This is it: The Rangers acquired Cliff Lee on July 9th to help them do something they haven’t done since 1996: win in the postseason.
On Wednesday, Lee, a postseason veteran, led the charge to the Rangers’ first playoff victory in 14 years. While he struck out 10, he also received a good amount of offensive cushion as the Rangers scored two in the second inning and one each in the three subsequent innings off Rays’ starter David Price.
After the Rangers left two runners on in the first and Lee escaped a bases loaded jam in the first inning, Ian Kinsler singled to begin the second frame. A double by Jeff Francoeur, who has served as a valuable member of the team since coming over from the Mets on August 31st, scored Kinsler from first. Bengie Molina, who hit .249 during the regular season, got the first of his three hits to bring home Francoeur.
The two runs of support must have helped Lee really get into a rhythm because following a leadoff double in the bottom of the second, Lee retired 12 straight batters prior to B.J. Upton reaching as the result of an error to start the sixth.
Nelson Cruz put a ball on top of the restaurant in the third and Molina added his own homer in the fourth. Josh Hamilton reached on an error in the fifth, aggressively stole second and scored to make it 5-0 after Vladimir Guerrero doubled on a 3-0 pitch from Price.
Ben Zobrist hit a ball over the wall in the seventh off Lee for the Rays’ only run of the game.
Relievers Darren O’Day, Darren Oliver, who turned 40 Wednesday, and Neftali Feliz recorded the last six outs, although Feliz did walk two. The Rangers successfully stifled the Rays’ running game as each team, allowed just one stolen base.
Game 2 puts C.J. Wilson (15-8, 3.35) up against James Shields (13-15, 5.18).
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