Tough-luck Lee goes 8, finally gets some help from Indians in 10-1 victory over Twins

Lee finally gets help from Indians, 10-1 vs. Twins

MINNEAPOLIS — Cleveland gave Cliff Lee the run support he needed for once, and the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner cruised through eight innings to spur the ailing Indians past the Minnesota Twins 10-1 on Wednesday.

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

He scattered seven hits, one walk and a hit batter, striking out five.

The only life shown by the Twins was from Carlos Gomez, who tried to confront Lee but had his path blocked by peace-making first baseman Victor Martinez after Gomez flied out. The TV replay showed Lee taunt Gomez by saying, “Why didn’t you bunt that time?”

The fleet-footed Gomez, who has riled up his share of opponents with his exuberant play, bunted foul with two strikes in his first at-bat. After the argument at the end of the fifth inning, Lee and first-base coach Jerry White appeared to make nice.

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.

Lee’s performance was an especially big lift for Cleveland on a day when yet 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.

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. Martinez drove in a run during the rally and now has 10 RBIs in his last eight games.

Lee twice induced a double play from Justin Morneau. After letting the first two batters reach in the seventh, Lee got Delmon Young to ground the first pitch he saw to second base — for a 4-6-3 threat-ender. Gomez came up next and got his revenge with an RBI single, but after Alexi Casilla reached when Lee fumbled his bouncing bunt, Denard Span was called out when the left-hander dropped a tumbling curve ball in for strike three.

Swarzak started his major league career last month with 11 straight shutout innings, but he’s given up nine runs over his last six frames. The right-hander needed 83 pitches to finish four innings, though he didn’t issue a walk while striking out three.

Swarzak will probably get at least one more start, with Glen Perkins beginning a rehab stint with to test his left elbow. Perkins is scheduled to pitch Thursday and next Tuesday for Class A Fort Myers.