CLEVELAND -- Indians players gathered around the big-screen TV in the clubhouse after Friday night's 3-2 victory over the Angels, expecting what everybody else expects when watching Michael Phelps swim.

When Phelps won the 100 fly by the slimmest of margins for his record-tying seventh gold medal at the Beijing Olympic Games, the players erupted.

The outcome was expected, yet still exhilarating.

Maybe Cliff Lee, who tossed his third complete game and became the AL's first 17-game winner on this night at Progressive Field, can relate.

For every time Lee takes the mound these days, no less than another notch on his route toward 20 wins and a potential Cy Young Award trophy seems tolerable.

"That's good," Lee said with a shrug. "I expect it, too."

No Indians pitcher has reached the 20-win plateau since Gaylord Perry did it in 1974, so what Lee is doing would have been completely unexpected at the start of a season in which he had to fight to merely earn the Tribe's fifth starting spot.

But the expectations surrounding Lee (17-2, 2.43 ERA) have changed considerably as this year has chugged along, and he delivered on them again in an outing against an Angels team with the best record in baseball.

Make that the best lineup in baseball, too -- at least, in Lee's estimation.

"They have a pretty good offense, especially with the addition of [Mark] Teixeira," Lee said. "That might be the best lineup I've ever faced, to be honest with you."

That lineup threatened him throughout his nine innings of work, but he never let the outing get away from him.

This was a tight ballgame throughout, with the Angels taking a 1-0 lead on Teixeira's RBI single in the first and the Indians answering back with Jhonny Peralta's RBI double off Jered Weaver in the fourth.

When Juan Rivera caught up with a Lee fastball and pounded it out to left for a solo shot in the fifth, the Angels took the lead again at 2-1. But the Indians would answer off the Angels' bullpen.

With Shin-Soo Choo on second after a double, Jose Arredondo came in and walked Kelly Shoppach, then gave up an RBI single to Ryan Garko to tie it back up. Pinch-hitter David Dellucci drew a walk to load the bases, and Asdrubal Cabrera drew a walk of his own to bring in the go-ahead run.

"We were able to string a few at-bats together," Garko said. "[Cabrera and Dellucci] laid off some tough pitches. You take 'em any way you can get 'em against a pitching staff like the Angels'."

Lee, with the help of some stellar defense, took it from there.

The Indians, Lee included, turned four double plays in this game, all from the fifth inning on. Lee's came when Chone Figgins popped up a bunt toward the mound and Lee plucked it out of the air and caught Jeff Mathis off first.

"I don't know why [Mathis] was running to second," Lee said. "I've got to tip my cap to him there. He helped me out."

Lee got help from Cabrera when the second baseman made a barehanded grab of a Torii Hunter flare up the middle in the sixth, and again when Cabrera ignited the game's biggest double play in the seventh. The Angels had runners on the corners and were in prime position to tie the game with one out when Lee got Mathis to hit into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

"Asdrubal made some unbelievable plays," Lee said. "I've told him that about four times since the game ended. He was a big part of us winning tonight."

Cabrera said it's easy to play behind Lee.

"You bear down a lot with him," Cabrera said through interpreter Luis Rivera, "because you know he pitches quick and every pitch counts."

You also know Lee's going to go deep into the ballgame. Still, newly installed closer Jensen Lewis was warming in the bullpen as Lee pitched in the eighth, so it appeared Lee would be coming out of this start just shy of the complete game.

That is, until Lee got Teixeira to hit into an inning-ending double play in the eighth. The double-up preserved Lee's pitch count and allowed him to head out for what became a perfect ninth against Guerrero, Hunter and Garret Anderson.

Those were some tough hitters to retire with the game on the line, but Lee certainly rose to the occasion of facing the Majors' top team.

"It's not any more important than beating a last-place team," Lee insisted.

That's a pertinent point, considering Lee's next start takes place against the last-place Royals.

And when he makes that start, well, you know what to expect.