Led with a typical Cliff Lee playoff pitching performance 10 Ks, 12 retired in a row at one point the Texas Rangers jumped off and away to a 1-0 series lead with James Shields and two home games remaining to experience. With just one run versus 10 strikeouts in seven innings, Lee helped avenge his 0-3 record against the Rays this year, including an August 16 reduction in a match-up against David Price. The Rangers offense
Michael Campanaro Jersey also had much more succe s night, as home runs by Ben Molina and Nelson Cruz, along with a near-home operated by Jeff Francoeur, fueled the Rangers offensive output.
In that August 16 start, the Rangers saw as David Price started the game with 18 fastballs in his first 19 pitches. The same formula was utilized today (with significantly le s succe s), with Price using fastballs on all his first 19 pitches. While they couldnt use that advanced scouting for their advantage within the first inning, it repaid within the second, when Jeff Francoeur hit a poor first-pitch fastball from the centerfield wall to plate Ian Kinsler. Bengie Molina then muscled the third consecutive fastball he saw to right field, giving the Rangers a 2-0 lead. It had been all they would need.
It didnt feel that way early, as Cliff Lee arrived on the scene firing almost exclusively fastballs, keeping his plus (or plus-plus) cutter, curve and alter all in his back pocket. It almost back-fired
Ryan Jensen Jersey in the first, as Lee loaded the bases with one out and Carlos Pena while at bat. After falling behind in the count 2-1, Lee threw an internal fastball up as well as in. The dish umpire Tim Welke looked as though he was going to call the pitch a ball, but after Carlos Pena argued that the pitch hit him, Welke called a foul tip strike. Rather than plating the games first run or at best gaining a 3-1 count, Pena fell behind 2-2, and would strike on the seventh pitch of the at-bat.
What followed was a Cliff Lee clinic, with 62 strikes in the last 83 pitches, and also the utilization of all his pitches. Lee struck out Jason Bartlett to finish the 2nd inning on a vicious cutter, and caught Carlos Pena and Rocco Baldelli looking on the pair of nasty looping curveballs in the fourth inning. Lee didnt have his usual plus-plus
Morgan Cox Jersey change today, but the curveball was good, and also the command of his two-seam fastball was very good.
By the numbers, it would appear that Cliff Lee (76 bombings of 104 pitches) had equal control to David Price (77 bombings of 107 pitches) on the day. But, the Rangers had a lineup that came to Tampa prepared to hack, bailing David Price out of any walks. It was also because Ron Washington granted the middle of his order a green light on 3-0 counts, a managerial decision that paid off in a big way. Within the third inning, Nelson Cruz crushed a grooved 93 mph 3-0 pitch 430 first to centerfield, lowering the Rays win expectancy to simply 23.8%. In the fifth inning, Vladimir Guerrero knocked home Josh Hamilton with a double to the center field warning track on another 3-0 fastball.
While Neftali Feliz gave reason for the Tampa crowd to get on their feet within the ninth inning, starting his inning with two walks, the combination from the Rangers fastball hitters and baseballs best southpaw created too big a niche. Texas now stands inside a great position to upset the Rays, having a favorable pitching match-up in Game 2, two games in Arlington, and another Lee
Albert McClellan Jersey appearance scheduled in a potential Game 5.