Bronx, NY (Sports Network) – Cliff Lee added to his spotless playoff resume and continued his mastery of the Yankees by outdueling postseason stalwart Andy Pettitte, as the Texas Rangers took the lead in their American League Championship Series behind an 8-0 Game 3 victory over New York.
Josh Hamilton’s two-run homer in the first inning spotted Lee (1-0) with an early lead, and that was all the left-hander needed, as he tied a career-high with 13 strikeouts and allowed only two hits and one walk over eight innings for the Rangers, losers of 10 straight postseason games to New York before a Game 2 victory on Saturday.
Over the past two seasons, Lee has quickly established himself as the standard for pitching prowess in the playoffs. Texas’ midseason acquisition became the third pitcher in MLB history to win his first seven playoff decisions and is the first pitcher with three games of 10-plus punchouts in one postseason.
Hamilton added a double in the ninth to jump-start a six-run inning that turned a two-run game into a lopsided win.
Pettitte (0-1), unbeaten in his previous nine postseason starts, was sharp despite a 10-day rest between outings, yielding only five hits with no walks in seven innings for New York, which has dropped only two games at home the last two postseasons. Lee was the winning pitcher in both, with the other coming in Game 1 of the World Series while he was with the Phillies.
Game 4 is scheduled for Tuesday with the defending World Series champion Yankees leaning on the unpredictable arm of A.J. Burnett and Texas calling on 24-year-old righty Tommy Hunter.