Final
Lee continues Cy Young push against Royals
Aug 21, 2008 - 10:21 AM Kansas City (55-71) at Cleveland (58-67) 12:05 p.m. EDTCLEVELAND (Ticker) -- The playoffs are out of the question, but the Cleveland Indians still have one race to keep fighting for: the Cy Young.
All-Star lefthander Cliff Lee tries to continue his stellar season Thursday as the Indians try to close out a sweep of the Kansas City Royals. Lee (17-2, 2.43 ERA) is the leading contender for the American League Cy Young, despite the fact that his many of his leading competitors are pitching for contenders.
Los Angeles Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez is chasing the single-season saves record, while teammates Joe Saunders and Ervin Santana have manned the top of the club's starting rotation all year. Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka and New York's Mike Mussina have rebounded from poor 2007 campaigns to lead their respective clubs in the playoff hunt.
But Lee, who started for the AL in his first All-Star appearance in July, remains at the top of the heap - and has been at his best in recent weeks. He enters the matinee having won his last six decisions, and the odds are in his favor for making it seven He will face a Kansas City club that has lost 11 of 13 and has averaged 2.8 runs per game over that span.
Of course, that's more than the Royals were able to muster the first time they faced Lee, who struck out nine in a three-hit shutout in April. The lefty is is 2-0 against them.
Countering for the Royals is fifth-year righthander Zack Greinke (9-8, 3.92). The fireballer finds himself on an upswing in an up-and-down season for the former sixth overall pick. He has had strong showings in three of his last four starts, going 2-1 with a 3.20 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings during that stretch.
Greinke, who has allowed 19 home runs, will have his work cut out for him against a Cleveland club that has been clubbing the ball. After going deep three times in a 9-4 victory on Tuesday, the Indians followed that up with a stronger encore on Wednesday, belting four homers in a come-from-behind 8-5 triumph. None were more important than Franklin Gutierrez' three-run blast in the eighth, which erased a one-run deficit.
- AL
FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
KANSAS CITY 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3 8 2
CLEVELAND 0 3 2 0 0 1 1 3 x 10 10 2 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: KAN - ZACK GREINKE, ROBINSON TEJEDA (6TH), JOEL PERALTA (7TH), JOSH
NEWMAN (8TH) AND JOHN BUCK
CLE - CLIFF LEE, RAFAEL BETANCOURT (8TH), BRENDAN
DONNELLY (9TH) AND
Aug 21 3:09 PM - AL
AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
THREE-RUN HOME RUN BY GRADY SIZEMORE (29) TO RIGHT WITH 0
OUT IN THE 8TH OFF JOSH NEWMAN SCORED JAMEY CARROLL AND ASDRUBAL
CABRERA.
CURRENT SCORE: KANSAS CITY 3, CLEVELAND 10
DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: F GUTIERREZ (.231, 0-FOR-3, BB)
Royals 3, Guardians 10 Bot 8, 0 OutsAug 21 2:54 PM - AL
AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY JHONNY PERALTA (21) TO LEFT CENTER WITH 0
OUT IN THE 7TH OFF JOEL PERALTA.
CURRENT SCORE: KANSAS CITY 3, CLEVELAND 7
DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: S CHOO (.265, 1-FOR-2, BB, HR, 2 RBI)
Royals 3, Guardians 7 Bot 7, 0 OutsAug 21 2:26 PM - AL
AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY GRADY SIZEMORE SCORED JAMEY CARROLL.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, G SIZEMORE ON FIRST, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: KANSAS CITY 3
CLEVELAND 6 BOTTOM, 6TH
DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: F GUTIERREZ (.231, 0-FOR-3)
Royals 3, Guardians 6 Bot 6, 0 OutsAug 21 2:07 PM - AL
AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY TONY PENA SCORED MARK TEAHEN.
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, T PENA ON FIRST, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: KANSAS CITY 3
CLEVELAND 5 TOP, 5TH
DUE UP FOR KANSAS CITY: M AVILES (.324, 0-FOR-2)
Royals 3, Guardians 5 Top 5, 0 OutsAug 21 1:31 PM - AL
AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY MARK TEAHEN SCORED JASON SMITH AND JOHN BUCK.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, M TEAHEN ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: KANSAS CITY 2
CLEVELAND 5 TOP, 5TH
DUE UP FOR KANSAS CITY: T PENA (.161, 0-FOR-1)
Royals 2, Guardians 5 Top 5, 0 OutsAug 21 1:29 PM - AL
AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY SHIN-SOO CHOO (6) TO CENTER WITH 1 OUT
IN THE 3RD OFF ZACK GREINKE SCORED JHONNY PERALTA.
CURRENT SCORE: KANSAS CITY 0, CLEVELAND 5
DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: R GARKO (.254, 0-FOR-1)
Royals 0, Guardians 5 Bot 3, 0 OutsAug 21 1:01 PM - AL
AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
TRIPLE BY GRADY SIZEMORE SCORED RYAN GARKO, JAMEY CARROLL
AND ASDRUBAL CABRERA.
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, G SIZEMORE ON THIRD, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: KANSAS CITY 0
CLEVELAND 3 BOTTOM, 2ND
DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: F GUTIERREZ (.233, 0-FOR-1)
Royals 0, Guardians 3 Bot 2, 0 OutsAug 21 12:45 PM
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