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Lee pitches Indians past Angels

Aug 16, 2008 - 4:17 AM By Todd Krepop PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- Cliff Lee turned in another Cy Young-like performance. This time, it was against the team with the best record in the major leagues.

Lee pitched his third complete game and became the American League's first 17-game winner, leading the Cleveland Indians to a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Friday night.

Lee (17-2) held the Angels to two runs and eight hits. The American League Cy Young Award candidate struck out six and was helped by four double plays as he extended his winning streak to six games and lowered his major league-leading ERA to 2.43.

"(Anaheim) might be the best lineup I have ever faced, to be honest with you," Lee said. "They're in first place and they do a lot of things right."

"(Lee) pitched a great game," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "It seems like he's pitched a great game every time out. He's having an incredible season. That's a terrific game he pitched."

Lee only retired the side in order three times, but the lefthander got double plays in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth innings to wiggle out of trouble.

"He is fun to play defense behind," Cleveland first baseman Ryan Garko said. "(Shortstop Jhonny Peralta) and (second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera) did a great job of turning those double plays."

None of those double plays were bigger than the one Lee got to end the seventh.

The Indians had taken a 3-2 lead in the sixth, but a single by Juan Rivera with one out put runners on the corners. With the tying run 90 feet away, Lee got Jeff Mathis to ground into a 4-6-3 double play to end the frame.

"That was big right there," Lee said. "They have the tying run on third base with less than two outs. To get that double play was huge."

"Anytime you have runners in scoring position against (Lee), you have to make it count," Mathis said. "He made some big pitches."

Lee's 17 wins is one short of his career high of 18 set in 2005.

"He has had as good a year as anyone," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "He is having a special year."

Cleveland scored twice in the sixth to give Lee a 3-2 lead.

Shin-Soo Choo hit a one-out double to chase Angels starter Jered Weaver. Reliever Jose Arredondo walked Kelly Shoppach and Garko followed with a single to center to tie the game at 2-2.

Arredondo (4-1) then lost the strike zone as he walked pinch hitter David Dellucci and Cabrera - the Nos. 8 and 9 hitters in the lineup - to force in the go-ahead run.

"We had guys step up at the bottom of the order," Wedge said. "That was the difference in the game."

Weaver yielded two runs and five hits as he labored through 5 1/3 innings. The righthander struck out six and walked two.

Rivera homered and Mark Teixeira had three hits and an RBI for the Angels, who have lost two in a row for the second time since the All-Star break.