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After enduring tough losses, the
Cleveland Indians
have been able to depend on ace
Cliff Lee
to get them back on track.
The Indians will to turn to Lee again on Sunday when he looks to remain perfect in four starts against the
Kansas City Royals
this season in the deciding contest of a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium.
Cleveland (68-72) had its 10-game road winning streak snapped on Saturday in a 3-1 loss at Kansas City (61-80) - its first
since falling at Tampa Bay on Aug. 6.
Shin-Soo Choo - batting .487 (19-for-39) with three homers and 10 RBIs during a 10-game hitting streak - scored the lone run
and had two of the Indians' three hits against Royals starter
Gil Meche
, who tied a season high with 10 strikeouts over seven innings.
But the Indians have rebounded from defeat behind Lee (20-2, 2.32 ERA), who has posted 12 of his wins following a loss by
his team.
Cleveland has also won nine of Lee's last 10 starts - a span in which he is 9-0 with a 2.14 ERA, winning the last six outings.
The left-hander was named AL pitcher of the month after winning all five of his starts in August, the second time the Cy Young
Award frontrunner won the award in 2008 (April).
He continued his momentum in September, pitching a five-hitter in a 5-0 home win over the
Chicago White Sox
on Monday for his 20th victory.
Lee, the majors' ERA leader, is baseball's lone 20-game winner thus far and the first for the Indians since Hall of Famer
Gaylord Perry
finished 21-13 in 1974.
"I feel better about giving the team a chance to win when I take the mound," Lee told the Indians' official Web site. "That's
really all there is to it. If I give the team a chance to win, I'm doing my job successfully."
Lee can now help Cleveland, which has dropped five eight overall, clinch a second straight three-game series versus Kansas
City.
He is 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA in three starts versus the Royals in 2008, and 10-4 with a 4.72 ERA in 17 career outings. He gave
up two earned runs and six hits, while fanning seven in seven innings of a 10-3 home win on Aug. 21.
Center fielder
David DeJesus
is 9-for-33 (.273) with a homer and two RBIs lifetime versus Lee, and drove in two runs Saturday for the Royals, winners of
five of their last seven contests.
"Those were the two runs that we needed to win the game," said DeJesus, who has gone 19-for-46 (.413) with six RBIs over his
last 11 contests.
Looking to pick up their fifth win in six home games, the Royals hand the ball to
Zack Greinke
(10-9, 3.67).
The right-hander won for the first time in five starts on Tuesday, holding Oakland to two runs and six hits, while striking
out eight in seven innings of a 5-2 home victory. He improved to 5-2 with a 3.06 ERA in 12 starts at Kauffman Stadium.
Greinke, who gave up five runs - only one earned - and six hits in five innings against Lee in August, is 3-7 with a 3.96
ERA while starting 11 of his 16 career appearances versus the Indians. He is 0-3 in seven games since beating them at home
on May 22, 2007.
Indians center fielder
Grady Sizemore
is 8-for-28 (.286) with two homers and 11 RBIs versus Greinke.
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