St. Petersburg, FL (My Sportsbook) - David Dellucci hit a go-ahead two-run homer and Cliff Lee became the first AL pitcher to reach 15 wins, as Cleveland topped Tampa Bay, 5-2, in the first of three from Tropicana Field.
Kelly Shoppach also knocked in a pair of runs for the Indians, who have won three of five. Asdrubal Cabrera added a solo homer.
Lee (15-2) went seven innings, allowing two runs on eight hits, winning for the fourth time in five starts.
Akinori Iwamura went 3-for-4 and drove in both runs for the Rays, whose five- game win streak came to an end.
Matt Garza (9-7) was charged with seven hits and four runs over five innings in defeat.
"They took advantage of mistakes and made me pay for them," Garza said. "I didn't do my job tonight."
Cleveland got on the board first, as Jhonny Peralta led off the second with an infield single and scored when Shoppach followed with a double.
Cabrera's leadoff homer in the third put the Tribe up a pair, but Tampa rallied to tie the game on Iwamura's two-run single in the fourth.
However, Dellucci's two-run blast in the fifth put Cleveland back on top. It was the 100th career round-tripper for the journeyman.
Shoppach's eighth-inning RBI single gave the visitors a three-run edge.
"It feels good," said Dellucci on the milestone. "Growing up I never thought that I would hit one home run and that's just a hundred so it's been a great ride for me."
Lee did not allow a runner past second base in the fifth and sixth, then worked out of a first-and-third situation in the seventh by retiring Dioner Navarro on a groundout to end the inning.
Rafael Perez took over for Lee in the eighth, and hurled two scoreless innings to complete the victory and earn his second save.
Game Notes
Cleveland has won 13 of the last 15 meetings over Tampa, including all five this season...Rays left fielder Carl Crawford did not play, resting a sore left hamstring. He will be evaluated prior to Tuesday's game. Eric Hinske got the start in left but finished 0-for-3.