Rangers dealt for Lee with today’s Game 5 in mind

Added on Oct 11, 2010 by Ted Sillanpaa in

MLB

Left-hander Cliff Lee was pitching well in Seattle and eyeing his chance to enter free agency when the Texas Rangers decided he was the pitcher they needed more than any other.

The Rangers didn’t necessarily needed one of the game’s premiere starting pitchers to win the AL West, but they knew they’d need a guy like Lee to get deep into the postseason.

The surely need Lee today in Game 5 of the American League Division Series against 19-game winner David Price and the Tampa Bay Rays.

“We have a ton of confidence in Cliff,” Rangers third baseman Michael young said. “he’s been there and done that and won’t be fazed at all by Game 5.”

Tonight’s winner advances host the Yankees to open the AL Championship Series on Friday.

Lee has been nothing but a winner in the postseason. He is 5-0 with a 1.52 ERA in six postseason starts. That ERA ranks fifth all-time in big league baseball, among pitchers with at least five starts. Sandy Koufax tops the list with an ERA of 0.95. Lee’s 1.52 ERA equals the mark of former Tigers starting pitcher Mickey Lolich.

Interestingly, none of Lee’s postseason starts have come in the final game of a five- or seven-game series.

“I will have a game plan and what I did in Game 1, a lot of that worked,” Lee said. “The Rays will make adjustments. It’s up to their hitters to show me what adjustments that I need to make.”

Lee has had success in his career against the Rays’ key hitters.

Evan Longoria is batting just .190 in 21 at-bats, with only two RBIs. Carlos Pena is hitting .188 — but he has three homers off of Lee. Carl Crawford is bats .250 in 32 appearances against Lee.

** Game 5 on Tuesday will mark the first time in their AL division series that Texas and Tampa Bay will play at night. The previous four games took place during the day, including a noon CDT start Sunday in Texas.

Rays manager Joe Maddon said it felt like being placed in the “loser’s bracket” with the 12 p.m. start. over the weekend in Texas.