Tough-luck ace Cliff Lee goes 8 innings, finally gets run support as Indians crush Twins 10-1

Lee finally gets help as Indians rout Twins 10-1

MINNEAPOLIS — Cliff Lee has been patiently waiting for run support. That pesky bunt by Minnesota’s Carlos Gomez wasn’t nearly enough to distract Cleveland’s reigning Cy Young Award winner.

Lee cruised through eight innings Wednesday with the help of five strikeouts and three double plays to spur the ailing Indians past the Twins 10-1.

“I’m probably never going to have a season statistically like I did last year, but I feel like I am giving the team a chance to win every time I go out there,” Lee said. “I don’t hit and I don’t score runs, so I’m not going to worry about that.”

Lee (3-6) turned in his 10th straight quality start, six innings or more and three runs or less, picking up only his second victory since April 16. He was handed just 30 runs over his first 11 appearances from the third-highest scoring team in the league, the lowest support rate in the AL.

“I feel just as confident going on the mound now as I ever have,” said Lee, who scattered seven singles, walked one and hit a batter. “My job is to get deep in the game and to give the team a chance to win, and I feel like I’ve been doing that.

“For whatever reason, the results as far as winning or losing have not been there. All I can do is throw good pitches.”

Lee’s performance was an especially big lift for Cleveland after another starter, middle infielder Asdrubal Cabrera, was placed on the disabled list. Two other stalwarts, reliever Rafael Betancourt and center fielder Grady Sizemore, went on the DL in the last week.

Jhonny Peralta’s three-run homer against rookie Anthony Swarzak (1-2) was the big hit, part of a two-out, five-run surge in the third inning. Ben Francisco started a string of four straight two-out singles, all of them either bloops or soft liners to shallow center field, before Peralta’s drive cleared the bases and gave Lee a 5-0 lead.

“He’s not going to point fingers at anybody,” Francisco said of Lee. “He knows we’re out there playing hard for him.”

At Detroit, Josh Beckett didn’t allow a hit until the seventh inning and David Ortiz hit a two-run double.

Beckett (6-2) gave up a single to Curtis Granderson with two outs in the seventh to end the no-hit bid. He retired 18 straight after walking Placido Polanco with one out in the first until he walked Magglio Ordonez with one out in the seventh.

The Tigers broke up the shutout with five unearned runs in the eighth.

Armando Galarraga (3-6) fell to 0-6 in seven starts since May 1.

At Toronto, Jered Weaver had a career-high 10 strikeouts, and Bobby Abreu homered for Los Angeles.

Chone Figgins had three hits, drove in a run and scored twice for the Angels, who finished with seven extra-base hits.

Weaver (5-2) allowed one run and three hits in seven innings to win back-to-back starts for the first time this season.

Casey Janssen (1-2) allowed five runs and seven hits in four innings.

At St. Petersburg, Fla., Jeff Niemann took a perfect game into the fifth inning and wound up with a two-hitter, and Ben Zobrist hit a grand slam.

Niemann (5-4) retired the first 14 batters before Mark Teahen lined a two-out single to center in the fifth. The right-hander struck out a career-high nine and walked one in his first complete game.

Brian Bannister (4-3) gave up eight runs, nine hits and three walks in 3 2-3 innings for the Royals.

At New York, Scott Feldman (5-0) pitched into the seventh inning to win his third consecutive start and Texas leapfrogged the Yankees for the best record in the American League.

Jorge Posada homered for the second straight day for New York, which had won five of six and 16 of 20. Andy Pettitte (5-2), who left his previous start with a stiff back, looked shaky over five innings.

At Chicago, Bobby Crosby and Landon Powell hit back-to-back homers, and Jason Giambi also connected for Oakland.

Joshua Outman (3-0) earned the win, allowing seven hits and three runs — two earned — over 6 2-3 innings. Andrew Bailey got five outs for his third save in six chances.

Chicago starter Clayton Richard (2-1) gave up seven hits and five runs.

At Seattle, Franklin Gutierrez tripled with one out in the bottom of the ninth and Adrian Beltre singled him home to lift the Mariners.

Gutierrez’s drive banged off the top of the wall in left-center just beyond the reach of leaping center fielder Adam Jones. Jim Johnson (2-3) then intentionally walked both Ichiro Suzuki, who had earlier extended his team-record hitting streak to 27 games, and Russell Branyan to load the bases for Beltre.

Closer David Aardsma (2-2) pitched a scoreless ninth for Seattle, which won for the fifth time in seven games.