Lee improved to 6-0 with a 1.44 ERA and three complete games in seven career postseason starts, striking out 54 and walking six in 56 1/3 innings. He had 21 strikeouts and no walks in 16 innings against Tampa Bay.

"I don't think you can ask any more of a guy," Rangers manager Ron Washington said.

The left-hander, acquired from Seattle in July, threw 90 of his 120 pitches for strikes. He retired his final nine batters and prevented Tampa Bay from completing an improbable comeback after losing the first two games at home.

"He was the Cliff Lee that everybody is used to seeing and he got the job done tonight," said Rays outfielder Carl Crawford, who might have played his last game with Tampa Bay because he can become a free agent after the World Series.

When B.J. Upton popped out to shortstop for the final out, Lee didn't even watch the ball drop into Elvis Andrus' glove. He simply walked toward catcher Bengie Molina and the two hugged as Rangers players poured onto the field to mob them near the plate.

The Rays had the AL's best record this season, giving them home-field advantage in the playoffs. But they lost all three games at Tropicana Field, managing only two runs.

"David pitched fine. We made too many spring training mistakes," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "I want to congratulate the Rangers. Spectacular achievement they put forth this season."

A pair of Rangers runners scored from second base on infield grounders -- thanks to heads-up baserunning by Andrus and Vladimir Guerrero.

Kinsler batted .444 in the series with three homers and six RBIs. It was the first playoff series victory in the 50-season history of the Washington/Texas franchise.

"It's unbelievable. Something we're proud of because it's never happened in Texas before," slugger Josh Hamilton said. "Hopefully, we can take it to the next level."

Back in the clubhouse, the first round of celebrating was with ginger ale so that Hamilton, who has battled alcohol and drug addiction, could take part. When he left the room, the Rangers brought out champagne.

Lee, the 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner, allowed five hits in the series opener and beat Price 5-1. Lee fanned Rays slugger Carlos Pena six of the seven times he faced him in the series and finished with an AL division series-record 21 Ks in two games.

"We got him to help us win ballgames. We also got him to do what he did tonight," Washington said. "But he can't do it by himself, and the guys backed him up. They put runs on the board. They played their hearts out."

Texas pitchers struck out 55 in the five games, a record for a division series in either league.

After losing the first two games at Tropicana Field, the Rays rallied to win Games 3 and 4 in Texas to give themselves a chance to join the 1985 Royals, 1986 Mets, 1996 Yankees and 2001 Yankees as the only teams to lose the first two games of a postseason series at home and come back to win the series.