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AL DIVISION SERIES: RANGERS v RAYS

October 8, 2010

Colby Lewis

ARLINGTON, TEXAS: Workout Day

THE MODERATOR: Okay, thanks for coming in, Colby. We will take the first question.

Q. You saw what Cliff and what C.J. have done against the heart of the Tampa Bay order, Crawford, Longoria, how important for you is to follow that kind of routine?
COLBY LEWIS: Basically I'm just going to do what I have been trying to do all year, to go out and get ahead of guys, make quality pitches and get quick outs. Kind of like, I mean yeah, what those two guys did. Get quick outs and try to go deep in the game.

Q. Colby, I know you guys are winning games the way you did all year with pitching and defense. Just talk about how two games might have changed perception of what people see now that we in the playoffs and everybody is seeing the Rangers and how it may change the perception of what people see as not being the bashers of the past, different from what you used to do.
COLBY LEWIS: You look at our lineup it can be kind of the bashers of the past and it's just, I think, it's a full team now. I mean, I think it is just the pitching, the defense and the offense is all together as one.

Q. Colby, what do you need to have working for you to maybe know that you're going to have a good day tomorrow?
COLBY LEWIS: I mean, it is just adjustments. I mean, you talk to any baseball guys, it is a game of adjustments. If you don't have your best stuff, we have to adjust and try to make the quality pitches. You hope that your body feels good, but if it doesn't, then you try to make that adjustment and make the right pitches when you need to.

Q. Colby, I know you are a game-at-a-time guy and really focused and even keeled, but do you change your approach at all tomorrow going into the game knowing what's on the line?
COLBY LEWIS: No. I feel like the team, we put ourselves in a good situation for the next three games. So I don't think there is any added pressure. Definitely wanted to always try to go out there and win. Like we always said, I think our magic number is one. It's every day we go out and play, we just want to win one game at a time and take it from there.

Q. Colby, can you address in some way how the staff has kind of evolved into a strike-throwing staff? It seemed like in the first two games C.J. and Cliff really got ahead of hitters and that made a big difference. I think it's been a process over the course, can you address that a little bit?
COLBY LEWIS: I think it is kind of a testament to how Mike has done with the staff that he's put together. So definitely the front office did a great job of getting guys in here, and especially Cliff, for putting us in the situation for the postseason. But I think it's just overall just together unit, just kind of everybody feeding off each other. And I think if one guy goes out there and does it, then the other guy wants to.

Q. What about your demeanor and your experiences, which are little unusual, do you think will help you in this situation you're in tomorrow night?
COLBY LEWIS: Yeah, I don't know. Everybody is talking about pressure and postseason and stuff like that. I don't know, there's different kinds of pressures, but you know nervousness and all that kind of stuff. But I kind of look at the nervousness as taking my family to Japan. That's nervous. Going to a foreign country, not knowing what to expect.
So yeah, I mean, like I said, we're in a great position. Two games up. I just want to go out there and give another quality start. Kind of just what I have tried to do all year, you know.

Q. Colby, you were drafted in '99 and the Rangers won the last three titles in such a short period, now it has been so long. Just the feeling of what have you been through personally to get back to here and now have the opportunity to deliver what can be a monumental win for this team.
COLBY LEWIS: Yeah, it's a tremendous feeling to feel like you've kind of turned your career around a little bit, and got another opportunity to come back to the States. But I think it's just, just kind of continuing to follow your dream. Continue to work, you know, get better at what you are doing and hone your skills. And put myself in an opportunity to come back.
But yeah, I mean it's going to be a great opportunity tomorrow for the next three games. But like I said, we are focused on one game at a time and will go from there.

Q. While your magic number is one, they're facing extinction. Do you anticipate that you might see a very different-looking Rays team when you pitch against them, either in the way that they approach at-bats or the way they run the bases or do things?
COLBY LEWIS: I think their biggest key is, you know, of course it has been talked about all postseason and stuff is getting guys on the base paths and trying to get guys in and use their speed. And yeah, C.J. and Cliff both did a great job of keeping guys off the base paths and that's what you want to try to do with this lineup, is try to keep them off the base path and, you know, make quality pitches early.
So I don't think -- yeah, I mean the tension level is probably a little different from the first couple of games, but they want to win every day and we want to win every day and so it's not going to change it.

Q. Colby, on your journey to this point, what is the toughest part of adversity that you faced?
COLBY LEWIS: Like I said, I think making the adjustment and/or the change in life, you know, to continue to play baseball and make money at it, but to go to Japan with my family. I think that was the biggest thing. But I also think it was a great opportunity for me to learn a different side of baseball, learn a different culture, and become a little bit different person. And come back and, like I said, get an opportunity.

Q. How important will it be tomorrow if the guys can put up some runs on the board for you while you're out there?
COLBY LEWIS: It's huge. Definitely you are able to relax a little bit more, for sure. But like I talked about it and said, just make quality pitches and keep those guys off the base path. And that's the biggest thing, you know, really.
THE MODERATOR: Okay. Thank you very much.

End of FastScripts

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