TORONTO -- How much is too much for B.J. Ryan? The Blue Jays know they can't push their All-Star closer too hard, and agonize over his longer outings.
Ryan worked two innings on Monday to nail down his 30th save as the Blue Jays held off the Indians, 4-3.
It's the sixth time Ryan has worked two innings.
"I hate to do that to him, but very few guys can do what he's done this year," said manager John Gibbons.
"You don't want him for one year, you want him for five," Gibbons added. "You've got to take care of those guys because you can burn them out."
That lesson was brought home over the weekend as two of Toronto's division rivals saw their closers go down with sore arms. Boston rookie Jonathon Papelbon left Friday's game with a strained right shoulder, while New York veteran Mariano Rivera took the weekend off to rest a stiff elbow.
"Those things are always in the back of your mind," said Gibbons. "You won't see [Ryan] out there tomorrow night."
Ryan has worked 63 1/3 innings this season, well off his career high of 87, set in 2004. He's not too worried about being overworked.
"Everybody is different," he said. "You just go out there and worry about what you can do, get yourself ready to pitch, continue to work hard through September and finish strong.
"When the season is over, that's when you rest. Until then, you just keep going."
With the game hanging in the balance in the eighth inning on Monday, Gibbons called on Ryan preserve a one-run lead.
The outing didn't start well. After giving up a warning-track fly to his first batter, Ryan loaded the bases on two singles and a walk.
But with the pressure on, Ryan got Andy Marte to pop out, then struck out Grady Sizemore on four pitches to escape the jam.
Ryan needed just five pitches to retire the side in the ninth, picking up his 30th save.
That was enough to make Vernon Wells' two-run home run in the sixth inning count as the game-winner.
Wells broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth, depositing an 0-2 pitch from Cleveland starter C.C. Sabathia into the right-field bullpen, his 31st homer of the season.
"C.C. is a guy that you've got to be happy with what you can get," said Wells. "We were just able to do enough."
Brandon League (1-2) pitched one scoreless inning for the win, extending the Jays (72-66) streak to three games.
Toronto jumped ahead in the second when Bengie Molina was hit by a pitch, went to third on a double by Alex Rios and scored on an RBI grounder from Jason Phillips.
Reed Johnson led off the third by drilling his 12th homer of the year, a huge blast that hit off of Window's restaurant in center field.
Cleveland (65-71) struck back in the fifth against Blue Jays starter Shaun Marcum. Hector Luna opened the inning with a solo home run to left, his first since coming over in a midseason trade with St. Louis.
Sizemore followed with a single, went to third on a base hit by Casey Blake and scored on Victor Matinez's sacrifice fly.
Indians rookie Ryan Garko cut the lead in half with a solo shot to center in the eighth, his fifth, and the Jays turned to Ryan to keep the lead intact.
Marcum struck out a career high six and gave up two runs on six hits over five innings. He walked one.
Lyle Overbay (flu-like symptoms) was held out of the starting lineup but came on as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning.
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