Texas' Lee mows down Yanks
NEW YORK — Pitching in the postseason is supposed to be stressful. Cliff Lee is making this all look so easy.
The ace of October overpowered the New York Yankees again, striking out 13 and sending the Texas Rangers to an 8-0 victory Monday night for a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven AL championship series.
Josh Hamilton hit an early two-run homer off Andy Pettitte and started a six-run outburst in the ninth with a leadoff double. Lee allowed only two singles in eight innings and became the first pitcher to reach double digits in strikeouts three times in one postseason.
"It's tough to be better than that," Yankees slugger Mark Teixeira said.
Mr. Automatic improved to 7-0 with a 1.26 ERA in eight postseason starts. Three of those wins have come against the power-packed Yankees, including two in last year's World Series for Philadelphia.
New York won the other four games against the Phillies to take home its 27th championship, but now faces a tall task to repeat. The Yankees must win three straight against the resilient Rangers to advance without facing Lee in a decisive Game 7 at Texas.
"I'm not satisfied," Lee said. "We still have some work to do here. A lot of fun to come into New York and get this first one. Hopefully we can come out here tomorrow and pick up where we left off."
It'll be a tough act to follow after Lee and the Rangers handed the Yankees the most lopsided shutout loss in their storied postseason history. The left-hander also joined Orlando Hernandez (8-0) and Orel Hershiser (7-0) as the only pitchers to win their first seven postseason decisions.
About the only slip-up all night for Lee came when he stumbled as he stepped up to his seat at the postgame podium.
"Booby trap right here," he said with a grin.
Game 4 is tonight and the Yankees will start struggling right-hander A.J. Burnett, who hasn't pitched since Oct. 2. Tommy Hunter goes for Texas in his first start at Yankee Stadium.
