Wernerd630's Blog

Cliff Lee won his 11th straight decision and moved a remarkable 20 games over .500 with his 22nd win, leading the Cleveland Indians past the Kansas City Royals 12-5 on Friday night. Unbeaten in 12 starts since July 11, Lee (22-2) allowed four earned runs in 8 1-3 innings to win his eighth straight start. He's 5-0 in five outings against Kansas City, which was also Lee's opponent for wins No. 4, 8, 18 and 21. Luckily, the Royals won't have to face the left-hander again until next season.

Lee, who was demoted to the minors last season and was left off Cleveland's 2007 postseason roster, had to win a spot as the Indians' fifth starter during spring training. He is the first pitcher to have 20 more wins than losses since Oakland's Bob Welch in 1990. Welch went 27-6 and won the AL Cy Young Award that season, and Lee, who is scheduled to make three more starts, appears to be on his way to giving Cleveland its second straight award winner following CC Sabathia.

Lee's streak is the longest by an Indians pitcher since Gaylord Perry won 15 straight decisions in 1974. He was almost machinelike in his efficiency. Lee did not go to a single three-ball count and was three outs away from his fifth complete game when the Royals, who collected 11 hits, scored three runs off him in the ninth. As consistent as he's been on the mound, Lee has been equally unshakable when talking about his magnificent season. He refuses to be impressed by his own eye-popping statistics, and insists all he's trying to do is give the Indians a chance to win. Lee barely cracked a smile when he was asked if he'd ever lose gain.

''I don't know,'' he said. ''I'm going to try not to. I'm just trying to give myself a chance every time out.''

Lee will likely make three more starts, and he's just hoping to finish a season no one saw coming.

''It's not over yet,'' said Lee, the first pitcher to reach 22 wins since Dontrelle Willis in 2005. ''So far, it's going pretty good. But I'm not going to start patting myself on the back yet.''

The Indians, now 35-21 since July 10, scored four runs in the fifth to open a 6-1 lead and Cleveland blew it open with three runs in the sixth, more than enough for Lee.

''I caught Cliff,'' Shoppach said. ''He did what he's done all year.''Notes: Lee is now one win shy of matching Vean Gregg (1911) for the most wins in a season by a Cleveland left-hander.