Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky (real name: John Michael Paveskovich) turns 88 today. I’ve met Johnny a few times and he is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever want to meet.

Pesky played in the major leagues from 1942 to 1954 with the Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and Washington Senators as a shortstop and third baseman. He missed all of the 1943, 1944 and 1945 seasons while serving his country in World War II.

Pesky was close with teammates and lifelong friends Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr and Dom DiMaggio, so close that David Halberstam wrote the book “The Teammates” about them. Pesky is one of a handful of people to have a piece of Fenway Park named after him. The rightfield foul pole is “Pesky’s Pole” so dubbed by pitcher Mel Parnell after Pesky hit a game winning home run in 1948 that wrapped around the pole. It was one of his 17 career home runs only 6 of which came at Fenway Park.

Pesky has been affiliated with the Red Sox for 56 of his 68 years in baseball serving as a player, coach, manager, minor league manager, instructor, broadcaster and ambassador. But it is today’s players who still embrace Pesky with great fondness. From Tim Wakefield, Curt Schilling and David Ortiz to rookie Dustin Pedroia they all love Johnny.

It is widely rumored that the Red Sox plan on retiring his Number 6 although he does not meet the current requirements by the team for the honor. Pesky is already a member of the Red Sox Hall of Fame.

In 10 major league seasons he hit .307 with 17 HRs and 404 RBI he had 1455 hits and a .966 career fielding percentage.

Led by Mike Lowell’s 3 hits and 5 RBI as well as 3 hit nights from Dustin Pedroia, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz the Boston Red Sox handed the Oakland A’s an 11-6 loss at Fenway Park Wednesday night. The win moves them one game closer to clinching the American East Division title for the first time since 1995.

Red Sox lefty Jon Lester looked really good early on cruising through the first two innings allowing just a double to Daric Barton and a single to Mark Ellis while striking out five on 28 pitches.

For as solid as he was in the first two frames he got a bit rattled in the third as Oakland jumped on the scoreboard first courtesy of a hit, an error, a walk and a sacrifice fly. After striking out Jack Hannahan for his sixth whiff of the night, Donnie Murphy singled to left, Shannon Stewart who struck out his first time hit a one hopper back to Lester. What looked like a sure fire double play to end the inning turned into a bounced throw to second and a tag on Murphy by Julio Lugo that was missed by umpire Gary Darling. Barton walked to load the bases and Nick Swisher flew out to Jacoby Ellsbury in center to bring home Murphy with the A’s run. Lester then got Mike Piazza to ground out to end the inning.

The Sox steamed back in the bottom of the third with a combination of hits, a sacrifice fly and 3 walks by Joe Blanton who had only walked 37 the entire season prior to tonight. Pedroia led off with a walk, Ramirez singled to right, Ortiz drew the second free pass of the inning and Lowell singled to right to score Pedroia and Ramirez and it was 2-1 Boston. The two RBI by Lowell gave him 113 on the season a new record for a Red Sox third baseman breaking the old mark of 112 set by Butch Hobson in 1977. JD Drew’s sacrifice fly to center field scored Ortiz and it was 3-1 Sox. Blanton then struck out Kevin Youkilis, walked Jason Varitek and then struck out Ellsbury to end the threat and leave two runners on.

Lester started the 4^th inning with a pair of strikeouts of Jack Cust and Ellis to give him a season high of 8. Then he walked Kurt Suzuki, Hannahan singled and then Murphy hit a ball over everything in left for a 3 run home run his 6^th of the year and like that it was 4-1 Oakland. Steward singled but Barton flew out to Ellsbury to end the inning.

The Sox came right back in their half with one out Pedroia doubled to left, Ramirez got his third single of the night to drive in Pedroia and the game was tied 4-4. Ortiz singled to right to send Ramirez to third and Blanton was in trouble again. Lowell looped a single over the infield for his 3^rd RBI of the night scoring Ramirez and the Sox led 5-4. Lowell actually drew a throw from Ellis and hit the bag odd and was limping. After the staff looked at him he stayed in the game and ended up being forced at second when Drew hit into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

Piazza tied the game 5-5 with a solo home run into the Monster Seats in left in the fifth with one out. It was his 8^th of the year and the second Lester had given up in the game. Cust then walked and that was the end of Lester’s evening. Just when it looked like Lester was going to have a very good outing and be a major consideration for the post-season roster he imploded. Lester yielded 5 runs, all earned, 7 hits, 3 walks and struck out nine in 4.1 innings. Kyle Snyder came on to replace him and Ellis greeted him with his second hit of the night a single to left to out two men on. Snyder got a pair of fly outs by Suzuki and Hannahan to end the inning and keep the game tied.

The Sox broke it open in the 6^th off of reliever Terry Blevins. Pedroia led off with his 8^th home run to give the Red Sox a 6-5 lead. Ramirez walked and was run for by Brandon Moss. Ortiz doubled off the left field scoreboard and they would both score on Lowell’s 2 RBI single, his 4^th and 5^th RBI of the night, off the wall to give Boston an 8-5 lead. Drew then hit a long fly to center field that was misplayed by Swisher to put runners on 2^nd and 3^rd still with no one out. That chased Blevins (0-1) for Ruddy Lugo who promptly walked Youkilis to load the bases. Lugo then whiffed Varitek, buy yielded the Sox 9^th run on an Ellsbury ground out then ended the inning by getting his brother to fly out to center.

The Sox worked their way through the 6^th by mixing and matching Snyder with Javier Lopez and Mike Timlin, Timlin (2-1) stayed on and worked a scoreless 7^th as well.

The Sox added another pair in the bottom of the 7^th. Pedroia got his 3^rd hit of the night and 2^nd double, Moss drove him home with a RBI single to make it 10-5 Red Sox. Ortiz doubled off the wall again, it was his third hit of the night but he tweaked his knee and was pinch run for by Royce Clayton. Lowell bounced out to a drawn in Murphy at short holding the runners. Drew was intentionally walked to load the bases and Eric Hinske, pinch hitting for Youkilis struck out but a wild pitch by Andrew Brown allowed Hinske to get to first and Moss to score to give the Sox an 11-5 lead.

Eric Gagne came on and worked the 8^th giving up a pair of singles along with striking out two.

Julian Tavarez worked the ninth, giving up a run on a pair of singles and sacrifice fly but 11-6 was as close as Oakland would get.

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John Edward Thomas Moynahan, son of Tom Brady and Bridget Moynahan, has made his long awaited debut. John and his mom grace the cover of this week’s OK Magazine.

Bridget was reportedly paid $100,000 for the photos.