Jon Lester may have been listening to the negativity surrounding him lately and socked those collective few nay-sayers in the mouth with a one hitter over 8 innings helping Boston to a 1-0 win over the Blue Jays.
Kevin Youkilis drove home the lgame winning run on a single to center field that Vernon Wells bobbled a bit allowing David Ortiz to easily score from second base. That may have been the tying run if it were not for Dustin Pedroia in the top of the ninth.
With Scott Rolen on second base and two outs Wells lined a shot past Jonathan Papelbon barely missing his head that looked destined for center field and an RBI for Wells, but Pedroia made a diving stop to his right picking the ball out of the air and firing it to first to the end the inning.
Pedroia did jam his shoulder on the play and there is no confirmation on if Dusty is ok or not.
Star of the Game: Easily – Jon Lester
After all the talk of Lester not being Major League ready, again, and pitching against Roy Halladay who had a stellar outing tonight in his own right (8 2/3 innings, one earned run, one walk, six strikeouts) Lester fired back with 8 innings of shutout ball striking out six but walking four.
Preview of Next Game: I understand we faced Halladay tonight,
BUT can we get some offense already. Daisuke Matsuzaka will start tomorrow for Boston after missing his last start due to the flu. Dice-K was on a roll before he was scratched from his start so hopefully he will not take a detour tomorrow night.
Video Highlights
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Lester, Lowrie, Masterson, Moss for Oswalt? Not a chance.
Amazing, amazing amazing. That 9th inning was as intense as any game I’ve ever attended, and that includes game 7 of the ALCS last year. We were in SRO (of course) behind section 16, the entire crowd was standing for the bottom of the 9th, and so every member of SRO was precariously standing on the railings so they could see over the crowd.
When Paps came out, and 39,000 people lost their minds (nobody that I saw had left the house), I had only two thoughts: one, I am so lucky to see the most dominant pitcher in baseball history in Jon Papelbon, and I am so unbelievably lucky to be a member of RSN. For that effort and excitement for an April game in 30 degree weather, just unbelievable.
Amazing game, I have to hand it to Lester. He and Doc put on a clinic tonight.
Sean O – It really is quite remarkable isn’t it? All those people going nuts for Paps. All I know is when once he gives the security the fist pound I get so into it that I feel that I am going to pitch. It just electrifies me.
Then there is Pedroia’s play. That was an OMG moment. I know this team just snapped a losing streak but how can you think this team will not run away with this division come three months from now.
Seriously.
The miracle is that after a month in which EVERY starter, 3/4 of the bench, and 1/3+ of the pitchers were either injured or flu-ed; after Japan, L.A., Oakland, Toronto, Tampa; during hitting and pitching slumps; after weeks without time off, the exhausted and limping 2008 Red Sox are in first place. Of course we will run away with it.