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AL DIVISION SERIES: RANGERS v RAYS

October 2, 2011

Colby Lewis

TAMPA, FLORIDA: Workout Day

THE MODERATOR: Okay. We have Colby Lewis in here.

Q. Colby, when you look back to your postseason last year, what do you think that allowed you to be so successful?
COLBY LEWIS: You know, I think just staying relaxed really, not really building up, not having -- trying to do anything more than I was throughout the whole season.

Q. When you're facing a guy who is as hot at the plate like Longoria has been the last month or so, do you change your approach at all? Or something where it is more heightened or you just go with it?
COLBY LEWIS: We have our game plan and we try to follow that. And other than that, I mean, you try to pitch to your strengths and their weaknesses really.
Yeah, granted, he's hot, but you still have to stay within yourself and try to make pitches and try to get him out.

Q. Colby, how different does this Tampa Bay lineup seem to you from the one you faced last year in the playoffs? No Crawford, no Pena. How does this lineup compare to what you saw last year?
COLBY LEWIS: They are a real similar lineup actually. They are the type of ballclub that comes out and they take advantage of mistakes. They run on you. They do the small things at the plate. I think Maddon has done a great job with the organization in how he's put these guys in the postseason pretty often.
So it's just -- like I said, for me it's trying to stay within yourself, stick to your game plan and go out and try to make pitches and get outs.

Q. In their lineup, Damon, he takes a lot of long multi-pitch at-bats. Five, six, seven. Can you describe what it's like to have to contend with that?
COLBY LEWIS: He's a veteran guy. He knows what he wants to swing at, and it's just trying to get him involved in the at-bat. I mean, you have to -- with a lot of guys, for me anyway, I try to get guys to be really aggressive at the plate. I try to make pitches early and try to get quick outs.
And, like I said, with him, he's a veteran guy. He knows his strike zone. He knows what he wants to do at the plate, and it is just trying to follow through with your pitches and get him out really.

Q. Colby, you talked about kind of staying within yourself last year during the postseason. For a lot of guys, first time through the postseason it does change. Things do change. You speed things up. Did you surprise yourself at all last year with how under control you were able to maintain yourself? Was there anything that you kind of did to make sure that you kind of kept to your routine?
COLBY LEWIS: Like I mentioned before, I try to not let like this right here, the media and everything else, build it up to where it is more than just a start. For me, I try to keep everything normal, keep the workouts the same, keep everything as familiar to me as possible.
So it's just a situation. Like I said, it doesn't matter if it's the second start in April or if it's seventh game of the World Series. I try to look at it the same and try to keep the same approach.

Q. You weren't surprised by your -- by being able to carry that, by having that mentality going in?
COLBY LEWIS: If you keep your mentality and your approach the same, I felt like -- I just wanted to repeat kind of like having quality starts and keeping my team in the game. I think that's what's key to any start.
So I think that's keeping a level head. And for me last year it was coming back from Japan and stuff like that, I just felt like it was a good time. I mean, it was a time to go out and have fun and experience it all, and now we're back again and keep doing it, keep enjoying it.

Q. You mentioned Japan. How much do you think that staying relaxed, that mindset comes from some of the obstacles that have you been through in your career?
COLBY LEWIS: Yeah, like I said, I mentioned from Japan last year and saying like pressure and taking my family over there and stuff like that. Yeah, for me, I mean, we play a game and I try to be relaxed and enjoy it, try not to worry about all of the small things, you know.
When you come home from having a good game or a bad game, your kids don't know if you had a good game or bad game; they just want to go wrestle on the bed.
So that's, I think, a big thing that has helped me in my career, is my family and being able to be relaxed and not worry about the small things, you know.

Q. Colby, is there something we can look for you in the first couple of innings to tell us that you're locked in on this big stage, maybe fastball come in, secondary pitch is breaking balls, that let's you know that, you know what, I got this thing, I'm ready to go?
COLBY LEWIS: Getting outs and not giving up runs, right? I mean, that's -- I don't know, that for me is -- even if things aren't right on or perfect or whatever you want to call it, if I'm getting outs, I feel like I can keep my team in the game, and that's all I want to do.

Q. Colby, you had a chance to face Napoli as an opponent with the Angels for a little bit, had a chance to work and compete with him every day. What impressed or surprised you the most about him this season?
COLBY LEWIS: I think his ability to just -- I think coming over here this year, just talking to him a little bit and how relaxed he is and how much fun he is having, I think that was a big key to his success, especially his average. He definitely has had the power numbers and the RBI production, so I think just our group of guys that we have in the clubhouse and how everybody treats each other as equals, it doesn't matter if you have 15 years in or 10 days, it's just a real fun, relaxed atmosphere, and everybody likes to have fun.
THE MODERATOR: Okay. Thanks, Colby.
COLBY LEWIS: Thank you.

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