Lewis sets tone in Rangers' Opening Day win

Lewis sets tone in Rangers' Opening Day win

Published Apr. 6, 2012 6:07 p.m. ET

ARLINGTON, Texas — Rangers manager Ron Washington picked Colby Lewis to be the Opening Day starter because of his reputation as the team's best big-game pitcher.

"And he pitched big time," Washington said after Lewis navigated a 3-2 win over the White Sox on Friday.

Lewis pitched six innings and allowed two earned runs on seven hits and a walk.

His nine strikeouts matched Nolan Ryan's club record for Opening Day, set back in 1991 at the old Arlington Stadium.

"Colby was outstanding," Washington said. "He did exactly what we needed him to do - keep us in the ballgame, make pitches when he had to."

Lewis had to make his biggest pitches in the sixth inning after blowing a 2-0 lead. Lewis allowed a leadoff homer to Adam Dunn, then gave up a two-out, run-scoring single to Alexei Ramirez.

"I knew Ramirez was going to be swinging with an 0-2 count," Lewis said. "I didn't bury the slider. I think if I bury the slider, I probably get the strikeout there, but I left it up just a touch. That's what professional hitters do, they take advantage of mistakes."

Lewis was nearing 100 pitches, which is probably his limit, especially this early in the season. And if he had been pulled after 5 2/3 innings, he would not have earned the win after the Rangers reclaimed the lead in the next half-inning.

"You know I really wasn't thinking about him getting a win," Washington said. "I was just thinking about [how] he pitched well enough to have the opportunity to see if he can get out of that inning. And he did. He rewarded us. And as it turned out, he got the win."

Lewis starts the season 1-0 because he got the next batter, Dayan Viciedo, to strike out looking. Michael Young singled in Josh Hamilton in the bottom of the sixth and the bullpen combo of Alexi Ogando, Mike Adams and Joe Nathan made the lead hold up.

"I'm glad that he left me out there and opportunity, especially Opening Day, to put my team in position to win," Lewis said. "That's kind of my M.O. All I want to do is go out there and throw six-plus innings and give my team a chance to win."

In all, Rangers pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts, with three by Ogando and one by Nathan, to set a club record for Opening Day. The previous record was also set in 1991 by Ryan (9) and Goose Gossage (2).

Washington said the succession of Ogando in the seventh, Adams in the eighth and Nathan in the ninth is how he intends to use them this season.

Lewis handing off a lead after six innings is also part of the plan.

"He didn't let that inning get away from him and ended up getting the victory," Washington said. "The [final] out he got was his last hitter, but he deserved to finish that inning off and we were going to allow him to get an opportunity to do that. That was the last hitter. He got him."

Of all the Rangers' starters, Lewis has shown the most ability to pitch in pressure games, whether it be Opening Day or a playoff game on the road.

Lewis said he gets goose bumps and jitters before the first pitch like everyone else.

"But once you throw that first strike, it's over," Lewis said. "It's back to work."

Friday's opener featured a sellout crowd of 49,085 fans energized by back-to-back trips to the World Series. Expectations are at a franchise high.

"Whether there's five thousand or fifty thousand, it doesn't really matter. You've got to go out and do a job," Lewis said. "Once you get between the lines, that guy in that box is trying to beat you, and I'm trying to beat him."

 
Follow Keith Whitmire on Twitter: @Keith_Whitmire

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