On April 11, the Rangers went to Seattle for the start of a three-game series with a record of 3-4 for the year. Colby Lewis got his second start of the season. The Rangers won 7-3.

*****

SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN.
Originally published April 12, 2016

Every time you think Colby Lewis is done, he proves you wrong.

Every time you think he is out of gas, he finds another gear. Every time you doubt him, he makes you eat your words. Every time you think Colby is human, he shows you he isn’t.

Colby Lewis is animatronic. He had his shoulder rebuilt in 2004. He had his elbow rebuilt in 2012. He had his hip rebuilt in 2013.

He is the quintessential bionic man, the fictional TV character worth six million dollars.

Colby earns six million dollars this season. Coincidence? No.

He defies all the odds.

He had a 10-9 record in 2003—with an ERA of 7.30. He won fourteen games in 2011—with an ERA of 4.80. And then, even more unlikely, last season he somehow won seventeen games—with an ERA of 4.66.

Last night, he started the first inning looking like he couldn’t get anybody out. Because he couldn’t. But after what seemed like a hundred-pitch first inning, only one run scored. Then the bionics kicked in.

The next thing you know, he had retired fourteen batters in a row, and it should have been fifteen but he forgot to cover first on an infield dribbler to Moreland to lead off the sixth.

In the end, Colby got a win. It was a seventh quality start for a Rangers pitcher.

Somehow Lewis survived. As he always does. He is just programmed that way.