Ending a Skid With a Signature Win

Now THAT is a dramatic way to break a skid.


Not only did the Sox win with walk-off heroics - Kevin Youkilis' single scoring David Ortiz in the bottom of the ninth - the victory helped punctuate the finest game in a Boston uniform in the still young career of Jon Lester, a game in which he deftly one-hit the Jays over eight innings, using EXACTLY the kind of control and precision WMYM was calling for in a certain Dragnet Gametime post that is, well, right below what you're reading right now. Four walks may not be perfect, but for Lester, that's not bad, particularly given the six strikeouts that came with it.

As if anyone needed more proof that Lester was on, look at his pitch count. Unlike previous outings this year, when he's skyrocketed toward the century mark by the fifth inning, Jon-Jon was exited after eight shutout frames having thrown only 97 pitches. That's right, eight innings, 97 pitches. Even the one hit he allowed, a lead-off strike just above Dustin Pedroia's glove in the fifth, almost wasn't a hit, touching on just how sublime a night he could have had.

All-in-all, it was a masterful performance. And while Jonathan Papelbon, who worked a scoreless ninth on only 13 pitches, will earn the win, it will be Lester's image that will forever grace the imprinted memories of this particular late April night in the Back Bay.

Of course, that's not to diminish a huge hit by Kevin Youkilis, either. Youk has always hit Toronto ace Roy Halladay well, making it particularly fitting that he - and not Manny Ramirez, whose hit set the table by advancing Big Papi to second - knocked the crushing blow off the Jays' top arm. Halladay was nearly as perfect as Lester all night, prolonging what has become a serious, long-term batting slump for Boston. Yet instead of continue his early season frustrations by flailing early, Ortiz worked a two-out walk, ManRam got back on track with a strike that landed in the outfield, and Youkilis exorcised the ghosts of Tropicana Field, where his nightmarish weekend was just the latest in a long career of confounding troubles in Tampa Bay.

When the dust settled, it was exactly the kind of win the Sox haven't been getting over the past week, exactly the kind of win to put Boston back on track, keeping Toronto from affirming its role as a season-long bugaboo in the process.

It was exactly what the Red Sox needed. Even more importantly, it was exactly what Jon Lester needed to turn around his season.

STARTING PITCHING: √+
Make it three-straight terrific starting performances from Red Sox hurlers. And while Lester won't get credit for his gem, his fate was slightly better than Clay Buchholz and Josh Beckett, who were preposterously hard-luck losers over the weekend. More brightside? How about Lester confounding everyone in the Jays lineup. Remember, only one man in a Toronto uniform got a hit, and we're not entirely sure that Troy Glaus single wasn't a potential out. OK, maybe it wasn't, but it was still a good pitch, and sometimes you have to give credit where credit's due. Tonight, as much as Glaus deserves a tip of the hat, the rest of the credit goes to Lester, who pitched beyond his years when it mattered, coming through for his team when it desperately needed him.

MIDDLE RELIEF: N/A
Another nice day off for the middle men, which is what happens when your starter goes eight.

SET-UP RELIEF: N/A
Ditto. From above, that is.

CLOSER: √+
Sure, Paps gave up a hit, but he retired three men in four batters on 13 pitches. It's amazing. Who knew he could get even more economical this year? Now THAT's impressive.

LINEUP: -
Halladay may have had a lot to do with this category, but five hits are never enough for Boston's offense. The long and short of it was that a lot of significant slumps continued, and a lot of guys who need to get going, well, they still need to get going. Add to that the exit of J.D. Drew after he gimpily ran out a dribbler in the second - the team's medical staff called it a tweaked hammy - and you've still got plenty of frustrations to get out of the system in the days ahead. Still, Youkilis' hit in the bottom of the ninth was a walk-off, and that's enough to put a smile on any hitter's face ... even Big Papi, who's finding ways to do his part when opponents won't even consider giving him pitches in the clutch.

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