Major League Baseball

NOW, IT'S REAL-LEE A SERIES

Published Oct. 20, 2010 10:15 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

ARLINGTON, Texas - Cliff Lee insisted he hasn't gotten restless. He is set to get the ball, though, for the first time in the ALCS.

"I don't know if it's antsy, but I'm ready to get out there and compete and contribute and try to help this team win," Lee said after the Rangers tied up the ALCS with the Yankees yesterday, thanks to a 7-2 triumph in Game 2.

"It's really not any more complicated than that. I just want to go out there and try to do my job and try to get this offense back in the dugout and let them do what they do."

Lee was needed to pitch the deciding Game 5 of the ALDS against the Rays, and he proceeded to fire a complete-game masterpiece to move the Rangers into the next round. That meant, though, that Lee couldn't pitch against the Yankees in the ALCS until Game 3.

But with the series tied, the Rangers haven't even used their ace yet. And Lee is scheduled to potentially pitch twice in the five remaining games - Game 3 and Game 7 - if needed.

"We like when Cliffy's on the mound," reliever Darren O'Day said. "You've got to like Cliff pitching twice in the next five games."

Um, yes. The brilliant Lee has pitched in seven career postseason games, and he's gone 6-0 with a sparkling 1.44 ERA. He also topped the Yankees in the World Series in two of those games last fall while with the Phillies.

"Obviously we'd rather be 2-0. But it's 1-1," Lee said. "We're tied. It's basically a five-game series now.

"We've got to take it one at a time. Hopefully we can get the first one and hopefully we can get all three of them and then it's over with.

"But that's not the easiest place to play and they're a very good team. They're the defending world champions. It's not an easy task. We've got to take care of it one at a time and play the game fundamentally sound and if we do that and everybody carries their weight, we're going to give them a good run for it."

share

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Major League Baseball