Ace in the hole, lean on me. Don’t you know me? I’m your guarantee. -Paul Simon
Public Service Announcement: Ok, here we go! Woo doggie! Just a quick one today. Gotta speak loudly and smash you with a big stick one today. Jason Bay smashed John Lackey and the Angels with a big stick. Manny who? But as big as that bomb was last night, that wasn’t the story.
This was the story. Boom Boom Beckett pushed back to Game Three. Turn back Gulliver, we’ll never make it. Thing is, no one told Jon Lester. No one told last year’s World Series-clinching pitcher. No one told last month’s Pitcher of the Month. No one told the best left-handed pitcher we’ve seen in these parts since Bruce Hurst. Just so you know, this year, Lester became the first Red Sox lefty to win at least sixteen games since Bruce Hurst accomplished the feat in 1988. He also became the first Sox lefty to top 200 innings pitched since Frankie Viola in 1992. Pretty, pretty, pretty good.
So, Jon Lester now has won a regular-season no-hitter. Jon Lester now has won the final game of a World Series. Jon Lester now has won the opening game of a postseason series. Big deal you say? Who cares you say? I say, only one other pitcher in major-league history has done all of that before the age of twenty-five. Just one. Just Smoky Joe Wood. And that was nearly 100 years ago. Yowza!
With seven innings of work last night, Jon Lester showed the world what Red Sox fans have been whispering for a while now. With seven innings of work last night in which he allowed just one meager unearned run, Lester showed the world that he is the ace of the Boston Red Sox. Has been all year. Lester only seemed to get stronger as last night’s game wore on. He was still hitting 95-97 mph on the gun in the seventh. His nasty Uncle Charlie was utterly disgusting. Terry Francona: “He came with a vengeance.” Yes he did, Tony. Yes he did. But isn’t that what you expect out of your ace?
Public Spectacle:
Peace out homies. Six two and even!
Need More? Boston Red Sox, Jon Lester, MLB
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