The Real Jon Lester Stood Up

Jon Lester had a nice bounce back from his last putrid start against Toronto, going seven innings against the Rays at the Trop last night as the Sox won, 3-1.

I missed the game last night, as I was at Citi Field with my dad watching the Mets win, 2-1, over the Astros. I followed the game all night on the Citi Field scoreboard, which I really like. It's one of those that tells you how many outs there and where the runners are on base, which are in a few of the newer ballparks.

Victor Martinez belted two home runs, but I did see that Lester did have a few hiccups, like in the fourth when Tampa Bay scored their only run. I noticed that the score went from men on first and second and one out, to second and third with one out, to a man on third with one out and a run scored. Could that have been two wild pitches? Indeed it was, as I discovered when I got home and checked the highlights. It would the Rays' only run of the night.

Lester wasn't perfect, as he walked five, and got out of two jams with double plays. David Price gave up a double to David Ortiz and a single to Jed Lowrie for the second Red Sox run.

Lester went seven, Daniel Bard pitched the eighth, and Jonathan Papelbon walked the high wire in the ninth, walking two batters, but also struck out the side, getting John Jaso looking to end the game in getting his 33rd save. It was also the 10th time this season that the Sox went from a starter to Bard to Papelbon in getting a win.

New York also lost, getting whacked by the White Sox in Chicago. The Red Sox now are both 4 1/2 back in the East and Wild Card races. Game 2 of the series tonight features Clay Buchholz against Matt (The Human Spitting Machine) Garza at The Trop.

Sad news about Stephen Strasburg needing Tommy John surgery. Hang in there, Nats fans. Many pitchers have made remarkable returns from major surgery (like Roger Clemens after shoulder surgery in 1985, winning the Cy Young and MVP the next year, and the great comeback season Billy Wagner is having this year after TJ surgery last year). I just hope the Nats fire the brainless Rob Dibble after his inane comments he recently made about Strasburg's injury, before it was known he needed TJ surgery.