=== October 6, 2010 ===

Without Cliff Lee on their team, the old (1961-2009) Rangers would certainly have lost their short series against Tampa.

... the Rangers did have Cliff Lee on their team on October 6, 2010. 

Lee took the mound against David Price (19-6, 2.72, with 188 strikeouts) and a Rays lineup that featured Evan Longoria, Carl Crawford, and co.

Lee spent the night "murdering souls," as one player later put it, and not only the Rays but the other Rangers were totally irrelevant. 

10 strikeouts, 0 walks, the Rangers up 5-0 after five, but it was worse than that.

Was it Cliff Lee who won the game, or the Texas Rangers who won?  Really, it was Lee sharing his victory with his temporary employers.  He was happy to do so.

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=== October 11, 2010 -- Off Day, Series tied 2-2 ===

The Rangers won game two, but then lost game three in typical Ranger fashion, folding badly in the late innings.

Game four, the Rangers got pole-axed 5-2, down 5-0 in the middle innings and the Rays cruising from there.

• Rays with the momentum
• Going back to their house
• Their 19-6, 2.72 ace on the hill

Any normal Rangers pitcher starting, especially including any 1970's or 1980's complete-game grizzled vets, and the Rangers lose again.

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=== October 12, 2010 ===

Tropicana Field.  41,000 fans.

Lee again reminds us why it is, that when a pitcher like Felix Hernandez, Cliff Lee, Tom Seaver, Sandy Koufax, or Lefty Grove is on the mound ---- > the other 49 people in uniform frequently don't matter.

11 strikeouts.  No walks.  No setup man.  No closer.  No team on earth could have beaten Cliff Lee.

In a 5-game series, Cliff Lee gave the Rangers two (2) "Get Out of Jail Free" cards.  How many watts of cinnamon do you put in an apple pie?  How many prospects is a Game Five victory worth?

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By the way:  why did Randy Johnson not pitch like this for us, in playoff series?  :- ) 

Cliff Lee is doing twice as much as we ever dreamed the Unit would do. 

• In 7 postseason starts the last two years, here are Lee's results:
• 7 starts
• 6-0 record
• 1.44 ERA
• 56 innings
• 54 strikeouts, 6 walks, 1 homer (!!)
• One ballclub lifted to World Series victory over the New York Blasted Yankees
• One ballclub lifted from 50 years' worth of zero, to an M's-1995 style frenzy

And if the M's woulda pulled their heads outta the ground in 2010, if the M's coulda cobbled together an 85-win type team, maybe Cliff Lee'd a been doing this for us, right this very second.

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Part 3

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