Cliff Lee continued his postseason brilliance, throwing a two-hit masterpiece over eight innings to lift the Texas Rangers to an 8-0 victory over the host New York Yankees in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night.

Lee (1-0) struck out 13 to win his third start of the postseason and improve to 7-0 lifetime in the playoffs as the Rangers took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series.

Josh Hamilton supplied the only offense Lee would need with a two-run homer off Yankees starter Andy Pettitte (0-1) in the first inning.

Lee nursed the two-run lead for eight innings, fanning seven of the first 11 batters he faced to become the only pitcher in history to register double-digit strikeouts in three straight postseason starts.

Texas then broke the game open by tacking on six runs in the ninth against New York’s bullpen, getting RBI singles from Nelson Cruz and Benjie Molina, a two-run single by Mitch Moreland and an RBI double by Elvis Andrus.

It was Lee’s sixth straight victory in the Bronx, including a victory in Game 1 of the World Series a year ago with the Philadelphia Phillies.

The 32-year-old left-hander held New York hitless for 4 2/3 inning before Jorge Posada’s broken-bat single in the fifth inning. In three starts this postseason, Lee has allowed two runs while striking out 34 and walking one in 24 innings.

Aside from the homer to Hamilton, Pettitte pitched exceptionally well in his record 42nd career postseason start. He allowed just the two runs on five hits while striking out five and not walking a batter.

Michael Young had three of the hits for Texas, which will send Tommy Hunter to the mound to oppose A.J. Burnett in Tuesday’s Game 4.