SAN FRANCISCO - Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval and the rest of the San Francisco Giants can study the scouting reports and videotape all they want, trying to find the secret to getting a hit against Cliff Lee.
Or, they can just ask Cody Ross.
Many years ago, before he blossomed into the MVP of the NL Championship Series, Ross was a struggling rookie with the Detroit Tigers.
Ross just happened to hit his first major- league home run off Lee. A grand slam, at that.
Of course, Lee was early in his career, too. He hardly had become Mr. Perfect in the postseason, the left-hander who will pose a giant challenge for San Francisco when it faces the Texas Rangers in Game 1 of the World Series tonight.
Watch Lee from the center field camera and it's difficult to tell exactly what makes him so dominant.
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Maybe it's the way he throws any of his pitches for strikes on any count. At any speed, too. A real-life version of a video game.
"Confidence, relying on my routine," Lee said Tuesday before the Rangers worked out. "Going out there and expecting to be successful."
Lee is 7-0 with a 1.26 ERA in eight lifetime postseason starts heading into tonight's opener with two-time NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum.
Lee went 3-0 this year in the AL playoffs, striking out 34 and walking just one.
Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux said Lee reminds him of someone he knows well - his brother, four-time Cy Young winner Greg Maddux.
"If you can command your fastball and change speeds, you're going to have good results," Mike Maddux said.
Lee's stellar strikeout-to-walk ratio has led many to suggest the best strategy is to hit the first strike he throws, rather than risk falling behind in the count.
"People love to talk about Cliff throwing strikes, but it's not like he's just gunning balls down the middle of the plate," Rangers third baseman Michael Young said. "There's a big difference between throwing strikes and throwing quality strike after quality strike."
A win over the Giants will tie Lee for the best start in postseason history. Orlando Hernandez won his first eight decisions.
Lee has been equally perfect against the Giants - three starts, three wins and a 1.13 ERA. He last faced them in 2009 at AT&T Park in his first start after being traded from Cleveland to Philadelphia.
"Weather and clubhouse and the bullpens" are different, he said. "Once you get on the mound, it's 60 feet 6 inches and you've still got a professional hitter in there trying to do damage off you. To me, that doesn't really matter that much."
Several Giants have faced Lee many times.
Juan Uribe is 11 for 37 (.297) with two homers against him. Jose Guillen is 9 for 25 (.360) with two homers. Aaron Rowand is 7 for 25 (.280) with four doubles and a home run. Aubrey Huff is 5 for 19 (.263).
Then there's Ross.
Ross had played a handful of games in the majors and had only two career hits when he faced Lee on Sept. 2, 2003.
Ross struck out looking his first time up, but got more than even in his next at-bat, launching the first grand slam ever allowed by the young Cleveland lefty.
The game was memorable for Ross because of something else.
In the late innings, he tripped over first base beating out a bunt, tore his knee, was carted off the field, and was done for the season.
SCHEDULE
All games are on Channel 11 and 1490-AM
Today
Texas (Lee 12-9) at San Francisco (Lincecum 16-10), 4:57 p.m.
Thursday
Texas (Wilson 15-8) at San Francisco (Cain 13-11), 4:57 p.m.
Saturday
San Francisco (Sanchez 13-9) at Texas (Lewis 12-13), 3:57 p.m.
Sunday
San Francisco (Bumgarner 7-6) at Texas (Hunter 13-4), 5:20 p.m.
Monday
*San Francisco at Texas, 4:57 p.m.
Next Wednesday
* Texas at San Francisco, 4:57 p.m.
Nov. 4
*Texas at San Francisco, 4:57 p.m.
* If necessary
