Cliff Lee pitched seven superb innings as the Texas Rangers took Game 1 of the American League Division Series with a 5-1 victory over the host Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.

Lee (1-0) allowed one run on five hits while striking out 10 in beating the AL East champion Rays for the first time in four starts this season.

Game 2 of the best-of-5 series is Thursday.

Bengie Molina homered, singled and drove in two runs and Nelson Cruz had a solo homer as Texas roughed up Tampa Bay ace David Price (0-1) for five runs - four earned - on nine hits in 6 2/3 innings. Price fanned eight and didn’t walk a batter.

Jeff Francoeur and Vladimir Guerrero each had RBI doubles for the Rangers, who bunched all their scoring in the first five innings against Price.

Lee escaped a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the first inning and was working on a four-hit shutout until Ben Zobrist launched a solo homer in the seventh inning. He allowed just two hits over the final six innings and improved to 5-0 all-time in postseason play.

Rookie closer Neftali Feliz walked the first two batters in the ninth before retiring the next three to end it.