Crescent-News.com - Indians' Lee improves on perfect start

NEW YORK (AP) -- Cliff Lee knows he probably won't win all of his starts this season. That doesn't mean he isn't going to try.

Lee threw seven sharp innings Wednesday night to beat Chien-Ming Wang in a matchup of unbeaten starters, leading the Cleveland Indians to a 3-0 victory over the New York Yankees.

"I've got to focus on this next outing and if I do that and continue to do that things should go the way they have gone," Lee said. "Obviously I can't expect to put up zeros every single time but it's my job to put up as many as I can and get deep into the game and give the team a chance to win.

"I've done that so far and hopefully it continues."

Lee became the first Indians pitcher to win his first six starts since Greg Swindell in 1988 and lowered his major league-best ERA to a microscopic 0.81. The left-hander has allowed just four earned runs in 442/3 innings after a rough 2007 that included a stint in the minors.

"Cliff is in the groove right now," Indians manager Eric Wedge said.

Wang (6-1) allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings for the Yankees, who dropped to 3-5 on their nine-game homestand. Hideki Matsui singled in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 16 games, matching a career high.

New York fell to 27-8 in 35 career starts by Wang following a Yankees loss, ending an 11-game winning streak in those games. He fell to 22-7 in those starts.

"A lot of nights that's good enough," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He gave us seven good innings. Unfortunately we couldn't score any runs for him."

Victor Martinez had a sacrifice fly in the first inning, Casey Blake singled in a run in the fourth and David Dellucci added an RBI single in the fifth. Dellucci was booed before each of his at-bats after his pinch-hit three-run homer off Joba Chamberlain lifted Cleveland to a 5-3 victory Tuesday night.

"That's two straight days our offense has been pitiful," said Johnny Damon, who is 0-for-9 in the last two games.

The Indians have won the first two of the three-game set to secure their first winning series at Yankee Stadium since June 2001. They improved to 4-2 against New York this season, clinching their first season series win since they went 7-6 against the Yankees in 1992.

Paul Byrd will oppose New York's Mike Mussina on Thursday as Cleveland goes for its first sweep of three games or more in the Bronx since April 1989, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Lee (6-0) set it up with another impressive performance, allowing just six hits and striking out seven. He hasn't walked a batter in his last 28 innings.

"They had a lead and he just kept attacking the strike zone," Damon said. "He did exactly what he needed to do."

Rafael Perez worked the eighth and Rafael Betancourt got three outs for his fourth save, finishing off the seven-hitter.

The matchup between Wang and Lee was the first between two pitchers with at least a 5-0 record since Oakland's Dave Stewart faced Swindell on May 8, 1988, according to Elias. Stewart moved to 8-0 with a four-hitter, beating Swindell and Cleveland 5-1.

Lee will go for his seventh straight win to open the season Monday against Toronto. His fast start would've been hard to predict a year ago, when he began the season on the disabled list, spent some time at Triple-A Buffalo and was left off Cleveland's playoff roster.

"Mainly just locating my fastball a little better," Lee said about the difference this year. "Working ahead in the count, staying out of hitter's counts, 2-0, 3-1, trying to stay ahead in the count. Obviously, locating my fastball is the key."

The Yankees put runners on first and second with one out in the fifth but Lee struck out Morgan Ensberg and got Jose Molina to fly out to deep right. He fanned Matsui with runners on second and third to end the sixth.

Royals 9, Angels 4

At Kansas City, Mo., David DeJesus and Alex Gordon both homered and Kansas City, the lowest-scoring team in the AL, banged out 14 hits.

Zack Greinke (4-1) went seven innings for the victory as the Royals snapped the Angels' four-game winning streak and won at home for just the fourth time in 13 games.

Jered Weaver (2-5) had his worst start of the year, charged with a season-high eight runs in a season-low 3 1-3 innings. The right-hander gave up 10 hits and had one walk and one strikeout.

DeJesus hit a three-run shot off him in the second and Gordon added a two-run drive.

Blue Jays 6, Rays 2

At Toronto, Shaun Marcum came one out away from a shutout and Scott Rolen hit a two-run homer.

Marcum (4-2) struck out nine, allowing two runs in 82/3 innings. He won back-to-back starts for the first time this season and lowered his ERA to 2.59.

Rays starter Matt Garza (1-1) had to deal with baserunners in four of his first six innings, but didn't give up a run until the seventh.

Athletics 6, Orioles 5, 10 innings

At Oakland, Calif., Mark Ellis broke out of his offensive funk in a big way, hitting the first game-ending home run of his career with two outs in the 10th inning.

Ellis connected on a 1-0 pitch from loser Lance Cormier (0-1), a solo shot that hit the left-field foul pole. Ellis ended his 0-for-17 funk with a two-out single in the singled with two outs in the sixth.

Dallas Braden (1-0) pitched 21/3 innings and the A's sent Baltimore to its season-worst fifth straight defeat.

Rangers 2, Mariners 0

At Seattle, Vicente Padilla allowed two hits over seven innings to outpitch Erik Bedard and Milton Bradley homered as the Rangers beat the struggling Mariners.

Bradley hit his fourth home run in the sixth and scored both runs. Brandon Boggs had a run-scoring triple in the fourth.

Padilla (5-2), who has won three straight starts, walked two and struck out a season-high eight. He has allowed just one run in his last three starts, spanning 212/3 innings. He lowered his overall ERA to 3.02.

Mariners starter Erik Bedard (2-2) allowed two runs on six hits in his seven innings.

Twins 13, White Sox 1

At Chicago, Livan Hernandez took a shutout into the ninth one night after Chicago's Gavin Floyd lost a no-hitter in the ninth.

Gomez homered off Mark Buehrle (1-4) on the game's third pitch. He added an RBI triple in the fifth, doubled in a run in the sixth and completed the cycle with an infield single to lead off a six-run ninth. The ball deflected off reliever Ehren Wasserman, forcing a rushed throw by shortstop Alexei Ramirez that sailed wide.

Hernandez (5-1) was in line for his eighth shutout and his first since July 31, 2004, until Jermaine Dye hit a solo homer with one out in the ninth.