The Boston Red Sox needed a big outing from Jon Lester yesterday afternoon as they had lost their last two games to the Chicago White Sox. With this tight race for the wild card, every game is an important one.
Lester delivered and boy did he deliver as he gave the Red Sox seven scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and two walks while striking out eight. The eight strikeouts gives Lester 204 strikeouts on the season and is the 24th pitcher to reach 200 strikeouts in a season in a Red Sox uniform.
Lester continues to mature right in front of our eyes and is definitely becoming one of the best lefties, if not pitchers in the game.
The win by Lester was his 12th of the season and it allowed the Red Sox to pick up a game on the New York Yankees as they are now 7.5 games back. Their main competition in the wild card, the Texas Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays, both lost yesterday as well. The Rangers are now three games back while the Rays are seven games back.
With David Ortiz struggling at the plate and Mike Lowell bringing big hit after big hit, you have to wonder when Terry Francona will start using Lowell as the DH. Lowell’s 17th home run gave the Red Sox the lead yesterday.
Jacoby Ellsbury added his 59th stolen base of the season and continues to be the table-setter for the Red Sox at the top of the lineup.
Josh Beckett starts for the Red Sox this afternoon and let’s hope that he’s worked out his struggles. If not, it could be a long afternoon.
I highly recommend the first two links.
Brad Penny shows his other side, but why? [SouthCoastToday.com]
Expectations can become a young player’s burden [Portland Press Herald]
His play was the thing [Boston Globe]
Lowell sizzling at hot corner [Boston Globe]
Martinez is helping them to be victorious [Boston Globe]
Westmoreland’s surgery a success [Projo Sox Blog]
Lester stops the bleeding [Providence Journal]
Red Sox journal: Pedroia makes defensive play of the game in the first [Providence Journal]
Five Things We Learned: These Are Two Very Important Days For the Red Sox [Full Count – WEEI.com]
Dice-K eager to lend helping hand [RedSox.com]
Lowrie’s season may end in Minors [RedSox.com]
Sox OK right from start [Boston Herald]
Mike Lowell will go full out [Boston Herald]
Daisuke Matsuzaka’s schedule not set [Boston Herald]
Jon Lester in top form [Boston Herald]
For more slices of Boston Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Hartford Courant and Providence Journal websites.
And if the enemy papers are more your style you can check out the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune or the Arlington Daily-Herald websites.
