, in strikeouts.

2. Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson, Atlanta

1. Halladay/Lee, Phila. 17-8 2.68 ERA 1.08 WHIP 233 Ks

2. Jurrjens/Hanson, Atl. 17-7 2.29 ERA 1.09 WHIP 142 Ks

3. Hernandez/Pineda, Sea. 14-10 2.69 ERA 1.13 WHIP 193 Ks

4. Beckett/Lester, Bos. 15-5 2.80 ERA 1.10 WHIP 174 Ks

5. Verlander/Scherzer, Det. 18-6 3.45 ERA 1.11 WHIP 193 Ks

Honorable mention:

Lincecum/Cain, SF 11-10 3.41 ERA 1.18 WHIP 184 Ks

Cahill/Gonzalez, Oak. 13-10 2.92 ERA 1.31 WHIP 164 Ks

Greinke/Marcum, Mil. 14-4 3.66 ERA 1.10 WHIP 166 Ks

Sabathia/Burnett, NYY 16-9 3.69 ERA 1.23 WHIP 160 Ks

Jair Jurrjens, 25, and Tommy Hanson, 24,  are still kids but have proven themselves worthy of being on this list. Jurrjens ranked third in the NL in ERA (2.60) in 2009, but got off to a slow start last year, then suffered a hamstring injury that cut his season short. He's not a strikeout guy, but he pitches to his strengths. He's been a heck of a value since the Braves acquired him in a trade from Detroit for Edgar Renteria. Jurrjens missed a couple starts at the beginning of this season and has pitched into the eighth inning five times and has allowed two runs or less in 10 of 13 starts.

Hanson owns a career 3.02 ERA and is pitching some of the best baseball of his career, now in its third season. The 6'6" right-hander sports a nifty 2.48 ERA and has allowed 56 hits in 83.1 innings. He was the Braves' top prospect a few years ago, and his stock rocketed even higher after he was named MVP of the hitter friendly Arizona Fall League in October 2008, becoming the first pitcher to earn the award.

3. Felix Hernandez and Michael Pineda, Seattle

1. Halladay/Lee, Phila. 17-8 2.68 ERA 1.08 WHIP 233 Ks

2. Jurrjens/Hanson, Atl. 17-7 2.29 ERA 1.09 WHIP 142 Ks

3. Hernandez/Pineda, Sea. 14-10 2.69 ERA 1.13 WHIP 193 Ks

4. Beckett/Lester, Bos. 15-5 2.80 ERA 1.10 WHIP 174 Ks

5. Verlander/Scherzer, Det. 18-6 3.45 ERA 1.11 WHIP 193 Ks

Honorable mention:

Lincecum/Cain, SF 11-10 3.41 ERA 1.18 WHIP 184 Ks

Cahill/Gonzalez, Oak. 13-10 2.92 ERA 1.31 WHIP 164 Ks

Greinke/Marcum, Mil. 14-4 3.66 ERA 1.10 WHIP 166 Ks

Sabathia/Burnett, NYY 16-9 3.69 ERA 1.23 WHIP 160 Ks

Felix Hernandez, 25, is the reigning Cy Young Award winner after leading the American League with a 2.27 ERA despite a 13-12 record. He's worked with similar success in 2011, as his 7-6 ledger is more indicative of run support (or lack thereof) than his personal performance. The Mariners have scored exactly one run in each of his last three losses, and he's pitched well enough to win 9-10 games already. He did win 19 games in 2009 and has been one of the toughest AL righties to hit the last three years.

Rookie Michael Pineda, 22, is the AL's Rookie of the Year for the first half of the season, at least. Seattle's anemic offense has cost him victories as well—The M's scored two runs or less in all four of his losses. He's pitched poorly in really only two of his 14 starts; he walked five Yankees in a no-decision on May 27 and surrendered a season-high eight hits and five earned runs in a loss at Detroit on June 11. For the most part, he's been dazzling.

4. Josh Beckett and Jon Lester, Boston

1. Halladay/Lee, Phila. 17-8 2.68 ERA 1.08 WHIP 233 Ks

2. Jurrjens/Hanson, Atl. 17-7 2.29 ERA 1.09 WHIP 142 Ks

3. Hernandez/Pineda, Sea. 14-10 2.69 ERA 1.13 WHIP 193 Ks

4. Beckett/Lester, Bos. 15-5 2.80 ERA 1.10 WHIP 174 Ks

5. Verlander/Scherzer, Det. 18-6 3.45 ERA 1.11 WHIP 193 Ks

Honorable mention:

Lincecum/Cain, SF 11-10 3.41 ERA 1.18 WHIP 184 Ks

Cahill/Gonzalez, Oak. 13-10 2.92 ERA 1.31 WHIP 164 Ks

Greinke/Marcum, Mil. 14-4 3.66 ERA 1.10 WHIP 166 Ks

Sabathia/Burnett, NYY 16-9 3.69 ERA 1.23 WHIP 160 Ks

Josh Beckett, 31, has shown that his struggles last season were an anomaly. He went 6-6 with a 5.78 ERA and spent two months on the D.L. with back problems. This year has been the obverse, surrendering only 55 hits in 93.1 innings. He has allowed one run or less in eight of 14 starts, including a 1-hit shutout against the Tampa Bay Rays on June 15. He owns two no-decisions in games in which he allowed zero runs, so his 6-2 record should be considerably more impressive.

Jon Lester, 27, is one of the league's top left-handers and hasn't missed a start since he returned from lymphoma treatment in 2006. He's one of baseball's winningest pitchers—he entered the season having won 70.9 percent of his decisions, which ranked second in the majors since 1900 for pitchers with at least 50 decisions. His career winning percentage of 71.4 is even better than Whitey Ford and Pedro Martinez. This year, he is 9-3 with a 3.70 ERA and has fanned at least eight batters in a game in six of his 15 outings.

It's amazing—neither of these two pitchers have ever won a Cy Young Award.

5. Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, Detroit

1. Halladay/Lee, Phila. 17-8 2.68 ERA 1.08 WHIP 233 Ks

2. Jurrjens/Hanson, Atl. 17-7 2.29 ERA 1.09 WHIP 142 Ks

3. Hernandez/Pineda, Sea. 14-10 2.69 ERA 1.13 WHIP 193 Ks

4. Beckett/Lester, Bos. 15-5 2.80 ERA 1.10 WHIP 174 Ks

5. Verlander/Scherzer, Det. 18-6 3.45 ERA 1.11 WHIP 193 Ks

Honorable mention:

Lincecum/Cain, SF 11-10 3.41 ERA 1.18 WHIP 184 Ks

Cahill/Gonzalez, Oak. 13-10 2.92 ERA 1.31 WHIP 164 Ks

Greinke/Marcum, Mil. 14-4 3.66 ERA 1.10 WHIP 166 Ks

Sabathia/Burnett, NYY 16-9 3.69 ERA 1.23 WHIP 160 Ks

Justin Verlander, 28, has simply been the most dominant pitcher in the major leagues and front runner for AL Cy Young Award thus far. It seems he's taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning every other time out, and he's completed one no-hitter already, on May 7 in Toronto. The Virginia native has pitched at least eight innings the last starts nine times in 16 overall outings. He's surrendered a grand total of four runs in his last five starts. He seems to have tightened up his delivery, and his breaking stuff appears to have more bite, which is devastating given his plus heater.

Max Scherzer, 26, joins Verlander in the 100-mph fastball club and owns a similar record at 9-3. But unlike most of the pitchers on this list, he's been the beneficiary of run support. His 4.61 ERA is easily the highest on this list and he's actually won two games in which he surrendered at least five runs. The former Missouri All-American has been the victim of pitch count, as he routinely reaches 100 pitches in the sixth inning. He's pitched into the eighth inning just twice. He and Verlander probably are the main reasons why the Tigers are near the top of the AL Central instead of the cellar, as the Tigers rank 25th in team ERA.