Chicago at Cleveland, 12:05 PM (STO)

Chicago at Cleveland, 7:05 PM (STO)

via www.fangraphs.com

Once the Indians scored in the second, Cliff Lee had all he needed. What followed was a pitching clinic; he made the powerful Chicago lineup look like weaklings. Lee's success in this game and all season started with his fastball; he established his fastball location early in the game and used his secondary pitches in an effective supporting role. By the middle innings he was getting weak grounders early in counts by changing up on hitters geared for his fastball. That economy allowed him to get the shutout, clinching his twentieth victory himself.

Cliff Lee is the 56th Indian to win 20 games in a season, but the first 20-game winner since the five-man rotation (meaning fewer starts per season) came into vogue; Gaylord Perry, the last Indian to win 20, started 37 games in 1974. And if the season ended today, he'd have fourth-best* adjusted ERA (ERA+) for a season in team history. The closer you examine Lee's magical season, the better it looks.

*After last night's game, he's now tied for second-best (189 ERA+).

Chicago at Cleveland, 7:05 PM (WKYC)

Cliff Lee goes for win #20 tonight. The last Indian pitcher to win 20 games was Gaylord Perry, who did it way back in 1974. Wins have become less indicative of a pitcher's worth over the last thirty years, but consider this: in only three of his 19 wins did not meet the modern definition of a quality start (6 innings, 3 runs). And of his four no-decisions, only one wasn't a quality start.

Seattle at Cleveland, 1:05 PM (WKYC)

Seattle at Cleveland, 3:55 PM (WTAM)

No TV today; the game was originally scheduled as a FOX game, but since neither team is in contention for a playoff spot, the game was dropped from the broadcast schedule.

Seattle at Cleveland, 7:05 PM (STO)

Cleveland at Detroit, 7:05 PM (STO)

Since the All-Star Break, the Indians as a team are hitting .276/.355/.475; they hit .250/.323/.402 before. That, in a nutshell, explains the difference in records, since the overall pitching has been about a half-run worse (with both the starters and relievers being worse). The promising aspect of this offensive improvement is that it isn't due to getting an injured player back (Martinez and Hafner are still out), but improvements in the offensive games of virtually all its young players, from Gutierrez to Garko to Cabrera.