Sox Get More For Lester

Or rather I should say, more from Lester; I just couldn’t help the play on words. But getting more from Lester is exactly what they got tonight. After 3 miserable starts in April, Lester has pitched brilliantly in 20.2 innings allowing only 10 hits and 1 run in his last 3 starts. (Perhaps he was motivated by the news of Dave Roberts and his similar diagnosis?) As I mentioned last night, the ship was listing and appears to be righting itself. Oh naysayers and doom seekers, be gone! And take all the Chicken Littles and Pinkhats with you! This season is far from over!

It was a total pitcher’s duel through 7 innings as Ervin Santana and Jon Lester matched each other with very similar numbers:

Santana- 7 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 4.02 ERA, 115/72 # pitches/strikes
Lester- 8 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 3.93 ERA, 120/76 # pitches/strikes

Jepsen came in for the Angels in the 8th inning and promptly issued 2 free passes and then a single by J.D. Drew to load the bases. I was totally prepared to see Mike Lowell step up to the plate because up to that point Ortiz already had already struck out and had grounded into a double play. Tito decided to go with the Large Father, though. Bad move. It breaks my heart to see such revered sports heroes having so much difficulty as their careers start to wind down. (I’m still waiting for Mo to get on with his end of career slide.) Big Papi flailed again and ground into his second double play of the night, stranding a total of 7 teammates on the bases for the night. No matter, as Jeremey Hermida stepped up to the plate and whacked an opposite field bases clearing double that Juan Rivera may have gotten to had he not misjudged the incoming. The Sox were up 4-1 at that point with a man still on second base and Darnell McDonald due up. Finally Scioscia pulls Jepsen and sends in our old pal Scott Shields. Now Tito decides to send in Mike to pinch hit, and he delivered again, sending in Hermida to home with another double. Shields loaded up the bases again before he finally got Van Every to strike out, lest another slugfest break out.

I love seeing Big Papi playing for the Sox, but it also pains me to see numbers like 0/4, 2 Ks, 2 GIDPs, and 7 teammates LOB. Oh Papi, Big Papi, you test our loyalty! All those walk off HRs now seem so long ago! Your leash groweth short, I fear. What will be Papi’s fate? One thing is for sure, and that is that Mike Lowell may become a very important part of this team for the whole season if Ortiz does not start producing on a regular basis, the 2 HRs in one game the other night notwithstanding.

Our old friend Joel Pineiro makes a return trip to the Fenway mound tomorrow, but this time wearing red for yet another team. Pineiro pitched for the Red Sox in 2007 before playing with the Cardinals up until this year.

SOX WIN 5-1 BOX SCORE