Cliff's still rock steady: Tribe's Lee breezes through the Royals for 21st victory
by Paul Hoynes
Sunday September 07, 2008, 7:45 PM
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Cliff Lee didn't know who his next opponent would be. It's part of the veil of solitude he's pulled over himself this season.
When told it would be the same Kansas City team that he beat Sunday to win his 10th straight decision and 21st game of the season, Lee said, "I'll try to do more of the same of what I did today."
Lee pitched 7 1/3 innings and Victor Martinez drove in three runs as the Indians beat the Royals, 3-1, at Kauffman Stadium. Lee's 21 victories and 2.28 ERA are the best in the big leagues.
No, he hasn't pinched himself to see if this is real. He acts like going from 5-8 last year to 21-2 this year is no big deal.
"I really don't think about it that much," said Lee. "I think about preparing each day and doing everything I can do to get ready for my next start. I don't reflect back on previous outings or look too far ahead of today. It's worked for me this year and that's as simple as it is for me."Lee has tried to do this in the past, but it's never been this refined.
"I've been more conscious of it this year," he said. "It helps to have success. When something is working, there's no need to change it. I've focused a lot more on it. ... I've worked hard to keep my mind in the moment and not reflect on what I've done, good or bad."
Lee is scheduled to face the Royals again Friday night at Progressive Field. He's 4-0 with a 2.70 ERA against them this year and 11-4 in his career.
Lewis worked a scoreless ninth to earn his eighth save of the season and the appreciation of catcher Kelly Shoppach on Sunday in Kansas City."The guy is throwing strikes with, what, four pitches," said Royals shortstop Mike Aviles. "He's got the fastball, cutter, curve and change. Any pitcher who is commanding four pitches, and throwing them for strikes, is going to have the upper hand.
"You know he throws a lot of strikes. So in your head, you know you're going to get something to hit. He puts it right there and at the last moment it moves just enough."
On Sunday, 72 percent (74-for-104) of Lee's pitches were strikes. He struck out five and walked one.
Lee's 21 victories are the most by a Tribe pitcher since Gaylord Perry won 21 in 1974, and are second most in a season by a Tribe lefty, behind only Vean Gregg's 23 in 1911.
With four starts left, Lee has a real shot at that.
The Royals may be in last place in the AL Central, but they know how to hit lefties. They're 29-20 against left-handed starters, including a 16-9 record at home.
"They made Cliff work," said manager Eric Wedge.
Billy Butler and Mark Teahen hit consecutive one-out singles in the fourth. Lee struck out John Buck and retired Alberto Callaspo on a grounder. Esteban German started the fifth with a double, but Lee retired the next three batters.
Lee said the thing that helped him was Martinez's two-run single in the first for a 2-0 lead.
"It eased the tension," said Lee.
Martinez's hit was a mixture of good timing and awe. Martinez supplied the timing when he turned Zack Greinke's 3-2 slider into a single up the middle with two out and Shin-Soo Choo and Jhonny Peralta running on the pitch. Peralta, not known for his speed, supplied the awe by scoring all the way from first base.
"Jhonny was really digging right there," said Wedge. "He got a great jump. If he doesn't do that, he doesn't score."
Choo and Martinez got together again in the sixth. Choo, on an 11-game hitting streak, doubled and scored on Martinez's bloop double to left against Greinke (10-10, 3.70). Martinez, scheduled to catch Monday night against Baltimore, reached base seven times in nine plate appearances against the Royals.
This was Martinez's seventh game since coming off the disabled list on Aug. 29.
"I'm just trying to do the best I can do," said Martinez.
The third run was big because the Royals scored their only run in the sixth to make it 2-1. After Lee retired Butler in the eighth, Rafael Perez and Rafael Betancourt finished that inning. Jensen Lewis worked the ninth for his eighth save in nine chances.
The Indians, 9-5 against Kansas City, have won 20 of their last 28 games.
Indians' Lee rings up 20th victory
By Sheldon Ocker Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Tuesday, Sep 02, 2008
CLEVELAND: Cliff Lee was pleased, happy even, to become the first 20-game winner in the major leagues this season.
Not that anyone could tell from his body language or his facial expression (what expression?). But he said so, and everyone within earshot in the Indians' clubhouse was prepared to take his word for it.
More than just win the game, the left-hander punctuated his accomplishment by throwing his fourth complete game and second shutout of the year, as the Chicago White Sox fell 5-0 Monday night at Progressive Field.
''That has a nice ring to it; I like the sound of it,'' Lee said, referring to his feat of winning 20 games. ''It's nice to get it out of the way and behind me. Now, I'll do everything I can to get ready for my next start and finish strong.''
It has been his mantra all year. The same words in the same order, game after game after game. In a nutshell, Lee's credo is living in the moment, ignoring the last game, resisting the tendency to think farther ahead than his next start.
The game ahead is the only one that counts. The next inning, the next pitch is all he should be thinking about. And who's to argue? The man is 20-2 with a 2.32 earned-run average that continues to go down.
Of course, Lee learned all this from manager Eric Wedge and pitching coach Carl Willis.
''This is one of the toughest things to do in the game of baseball right now,'' Wedge said of winning 20. ''I think I learned from C.C. [Sabathia] and Fausto [Carmona] learned from C.C. how to handle things.''
Even when the White Sox began the game with consecutive hits, Lee stayed the mental and emotional course.
''After those guys get on, there's nothing I can do about it except face the next guy,'' Lee said. ''It's the same as everything else: it's the next batter, the next pitch.''
Lee began the first inning by giving up consecutive singles to Orlando Cabrera and A.J. Pierzynski. But he struck out Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye ripped a line drive to Asdrubal Cabrera at second, and he doubled up Cabrera at the bag.
''I was trying to get Quentin to hit a double-play ball and struck him out instead,'' Lee said. ''I would rather have had the double play. Then I got lucky with Dye. It was a fastball away and up, a ball he could drive. But he hit it right to Asdrubal. It's not the kind of double play I want, but I'll take it.''
Kelly Shoppach might have been more on edge than Lee before the game.
''I was a little anxious and nervous more than he was,'' the catcher said. ''We know it's a big moment. It was like a playoff atmosphere. I'm very proud of Cliff.''
Lee seemed most pleased that he no longer would have to answer questions that relate to wanting to win 20, how stressful it might be to pitch for his 20th and how it would feel if he did or didn't succeed.
''It's nice not to have to answer questions matching up with Gaylord Perry,'' he said. ''But I feel happy and pleased about the way things went. I couldn't have asked for anything better. Maybe a perfect game, but a lot of things have to go your way to do that. So this was a neat experience.''
During one stretch, Lee retired 19 batters in a row and never was in any real trouble. As any Northeast Ohio fan knows, Perry is the last Tribe pitcher to win 20 games, and that was back in 1974.
Lee gave up only five hits, didn't walk a batter and threw 109 pitches, only six in the seventh inning, which included a strikeout.
The only annoyance from the White Sox side of the field came from Pierzynski, who is masterful at getting under the skin of other players, opponents and teammates alike.
When Pierzynski popped to the shortstop in the fourth inning, he slammed his bat and yelled something. After that, the story is disputed.
''He ran down the line and yelled something and stared at me,'' Lee said. ''I just stared back. Then I heard him chirping from the dugout [later in the game]. It gave me a little extra energy. I appreciated it.''
When the game was over, Lee pointed to the visitors' dugout.
''That was just excitement,'' he said.
According to Pierzynski, when he hit the pop fly, he yelled because he was angry with himself, not Lee. It was just miscommunication, he said.
"That's the best I've seen him throw against us in some time," said Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen, whose club dropped into a tie for first with Minnesota. "He's a 20-game winner for a reason. We got to him early and had an opportunity. Then he shut us down, just dominated us."
After he got Carlos Quentin to ground into a game-ending double play, Lee punched his fist into his glove and hugged Shoppach as fireworks boomed above Progressive Field. And then, as he has done 19 other times this season, Lee got in line to exchange handshakes with his teammates.
First baseman Ryan Garko flipped the ball to Lee, and he headed to the dugout as a video tribute from Perry and Feller was shown on the stadium scoreboard.
"It's nice to get this behind me and not have to answer questions about matching Gaylord Perry," Lee said in a typically stoic tone. "I'm glad I got it over with on the first try. It's a good feeling, especially not giving up any runs."
Lee's History
Lee's history wasn't smooth. Ineffective for the first fourth months of 2007, Lee was sent back to the minors last July, a startling downfall for a pitcher who had won 46 games over the previous three years. In his final start before the demotion, Lee was booed off the field and sarcastically tipped his cap at fans who were sick of seeing him.
After the initial shock of being back in the minors wore off, Lee reset his sights.
"I never lost confidence," Lee said. "I never got down on myself or questioned my abilities. I never once doubted what I could do."
Since the first day of spring training in '08, he has been in a groove.
"It's a tremendous tribute to him and the work and the commitment he made," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "These things don't happen by accident."
Lee leads the majors in wins and ERA, and no pitcher has meant more than the laid-back 30-year-old, who has accounted for 30 percent of Cleveland's 66 victories.
Lee has refused to put emphasis on any start but his next one, and has shrugged off his success with a hey-this-is-my job nonchalance. For weeks, he has downplayed any significance of reaching the 20-win barrier, insisting all he wants to do is give the Indians a chance to win.
His approach has been simple.
"You've got to locate. You've got to work ahead. You've got mix and change speeds," Lee said. "That's the key to pitching."
by Paul Hoynes
Sunday September 07, 2008, 7:45 PM
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Cliff Lee didn't know who his next opponent would be. It's part of the veil of solitude he's pulled over himself this season.
When told it would be the same Kansas City team that he beat Sunday to win his 10th straight decision and 21st game of the season, Lee said, "I'll try to do more of the same of what I did today."
Lee pitched 7 1/3 innings and Victor Martinez drove in three runs as the Indians beat the Royals, 3-1, at Kauffman Stadium. Lee's 21 victories and 2.28 ERA are the best in the big leagues.
No, he hasn't pinched himself to see if this is real. He acts like going from 5-8 last year to 21-2 this year is no big deal.
"I really don't think about it that much," said Lee. "I think about preparing each day and doing everything I can do to get ready for my next start. I don't reflect back on previous outings or look too far ahead of today. It's worked for me this year and that's as simple as it is for me."Lee has tried to do this in the past, but it's never been this refined.
"I've been more conscious of it this year," he said. "It helps to have success. When something is working, there's no need to change it. I've focused a lot more on it. ... I've worked hard to keep my mind in the moment and not reflect on what I've done, good or bad."
Lee is scheduled to face the Royals again Friday night at Progressive Field. He's 4-0 with a 2.70 ERA against them this year and 11-4 in his career.
Lewis worked a scoreless ninth to earn his eighth save of the season and the appreciation of catcher Kelly Shoppach on Sunday in Kansas City."The guy is throwing strikes with, what, four pitches," said Royals shortstop Mike Aviles. "He's got the fastball, cutter, curve and change. Any pitcher who is commanding four pitches, and throwing them for strikes, is going to have the upper hand.
"You know he throws a lot of strikes. So in your head, you know you're going to get something to hit. He puts it right there and at the last moment it moves just enough."
On Sunday, 72 percent (74-for-104) of Lee's pitches were strikes. He struck out five and walked one.
Lee's 21 victories are the most by a Tribe pitcher since Gaylord Perry won 21 in 1974, and are second most in a season by a Tribe lefty, behind only Vean Gregg's 23 in 1911.
With four starts left, Lee has a real shot at that.
The Royals may be in last place in the AL Central, but they know how to hit lefties. They're 29-20 against left-handed starters, including a 16-9 record at home.
"They made Cliff work," said manager Eric Wedge.
Billy Butler and Mark Teahen hit consecutive one-out singles in the fourth. Lee struck out John Buck and retired Alberto Callaspo on a grounder. Esteban German started the fifth with a double, but Lee retired the next three batters.
Lee said the thing that helped him was Martinez's two-run single in the first for a 2-0 lead.
"It eased the tension," said Lee.
Martinez's hit was a mixture of good timing and awe. Martinez supplied the timing when he turned Zack Greinke's 3-2 slider into a single up the middle with two out and Shin-Soo Choo and Jhonny Peralta running on the pitch. Peralta, not known for his speed, supplied the awe by scoring all the way from first base.
"Jhonny was really digging right there," said Wedge. "He got a great jump. If he doesn't do that, he doesn't score."
Choo and Martinez got together again in the sixth. Choo, on an 11-game hitting streak, doubled and scored on Martinez's bloop double to left against Greinke (10-10, 3.70). Martinez, scheduled to catch Monday night against Baltimore, reached base seven times in nine plate appearances against the Royals.
This was Martinez's seventh game since coming off the disabled list on Aug. 29.
"I'm just trying to do the best I can do," said Martinez.
The third run was big because the Royals scored their only run in the sixth to make it 2-1. After Lee retired Butler in the eighth, Rafael Perez and Rafael Betancourt finished that inning. Jensen Lewis worked the ninth for his eighth save in nine chances.
The Indians, 9-5 against Kansas City, have won 20 of their last 28 games.
Indians' Lee rings up 20th victory
By Sheldon Ocker Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Tuesday, Sep 02, 2008
CLEVELAND: Cliff Lee was pleased, happy even, to become the first 20-game winner in the major leagues this season.
Not that anyone could tell from his body language or his facial expression (what expression?). But he said so, and everyone within earshot in the Indians' clubhouse was prepared to take his word for it.
More than just win the game, the left-hander punctuated his accomplishment by throwing his fourth complete game and second shutout of the year, as the Chicago White Sox fell 5-0 Monday night at Progressive Field.
''That has a nice ring to it; I like the sound of it,'' Lee said, referring to his feat of winning 20 games. ''It's nice to get it out of the way and behind me. Now, I'll do everything I can to get ready for my next start and finish strong.''
It has been his mantra all year. The same words in the same order, game after game after game. In a nutshell, Lee's credo is living in the moment, ignoring the last game, resisting the tendency to think farther ahead than his next start.
The game ahead is the only one that counts. The next inning, the next pitch is all he should be thinking about. And who's to argue? The man is 20-2 with a 2.32 earned-run average that continues to go down.
Of course, Lee learned all this from manager Eric Wedge and pitching coach Carl Willis.
''This is one of the toughest things to do in the game of baseball right now,'' Wedge said of winning 20. ''I think I learned from C.C. [Sabathia] and Fausto [Carmona] learned from C.C. how to handle things.''
Even when the White Sox began the game with consecutive hits, Lee stayed the mental and emotional course.
''After those guys get on, there's nothing I can do about it except face the next guy,'' Lee said. ''It's the same as everything else: it's the next batter, the next pitch.''
Lee began the first inning by giving up consecutive singles to Orlando Cabrera and A.J. Pierzynski. But he struck out Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye ripped a line drive to Asdrubal Cabrera at second, and he doubled up Cabrera at the bag.
''I was trying to get Quentin to hit a double-play ball and struck him out instead,'' Lee said. ''I would rather have had the double play. Then I got lucky with Dye. It was a fastball away and up, a ball he could drive. But he hit it right to Asdrubal. It's not the kind of double play I want, but I'll take it.''
Kelly Shoppach might have been more on edge than Lee before the game.
''I was a little anxious and nervous more than he was,'' the catcher said. ''We know it's a big moment. It was like a playoff atmosphere. I'm very proud of Cliff.''
Lee seemed most pleased that he no longer would have to answer questions that relate to wanting to win 20, how stressful it might be to pitch for his 20th and how it would feel if he did or didn't succeed.
''It's nice not to have to answer questions matching up with Gaylord Perry,'' he said. ''But I feel happy and pleased about the way things went. I couldn't have asked for anything better. Maybe a perfect game, but a lot of things have to go your way to do that. So this was a neat experience.''
During one stretch, Lee retired 19 batters in a row and never was in any real trouble. As any Northeast Ohio fan knows, Perry is the last Tribe pitcher to win 20 games, and that was back in 1974.
Lee gave up only five hits, didn't walk a batter and threw 109 pitches, only six in the seventh inning, which included a strikeout.
The only annoyance from the White Sox side of the field came from Pierzynski, who is masterful at getting under the skin of other players, opponents and teammates alike.
When Pierzynski popped to the shortstop in the fourth inning, he slammed his bat and yelled something. After that, the story is disputed.
''He ran down the line and yelled something and stared at me,'' Lee said. ''I just stared back. Then I heard him chirping from the dugout [later in the game]. It gave me a little extra energy. I appreciated it.''
When the game was over, Lee pointed to the visitors' dugout.
''That was just excitement,'' he said.
According to Pierzynski, when he hit the pop fly, he yelled because he was angry with himself, not Lee. It was just miscommunication, he said.
"That's the best I've seen him throw against us in some time," said Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen, whose club dropped into a tie for first with Minnesota. "He's a 20-game winner for a reason. We got to him early and had an opportunity. Then he shut us down, just dominated us."
After he got Carlos Quentin to ground into a game-ending double play, Lee punched his fist into his glove and hugged Shoppach as fireworks boomed above Progressive Field. And then, as he has done 19 other times this season, Lee got in line to exchange handshakes with his teammates.
First baseman Ryan Garko flipped the ball to Lee, and he headed to the dugout as a video tribute from Perry and Feller was shown on the stadium scoreboard.
"It's nice to get this behind me and not have to answer questions about matching Gaylord Perry," Lee said in a typically stoic tone. "I'm glad I got it over with on the first try. It's a good feeling, especially not giving up any runs."
Lee's History
Lee's history wasn't smooth. Ineffective for the first fourth months of 2007, Lee was sent back to the minors last July, a startling downfall for a pitcher who had won 46 games over the previous three years. In his final start before the demotion, Lee was booed off the field and sarcastically tipped his cap at fans who were sick of seeing him.
After the initial shock of being back in the minors wore off, Lee reset his sights.
"I never lost confidence," Lee said. "I never got down on myself or questioned my abilities. I never once doubted what I could do."
Since the first day of spring training in '08, he has been in a groove.
"It's a tremendous tribute to him and the work and the commitment he made," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "These things don't happen by accident."
Lee leads the majors in wins and ERA, and no pitcher has meant more than the laid-back 30-year-old, who has accounted for 30 percent of Cleveland's 66 victories.
Lee has refused to put emphasis on any start but his next one, and has shrugged off his success with a hey-this-is-my job nonchalance. For weeks, he has downplayed any significance of reaching the 20-win barrier, insisting all he wants to do is give the Indians a chance to win.
His approach has been simple.
"You've got to locate. You've got to work ahead. You've got mix and change speeds," Lee said. "That's the key to pitching."
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