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JON LESTER |
BOSTON STRONG -
THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION
Jon Lester dominates
the Dodgers
August 24, 2013 ... Jon Lester isn't just giving his team quality outings. Instead, he is turning in masterpieces. The latest came when Lester lifted the Red Sox to a 4-2 victory over the red-hot
Dodgers. Over 7 1/3 innings, Lester allowed three hits and a run, walking four and striking out six. In his last seven starts, Lester is 4-1 with a 2.31 ERA.
The Sox gave Lester nine days of rest, adjusting their rotation in the hope that some extra time off would allow the big lefthander to regain the form that has been missing for weeks. A month later, that decision could be one that helps define the season for the
Sox. Having Lester (12-7) pitching like an ace again will aid that goal. Since his working vacation ended, Lester is 4-1 with a 2.31 earned run average in seven starts. Lester has given up four earned runs in his last 29 innings and one in his last 15 2/3.
In his first career start against the Dodgers, Lester's fastball hit 96 miles per hour and was at 94 into the eighth inning.
However, things got a little precarious after Lester's exit, which came with a runner on first and one out in the eighth. Yasiel Puig greeted Junichi Tazawa with a single up the middle. After Tazawa struck out Mark Ellis, manager John Farrell called on lefty
Craig Breslow to face Adrian Gonzalez. That didn't work out, as Gonzalez belted a two-run double into the gap
in left-center, slimming Boston's lead to 4-2. Hanley Ramirez drew a walk.
Not taking any chances from there, Farrell went to closer Koji Uehara, and he ended the eighth by striking out A.J.
Ellis. Uehara, who has been dominant for the Red Sox all year, breezed through the ninth, ending the game when Pedroia made a nice diving stab on a Jerry Hairston grounder.
The urgency of Farrell to win this one against the hottest team in the Majors was made obvious by the fact this was Uehara's first four-out save of the season.
After being thoroughly stifled on Friday night, the Red Sox came out swinging in this one. The big first-inning rally was actually started when Shane Victorino was hit by a pitch.
Pedroia followed with an infield single. Napoli, making his first start in eight days, lined an RBI single to center. Then came the big hit, a three-run blast to left off the bat of Jonny
Gomes against Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu. In a part-time role, Gomes has been a force for the Red Sox in recent weeks. That gave Lester a 4-0 lead before he even
threw a pitch.
What was most important to the Red Sox is that they won the game, led by their resurgent ace who is making his late first-half struggles a distant memory.
Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli revealed that he had an injection in his left foot a week ago that has alleviated much of the pain he was experiencing because of plantar fasciitis. Napoli was in the starting lineup for the first time since Aug. 16. He came
into the game hitting .206 since July 1 with a .743 OPS. Since Aug. 1, the first baseman was hitting .146. The three-hit game was his first since June 1. Xander Bogaerts entered the game on a double-switch in the eighth inning and got to the plate in the
ninth. He collected his first career hit with a single off Brandon League. |
