Ruthless Lee shuts down Yanks; Rangers go up, 2-1

NEW YORK - As the sample size continues to grow, so does Cliff Lee's stature as one of the most successful pitchers in major-league postseason history.

The Texas Rangers lefthander accomplished the seemingly impossible feat of performing better in his second Yankee Stadium postseason appearance than his first.

In eight innings, Lee surrendered two hits, struck out 13, and walked one as the Texas Rangers defeated the New York Yankees, 8-0, on Monday to take a two-games-to-one lead in this best-of-seven American League Championship Series.

Game 4 is Tuesday in New York.

In his first Yankee Stadium World Series appearance last year with the Phillies, Lee pitched a complete game for a 6-1 victory, allowing one unearned run on six hits while striking out 10 and walking none in Game 1.

Lee is now 7-0 lifetime in eight postseason starts. He is 3-0 this postseason.

His 13 strikeouts tied a personal high for all games, matching a total he had July 27 with the Rangers against Oakland.

Lee became the first pitcher in major-league history to record three consecutive 10-strikeout games in a single postseason. He is only the second pitcher to post three consecutive 10-strikeout games in the postseason. Bob Gibson did it in his final World Series start in 1967 and his first two in the 1968 Fall Classic.

Lee said the key is to move on and not dwell on his heroics.

"Just because I had a good game this time and the previous time doesn't mean it's going to happen again," Lee said. "I've still got to go out there and focus on my routine and do what I need to do every day in between and prepare for the next."

If the series goes seven games, Lee would get that start.

Lee's mastery was needed. For much of the game, the Rangers held only a 2-0 lead before erupting for six runs in the ninth inning. Lee threw 122 pitches, 82 for strikes.

Rangers manager Ron Washington said that Lee would have pitched the ninth inning had the Rangers not broken the game open, and added that he is getting used to seeing exemplary performances from him.

"He cut the ball, four seamed it, changed up, shot fastballs up there," Washington said. "That was a complete performance to stagger that lineup. That is a powerful lineup."

For the third time in three games, Texas didn't wait long to get its offense in gear. Josh Hamilton's two-run home run that just cleared the short 314-foot porch in right field opened the scoring three batters into the game.

Any time you can, especially on the road, go out there and put up some runs in the first, that's huge," Lee said.

The first inning hasn't been kind to the Yankees in this ALCS. Texas has scored at least one run in the opening inning of each game, outscoring the Yankees, 6-0.

Losing pitcher Andy Pettitte settled down and allowed just two runs in seven innings.

"You can't say enough about what he [Lee] did tonight in this ballpark, to be able to do what he did is pretty impressive," Pettitte said.

Lee didn't allow a base runner until Mark Teixeira walked with two outs in the fourth inning. Jorge Posada broke up Lee's no-hit bid with a two-out bloop single to right field in the fifth.

Yankee hitters were a combined 0 for 19 against Lee after having two strikes against them in the count, just another example of his total dominance.