Jon Lester subdues Tigers; Red Sox win 2-1
Jon Lester is back, folks.
Squaring off against Detroit ace and 19-game winner, Max Scherzer, Lester faced the tall task of reigning in one of the league’s most potent offenses and he did a bang up job. The 29-year-old spun a masterful seven innings, in which he surrendered only one run albeit on eight hits. While the lefty struck out nine, the Boston offense managed to pry two runs off of a stingy Scherzer and hand him just his second loss of the year.
Sep 3, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) pitches during the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
While Lester seemed in control, the Tigers weren’t going to go quietly. Of his seven innings pitched, he only managed to set the side down in order in three of them, allowing eight hits in the other four. Detroit shortstop Jose Iglesias continued to crush his former team, ripping a double to center to plate Omar Infante in the second.
Scherzer seemingly matched Lester pitch for pitch, allowing only five hits, three of which came in the same inning, leading to Boston’s two runs. A Jonny Gomes single with one down in the fifth started the deciding inning for the Sox, as Stephen Drew laced a ball to right center that one-hopped the wall for a ground-rule double.
After a David Ross strikeout Will Middlebrooks struck with a single up the middle to plate both runners and give Lester all the support he would need to hand the Tigers just their second loss in the season series.
After a trio of outs was recorded by Brandon Workman, Craig Breslow and Junichi Tazawa in the eighth, manager John Farrell went to #highfivecity and called in Koji Uehara to close out the game. Uehara picked up his 17th save of the season while stretching his scoreless streak to 25 innings.