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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. EDT

CLEVELAND (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.