(Sports Network) - Cliff Lee takes aim at his major league-leading 23rd win of the season this evening, when the Cleveland Indians try and complete a three- game sweep of the playoff hopeful Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field.

Lee, who had to fight for a spot in the rotation this spring, has been one of the few bright spots on an otherwise disappointing Cleveland team this season, going 22-2, while pitching to a league best 2.36 earned run average.

The 30-year-old left-hander won his eighth straight start and 11th consecutive decision on Friday against Kansas City, as he gave up five runs (four earned) and 11 hits in 8 1/3 innings.

With a win tonight Lee would become the AL's first 23-game winner since Barry Zito went 23-5 with the Oakland Athletics back in 2002.

Lee's last loss, though, came at the hands of the Twins back on July 6 when he surrendered four runs and six hits in seven innings of a 4-3 loss. He has defeated them since and is 7-3 lifetime with a 3.74 ERA in 15 starts.

Minnesota will counter with righty Scott Baker, who is 9-4 with a 3.57 ERA. Baker won his second straight decision on Saturday in Baltimore, holding the Orioles to a run and four hits in six innings.

Baker defeated the Tribe the last time he faced them and is 3-5 lifetime against them with a 3.70 ERA in 10 starts.

Minnesota's playoff hopes took a big hit on Tuesday, as Victor Martinez's three-run homer off Joe Nathan in the bottom of the 11th lifted Cleveland to a 12-9 win.

Nathan (0-2) came on in the tie game to send it to a 12th inning, but gave up a leadoff single to Franklin Gutierrez. After Ben Francisco sacrificed the runner to second, Nathan walked Jhonny Peralta.

Martinez came up next and got a high fastball from Nathan, drilling it over the fence in center field to end the game. It was just the fifth homer Nathan has given up this season in 62 appearances, and it was the first game- ending homer he has allowed in his career.

Martinez finished 3-for-5 with a walk and double, while Ryan Garko went 2- for-3 with a three-run homer of his own and four RBI overall. Asdrubal Cabrera and Grady Sizemore each added a solo homer for Cleveland, which has won the first two games of this series.

Zach Jackson was roughed up in his start for the Indians, allowing seven runs in 5 1/3 innings. But the Cleveland bullpen combined to allow just two runs in 5 2/3 innings, and Martinez's homer made a winner of Tom Mastny (2-2), who tossed a scoreless top of the 11th.

Carlos Gomez finished 2-for-6 with three runs batted in for Minnesota, which now trails the Chicago White Sox by 2 1/2 games in the AL Central.

Francisco Liriano was touched for eight runs -- four earned -- on six hits in a 2 2/3-inning start for the Twins. But the Minnesota bullpen, minus Nathan, tossed 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball.

Minnesota has won 10 of its 17 matchups with the Indians this season, but has dropped five of eight meetings in Cleveland.