The Boston Red Sox finally broke out of a six-game slide, with a lackluster, yet productive, victory over the Cleveland Indians, 3-0, on Thursday night. It’s just too bad somebody had to get hurt in the process.
How is it that whenever Jon Lester is on the mound, somebody gets popped in the knee like a mob movie? This time, it was Indians rookie starter Carlos Carrassco who took the brunt of the bat. The right-hander had to leave the game after three and a third of nine-hit ball after getting drilled with a Jacoby Ellsbury line drive. Jon Lester, on the other hand, or on the other leg, as it were, fared quite well, throwing over six innings with two hits, zero earned runs and seven strike outs.
Although it may not have been quite the been the way he would have liked, Ellsbury finished the evening going three-for-five with one run on a shot by Kevin Youkilis in the bottom of the first. David Ortiz and Jason Bay both dropped singles in the bottom of the fifth to add two insurance runs.
With only two games left in the regular season, it was a victory for nothing but confidence, especially for a recently battered Jon Lester, the obvious recipient of the “I’m Back Baby” Award.
Next game – 10/2 – BOS vs. CLE – Matsuzaka / Sowers
