The Cleveland Indians might not be any where near the .500 mark if not for the resurgence of Cliff Lee. In his first six starts of 2008, C.C. Sabathia, the ace of the Cleveland staff, has won just once and has a 7.88 ERA. But Lee has been phenomenal, going 4-0 with a 0.28 ERA in four outings.

The 29-year-old left-hander has allowed just 11 hits and two walks in 31.2 innings. On top of that, he hasn’t given up a single home run after ranking among the major league leaders in home runs allowed in two of his three full seasons in the majors.

Lee is coming off a disappointing 2007 season, which began on the disabled list with an abdominal strain. He joined the Indians in early May and struggled, going 5-8 with a 6.29 ERA in 97.1 innings. He also spent several weeks at Triple-A Buffalo.

The fifth-starter role was the only opening this spring, and Lee won the job over prospects Aaron Laffey and Jeremy Sowers. No one made a strong case for himself in Florida -- Lee posted a 5.27 ERA in spring games -- but the Indians believe his stuff improved steadily all spring.

Lee was just getting started. He defeated Oakland in both of his first two times out, shutting down the A’s attack and giving up a total of two runs, one earned. Lee hasn’t allowed a single run in either of his two more recent outings. He held the Twins to two hits over eight innings of a 4-0 win on April 18. He earned his fourth victory Thursday, when he went the distance and shut out the Royals on three hits.

While Lee hasn’t allowed a home run in 31.2 innings, that’s not the highest innings total of homer-free pitching in 2008.

Most Innings Pitched w/o Allowing a HR, 2008

Kyle Lohse, StL. . . . . . . . . 34.1
Cliff Lee, Cle. . . . . . . . . . .31.2
Nick Blackburn, Min. . . . . .31.1
Javier Vazquez, CWS. . . . . .30.2
Tim Lincecum, SF. . . . . . . .29.1
Edinson Volquez, Cin. . . . . 29.1

There are a few surprises on the list, including Kyle Lohse, who didn’t have a team until he signed with the Cardinals on March 18. He hasn’t been nearly as dominant as Lee, but Lohse is 3-0 with a 2.36 ERA in six starts. The 29-year-old right-hander passed Lee for the most homer-free innings Sunday with a 5-1 win over Houston.

Twins rookie Nick Blackburn hasn’t coughed up a longball in 31.1 innings. He’ll endure rough spots as a major league starter, but the right-hander aids his cause by keeping the ball in the park.

The same is true for Edinson Volquez, who hasn’t fared well in parts of three big league seasons and returned to Class-A ball last summer to rework his mechanics and regain his confidence. Acquired from Texas for Josh Hamilton over the winter, Volquez is 4-0 with a 1.23 ERA in his first five starts for the Reds.

The only homer-free pitcher on the list who has been as dominant as Lee is San Francisco's Tim Lincecum. The 23-year-old right-hander is 4-0 with a 1.23 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 29.1 innings.