Rangers Rout Yanks, 8-0, Take Lead in ALCS

Cliff Lee was even better than before in the postseason, and that was no small feat.

The ace of October went through the New York Yankees like a buzzsaw again, striking out 13 and pitching 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 the double digits in the strikeouts three times in one postseason.

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

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New York won the other four games to take home its 27th championship, but now faces a tall task if it plans to repeat. The Yankees must win three straight against the resilient Rangers to advance without facing Lee in a decisive Game 7 at the Texas.

Game 4 is Tuesday night and the Yankees say they will start struggling right-hander A.J. Burnett, who hasn't pitched since Oct. 2. Tommy Hunter goes for Texas in his first career start at Yankee Stadium.

Pettitte, the ol' pro seeking his 20th postseason win, did his best to match Lee. But the longtime New York left-hander hung a first-inning breaking ball that Hamilton yanked over the short porch in the right for his second homer of the series.

Texas broke it open in the ninth against an ineffective David Robertson, getting RBI singles from Nelson Cruz and Bengie Molina, plus a two-run single by Mitch Moreland.