and September 2, during which he carried a 10.51 ERA. His frustrations came to a head on August 3, when Lee allowed six runs in innings to the Toronto Blue Jays before throwing his hat and glove into the stands and storming to the bench. Lee snapped his losing streak on September 8, allowing four earned runs in five innings of a 9–5 victory over the Seattle Mariners. It was his first win in 10 starts since July 16, when Cleveland defeated Seattle 18–6. Lee won again on September 23, helping the Indians to a 9–7 victory over Minnesota despite allowing five runs in innings. After the game, Lee described his own season performance as going "from doing real good to real bad", and that he needed to "figure out how to cut those [losing] stretches short". He was able to finish the season strong, winning the last game of the season 5–2 against Minnesota and tying Jake Westbrook for the most wins that season on the Indians pitching staff. Lee finished the season 14–8 with a 5.43 ERA in 33 starts, striking out 161 batters in 179 innings while allowing 30 home runs, 108 earned runs, and 188 hits. Breakout seasons: 2005–2006 One of the strengths the Indians boasted during the 2005 MLB season was their consistent pitching staff, both starting and in the bullpen. Lee was the No. 4 starter that season, behind Kevin Millwood, Jake Westbrook, and C. C. Sabathia, and ahead of Scott Elarton. A flu-like illness gripped the Indians at the start of the year, and Lee took his first win of the season by pitching seven scoreless innings against the Kansas City Royals while attempting not to vomit on the mound. The team recovered for a strong start to the season: by June 17, the Indians pitching staff had a collective 3.56 ERA, and Lee was 7–3 with a 3.09 ERA. He registered his first complete game that July, albeit in a five-inning rain-shortened 6–2 win over the Royals. Lee's nine-game winning streak, beginning on July 8, was snapped on September 29, when he took the loss in a 1–0 pitchers' duel with Seth McClung of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Despite hopes that the team would make the postseason, a series of losses in September meant that Cleveland missed the AL Wild Card, which went to the Boston Red Sox, by only two