Cliff Lee has come a long way from September call-up, his role with the Cleveland Indians last season.

Rather than help expand a roster, he’s expanded the team’s record book.

Lee blanked the Chicago White Sox on Monday to become the first Indians pitcher to win 20 games since Gaylord Perry went 21-13 in 1974. Lee has been even better, winning 20 of 22 decisions.

“It has a nice ring to it,” Lee said. “I like the sound of it.”

The left-hander’s .909 winning percentage is tops in the AL. He had accounted for 30 percent of the Indians’ 66 victories.

Lee’s only defeats came against the Cincinnati Reds on May 18 and Twins on July 6.

Easy Eddie

Reliever Eddie Guardado is back with the Minnesota Twins. He’s just not sure what they were thinking when they made the trade.

Guardado was on a conference call with Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels when he learned that the Twins surrendered minor league pitcher Mark Hamberger to obtain him.

“I said, ‘Wait, you traded me for a frickin’ hamburger? Where’s the fries and milkshake at least?’”

In case Guardado was wondering, the Rangers didn’t pick up Hamberger at the second drive-thru window.

Guardado pitched for the Twins from 1995 to 2003, serving as closer the last two seasons.

“He gives us another late-inning guy with courage,” manager Ron Gardenhire told reporters. “You can't back away from situations, and Eddie doesn't back away from anything.”

Guardado likely will evolve into an eighth-inning set-up man, but he’ll have to improve on last Wednesday’s performance, when he retired only one of four batters he faced. He would have suffered a blown save if Denard Span hadn’t thrown out Tug Hulett at the plate to preserve a 6-5 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

“I remember him as my closer, so that was nothing,” Gardenhire said. “That's the way it always was. That's normal. Guys getting a couple of hits, guys getting thrown out and he's fist-pumping. That's good stuff.”

Said Guardado: “I knew he was going to say that.”

O’s woes vs. Tampa

If there’s still a team that needs convincing when it comes to the validity of the Tampa Bay Rays as World Series contenders, let the Baltimore Orioles do all the talking.

Tampa Bay has beaten the Orioles eight consecutive times, and 11 of 14. The Rays just completed a three-game sweep at Tropicana Field, outscoring them, 34-16 and batting .367 with 40 hits and 25 walks.

“We got our butts kicked,” first baseman Kevin Millar said. “What else are you going to say? You guys watched the three games. There’s nothing really else to say.”

The 34 runs were a Tampa Bay record in a three-game series and the most it has scored in a three-game span.

Numbers crunching

Teams looking to make up ground in the final month of the season might have an easier time reducing Bengie Molina’s time in the 40-yard dash.

Since division play began in 1969, only 10 teams that trailed by three or more games on Sept. 1 have finished in first place:

Team	Season	Sept. 1 Record	Games Back	Sept. Record
Seattle	1995	59-57	-7.5	20-11
NY Yankees	1978	77-54	-6.5	23-9
Baltimore	1974	66-65	-6	25-6
St. Louis	2001	73-61	-6	20-8
NY Mets	1973	62-71	-5.5	20-8
Minnesota	2006	77-55	-5	19-11
NY Mets	1969	76-54	-4.5	24-8
Atlanta	1993	82-50	-3.5	22-8
Cincinnati	1973	80-58	-3	19-5
LA Angels	2004	75-56	-3	17-14

Some quick hits:

• Detroit Tigers designated hitter Gary Sheffield took over sole possession of 25th place on the all-time home run list Monday with his 494th, breaking a tie with Lou Gehrig and Fred McGriff. Sheffield connected off Yankees right-hander Sidney Ponson, his first homer since Aug. 18.
 
• Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona has a suggestion pertaining to instant replay: Have an extra member of the officiating crew watch a monitor at all times. “I know they don't care what I think,” he said. “It would take 10 seconds. They have the ability to look at a replay, just like everybody in the clubhouse does. It would be over, and it would be a great teaching tool for younger umpires that come in the league. They can watch what we're watching. They put up with nine innings of us screaming. Maybe we're wrong. Maybe there's days we have a point.”

• Infielder Mike Lamb, batting .233 with one homer in the first year of a two-year, $6.6 million contract, admitted that he felt embarrassed when the Twins designated him for assignment to clear a roster spot for Guardado. He also felt a little sorry for general manager Bill Smith and assistant GM Rob Antony. “I'm embarrassed for having gotten fired. I wish it had turned out better,” he said. “Bill and Rob stuck their necks out for me. I hope it's not held against them.”

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