I had always heard what a great pitcher Cliff Lee was and how he was extremely consistant. Now having seen him pitch 3 games I understand, even though he is only 1-1 in those three games. He has pitched at least 8 innings in all 3 games, along with only throwing around 100 pitches each time. He is arguable the best pitcher the Rangers have ever had on their staff. I know that may be placing him ahead of some Ranger favorites like Nolan Ryan, but I think his potential to lead this team in the postseason could elevate his status exponentially in Ranger lore. Ryan often seemed to work hard into late innings and would many times leave games in the 6th or 7th inning. In fact he averaged 7 innings per start over his career(considering he played 27 years this is quite remarkable.) Lee has averaged over 8 innings per start this entire year. I also have to consider the fact that the other starters see how Lee pitches and may pick up on his ability to get out of innings in less than 11 pitches by throwing strikes and working quickly. I think if Wilson, Lewis & Hunter start picking up a little of Lee's pace they may see more positive results and could be a part of a post season rotation.
The Rangers took Game 1 vs the Angels in the 4 game series, hopefully they can win 2 of the next 3 and come out of the series up 7 in the West.
Season Record: 56-40, 6 games ahead of the Angels of Los Angeles
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