CLEVELAND — American League Cy Young Award frontrunner Cliff Lee was the billboard star, but it was the Grady Sizemore show that drew the rave reviews in a matinee affair at Progressive Field on Thursday.
While Lee’s magical season continued in earnest with his 18th win, Sizemore stole the spotlight from his fellow all-star teammate, powering the Indians to a 10-3 victory over the Royals with a career day at the plate.
Cleveland’s leadoff man went 4-for-5, lacking only a double for the cycle, while driving in a career-high seven runs to carry his club to a sweep-clinching win over the Royals — its fourth straight victory overall.
Sizemore’s three-run triple scored the first runs of the game in the second inning, and his two-out RBI single extended the Indians’ lead to three in the sixth after Kansas City had scrapped back. His three-run home run in the eighth put it away.
“Grady had a great day,” said Indians manager Eric Wedge, whose team has homered 10 times over the last three games, with Shin-Soo Choo (6) and Jhonny Peralta (21) joining Sizemore (29) in the long-ball parade Thursday. “The three RBIs really got us going, and he was able to finish it off with the home run.”
Though Sizemore is a threat to produce offensive highlights on any given day, his breakout performance came as a bit of a surprise after he entered the game batting just .185 (12-for-65) with a homer and nine RBIs in August. 
“Every day is different,” said Sizemore, who is a home run away from becoming just the second player — Joe Carter (1987) — in Indians history to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases in a season. “I feel like I’ve been seeing the ball well lately. I feel strong.”
Lee, who entered the game leading the majors with a 2.43 ERA and the AL in wins, took a no-hitter one out into the fifth inning before a line drive base hit to left from John Buck ended the bid.
The next batter, Mark Teahen, ended the shutout as well, with a two-run double off Lee, who allowed three runs in the inning — two earned after he struck out Billy Butler for the first out and third baseman Jamey Carroll committed an error that allowed Alex Gordon to reach.
“Cliff did a good job just getting through that,” Wedge said. “You’re going to get yourself into situations. You have to work hard to limit the damage and control the inning. Cliff’s done a pretty good job of that.”
All the runs on Lee’s line came in the fifth, with the left-hander allowing six hits and striking out seven through seven innings.
“Things went pretty good,” Lee said. “I was able to get through seven innings. I really didn’t feel like I had my best stuff. I had to battle a little bit.”
Lee also got a lift from his defense, which turned a season-high five double plays, with first baseman Ryan Garko a part of all of them after snaring a line drive and diving to the bag to double up Esteban German on his own in the eighth.
“There was some good defense out there today,” Lee said.
Lee most likely has six or seven starts remaining to solidify his case for the Cy Young Award, which he continues to assert is not on his mind when he takes the mound.
“I’m just really always focused on my next start,” he said. “That’s where my focus is at.”
Lee has been producing all year. His teammates are starting to with the final month of the regular season on the horizon. The Indians won seven of 10 on the homestand and have won 10 of 13 games overall.
“We’ve been playing well,” Sizemore said. “Guys are starting to swing the bat and get big hits and we’re getting pitching.”
“The guys played some pretty good baseball (on the homestand),” Wedge said. You definitely see different areas on our ballclub getting a little better, a little more consistent.”
Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. 

TONIGHT

WHO: Cleveland at Texas
TIME: 8:05
WHERE: Rangers Ballpark at Arlington
PITCHERS:
Carmona (5-5, 4.71 ERA)
vs. Harrison (5-2, 5.77)
TV/RADIO:
SportsTime Ohio;
WTAM 1100-AM

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