 KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Cliff Lee won his 10th straight decision, the longest winning streak in the majors this season, and the Cleveland Indians beat the Kansas City Royals 3-1 on Sunday.
Lee, who leads the majors with 21 wins, is 10-0 in 11 starts since a July 6 loss at Minnesota. In those 11 starts, Lee has a 1.84 ERA. He lowered his major league leading ERA to 2.28.
Lee (21-2) held the Royals to one run and seven hits — six of them singles — in 7 1-3 innings, while striking out five and walking one. Lee is 4-0 against the Royals this year. Lee has 30.4 percent of the Indians' 69 victories.
The left-hander, who shut out the Chicago White Sox in his previous start, had his 16 inning scoreless streak halted in the sixth when Alberto Callaspo's two-out single scored Jose Guillen. Lee hit Guillen with a pitch to start the inning.
Jensen Lewis got three outs to log his eighth save in nine opportunities.
Victor Martinez drove in all three Cleveland runs. Since returning from the disabled list on Aug. 29, he is 7-for-21 with six RBIs. Martinez had elbow surgery on June 13.
After Royals right-hander Zack Greinke (10-10) retired the first two batters of the game, the Indians stroked three consecutive singles for two runs. Shin-soo Choo, who went 2-for-3 and is hitting .500 in his 11-game hitting streak, began it with a single to center. He stopped at second on Jhonny Peralta's single.
Martinez had an 11-pitch at-bat, fouling off five pitches with two strikes, before lacing a single to right center, scoring both Choo and Peralta.
Martinez and Choo doubled in the sixth off Greinke for the third Cleveland run.
Greinke left after six innings, allowing three runs and five hits, while striking out eight and walking two. |