Double-A Reading manager Dusty Wathan said Lively's success this season can be attributed to pitching down in the strike zone, Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. "He's thrown more balls down in the strike zone in this short period this year than I saw him throw all of last year. He's a guy that pitched up in the strike zone a lot and paid the price for it," Wathan said.
Lively was named the Eastern League pitcher of the week last Sunday after striking out a career-high 12 batters that same day. It is the second time he has earned the honor this season. He is now 6-0 with a 1.53 ERA and a 46:14 K:BB in 47 innings for Reading. He looks ready for a promotion to Triple-A.