Rangers like chances with Lee facing Rays

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington is confident he has the right man for the job.

He’s counting on Cliff Lee to cool the Tampa Bay Rays’ bats again.

“They proved they can beat us on our field, we proved we can beat them on their field. This is what it’s about now,” Washington said when asked if he has a message for his team heading into tonight’s decisive fifth game of their American League Division Series.

“They have the right person they feel that’s going to be throwing tomorrow, and we certainly feel the same way,” Washington said, comparing Tampa Bay’s David Price and Lee. “So it’s a matter of going out there, getting Cliff some runs. And if we get him some runs, he’ll take it to the finish line. That’s what it’s all about.”

Lee, obtained from Seattle in early July with this type of situation in mind, is 5-0 with a 1.52 ERA in six career postseason starts. He pitched a five-hitter with a career postseason high 10 strikeouts in the Rangers’ 5-1 victory over Price and the Rays in Game One last week.