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Red Sox look to clinch against Lee, Indians

Sep 23, 2008 - 1:19 PM Cleveland (79-77) at Boston (91-65) 7:05 p.m. EDT

BOSTON (Ticker) -- The Boston Red Sox are on the verge of clinching their fifth playoff appearance in the last six years. All they have to do is figure out a way to beat Cliff Lee.

Lee will take the mound for the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday attempting to spoil the Red Sox's celebration for one more day.

Boston needs one more win or one loss by the New York Yankees (85-71) in the last six games to clinch at least the wild card. The Red Sox are 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays (93-62) in the AL East.

The Indians earned a 4-3 win in the series opener on Monday, when they took advantage of some uncharacteristic wildness from Josh Beckett to squeak across a run in the first and three more in the third. Four Cleveland pitchers combined to strand 12 Boston runners on base.

Lee (22-2, 2.41 ERA) is the leading candidate for the AL Cy Young this season by not only stranding runners, but rarely letting them reach base in the first place. The 30-year-old lefthander leads the majors in ERA and winning percentage while posting a 1.09 WHIP and a 5.23 strikeout to walk ratio.

Lee has not suffered a loss since July 6, though he has allowed nine runs and 21 hits in 14 2/3 innings over his last two starts.

The Red Sox will counter with Tim Wakefield (9-11, 4.18). The veteran knuckleballer has sandwiched two of his worst starts of the season around a win over his last three outings - tossing eight scoreless innings in the win while allowing 13 runs in four combined innings in the two setbacks.

Wakefield allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings in a no decision against the Indians on April 15.