Jun 11, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) hands the ball over to manager John Farrell (53) as he is taken out of the game during the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox 8-3. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Something is just not right with Jon Lester. This is extra panic-inducing for fans given Buchholz‘s possible up-coming DL visit.  Perhaps Lester’s current struggles just look worse because we’ve seen him do so well. Are we expecting too much of him? Could it be that he’s really a number three starter who is just misunderstood?

That’s hard to believe. He’s only 29 years old. He made the All Star team in 2010 and 2011. He had two shut outs in 2008, most in the AL. In 2008 and 2009 he had the third most strike outs in the league. His 19 wins in 2008 were second most in the AL. All these stats reinforce our feeling that Lester is a great pitcher, that he’s the guy you can count on for a good performance.

So, what’s going on? His ERA for June is a jaw-dropping 8.62. He hasn’t earned a win since May 15 (though the validity of the win-loss stat is debatable). Is is the time of year? Last July he didn’t get a single win and had an ERA of 9.36.

We can start the debate about whether the Sox should keep him around next season or not, but that doesn’t help us now. With only a 1.5 game lead over Baltimore and the Yanks a mere 3 games back, the Sox are clinging onto a slim lead. We need the old Lester back and we need him back now. Will a visit to the DL be helpful? Maybe skipping a start to give him a break? I’m no sports psychologist, but perhaps Lester should sit down with one.

Wherever you are, Jon Lester, know that we’re pulling for you. (At least those of us fans who haven’t started the “Let Lester Walk” campaign.)

Jun 11, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) reacts after giving up a run in during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Lester hasn’t won a game since May 15. He has lost two games, has suffered through two no decisions since then and Tuesday was likely on the precipice of this third loss. His mechanics are back in the tank and with it, so appears, is his head.

Since going 6-0 through mid-May, which in actuality was a bit of a hype since Lester was on the ropes a few times during those wins and was the beneficiary of some potent offense, the wheels have started to come off Lester’s wagon. John Farrell, who was pleased with Lester’s dedication to work quicker in spring training, must be steaming watching him once again SLOW down and revert to his 2012 form.

He doesn’t appear to be injured. He’s just once again mechanically balled up and as history tells us Lester’s tailspins can be deep and persistent.

So just what is happening with Jon Lester? I can’t put my finger on it. Help a brother out! Vote below or add your own comment.

May 20, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) delivers a pitch against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at U.S. Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Red Sox would never be able to recover, even though Jarrod Saltalamacchia answered Chicago’s two runs in the second with a two run blast of his own. In addition to Saltalamacchia, who collected two hits, Will Middlebrooks did produce a two RBI double of his own and also just missed a game-tying home run in the ninth inning, a deep fly to dead center that fell just in front of the 400 foot sign.

Monday’s loss snapped a five game win streak for the Sox, and put them a game and a half behind the 1st place Yankees. Shane Victorino left the game early with left hamstring tightness in the sixth inning.

Tomorrow, the Sox go at it again, trying to start a new win streak against lefty Jose Quintana. Felix Doubront is scheduled to go for the Sox, with hopes he can build off his last start. Game time at 8:10.

Lester joined Mets’ ace Matt Harvey as the only two major leaguers this season to throw one hit, no walk, shut out, complete games…but they were joined by Cardinals’ rookie Shelby Miller just hours later.

May 10, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

The Red Sox ace needed only one pitch to retire Jays’ leadoff hitter, Rajai Davis, who flew out to Sox right fielder Shane Victorino. Lester would dominate for the rest of the night, and the game was all but over. The big lefty set down 17 straight Jays, until Toronto shortstop Maicer Izturis doubled on a line shot down the left field line, breaking up Lester’s perfecto. Working out of the stretch for the first time all night, Lester responded by striking out Adam Lind to end the inning.

The Sox seemingly had opportunities all night, as Jays’ starter Ramon Ortiz was not nearly as masterful as his Boston counterpart. The Sox looked to capitalize on the 39-year-old’s struggles early in the game, but he managed to escape relatively unscathed.  Victorino and Dustin Pedroia both reached in the bottom half of the first, giving the middle of the order a chance to inflict some serious damage early, but they came up short.  The Sox got two one-out baserunners again in the second courtesy of Daniel Nava and Jarrod Saltalamacchia walking and singling respectively. But the Sox would manage only one run thanks to an error by Izturis, and Ortiz would wiggle his way out of the jam.

The Sox struggled mightily against Ortiz, going 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position in the third through fifth innings. Ortiz managed to escape having surrendered only one run, despite allowing nine runners to reach base through five innings of work.

May 10, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Daniel Nava (29) hits an RBI double against the Toronto Blue Jays during the seventh inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Though Lester wouldn’t need it, his offense bought him some insurance in the seventh, teeing off against Jays reliever Brett Cecil who had been brought back out for a second inning. Jacoby Ellsbury, Shane Victorino and Dustin Pedroia hit three straight singles to bring in one run to start the inning. They were swiftly followed by two strikeouts by David Ortiz and Mike Napoli, leaving it up to Nava to do some more damage. Nava rose to the challenge, doubling off the wall to plate two runs. Nava then came around when Salty drove a long fly ball over the head of Jose Bautista for an RBI double.

Even after the long inning, Lester picked right back up where he left off, setting the Jays down in order, and picking up two more strike outs to end the game. Lester’s brilliant outing snapped a three-game skid for Boston and preserved the three-way tie for first in the unforgiving American League East.

April 20, 2013; Boston, MA USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz (11) pitches during the game against the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Apr 7, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) pitches to the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Combined, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz are 9-0 with a 1.73 ERA. Their stat lines are so similar as to be nearly indistinguishable from one another. Lester has been very, very good. Buchholz has been dominant. Lester’s 28 strikeouts, 1.11 WHIP and 10 walks rank him among AL league leaders in pitching efficiency. Buchholz’s 39 Ks – second only to a surprisingly high 43 for Ryan Dempster, 1.01 WHIP and 13 walks and one additional win currently gives him the edge over Lester.

In the AL, Buchholz is tied with the Rays’ Matt Moore, who is also 5-0, for most wins. Moore has an even better ERA of 1.13 and WHIP of 0.88. Buchholz and Lester are in the top 20 in nearly every statistically significant category. When combined, they are ranked 1 and 3 respectively in the AL.

It’s true that this can’t keep going forever but their combined quick starts have been an oh so pleasant turnaround from the 2012 season. Keys for success going forward for Buchholz will be continued health, unlike his injury-plagued season last year. Lester has always enjoyed good health. Key to keeping it going for him will be staying focused, even in the face of bad calls, that last year led to mental letdowns and resulting shellings.

Yes, Dan, Lester and Buccholz are wrecking your fantasy league but right now they’re making my real-time watching delicious.

Following Lester’s departure, the bullpen wasn’t quite the perfection it was on Wednesday, but Andrew Miller, Koji Uehara, and Andrew Bailey managed to preserve the lead. Although Uehara allowed a run following a Carlos Santana double (run credited to Miller), each pitcher recorded one strikeout and Bailey saved his second game of the young season.

April 13, 2013; Boston, MA USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

On the offensive side, seven different hitters recorded hits, with Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Napoli each with two.  Adding to the group effort were RBIs by five different hitters, including two by the burgeoning Daniel Nava. The first RBI of Nava’s was Napoli, who led off the inning with a triple, and got the Sox off to an early 1-0 lead.

The Sox gained some breathing room in the 7th, adding three runs to cushion the previously one run lead.  After a leadoff single by Ellsbury, Napoli drove him in on a single to right, and advanced Shane Victorino to third. Next, Nava hit a sac fly, to make it a two run lead, while Napoli adroitly advanced to second on the throw. That sharp baserunning immediately paid dividends as pinch-hitter Mike Carp singled to right field to put the sixth and final Red Sox run on the board.

Other notable individual performances include Dustin Pedroia (1-4, RBI, BB, 2 SB), Jarrod Saltalamacchia (1-4, HR), and Jacoby Ellsbury (2-5, 2 R, SB).

Tomorrow marks the first game in Boston since the Marathon tragedy on Monday, in which multiple bombs killed three and wounded 176 others. Additionally, David Ortiz is set to make his season debut tomorrow following the issues he faced with his right Achilles.

All together it should be an incredible atmosphere as the Sox take on the Royals at 7:10, with a familiar match-up of James Shields going against Clay Buchholz.

First and foremost, this game was a good, old-fashioned pitcher’s duel. With two of the best southpaws in baseball squaring off, runs were in a premium throughout the game. Jon Lester was phenomenal all throughout the game, allowing only one run in the contest on a hard-hit RBI double by Sean Rodriguez, as he went seven strong innings while allowing just the one run to go with five hits and a walk, pushing his ERA down to 1.42 through his first three starts. Aside from some early-game control issues, David Price was just as good, allowing four hits and a run while striking out eight in six innings.

April 13, 2013; Boston, MA USA; Boston Red Sox catcher David Ross (3) hits a home run during the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

After the third inning run by the Rays, the Red Sox got their offense from the same man that was leading their defense. David Ross came up to the plate with two outs in the fifth inning and showed David Price his first adversity of the day. Ross worked a long at-bat, including fouling two pitches into catcher Jose Molina, before unloading on a 3-2 changeup for his first home run of the year, a moonshot over the Green Monster.

From that point forward, it was a battle of the bullpens as Andrew Bailey, Koji Uehara, and Junichi Tazawa each threw a scoreless inning for the Red Sox while Jake McGee, Joel Peralta, and Kyle Farnsworth all performed admirably for the Rays. Brandon Gomes would be the unlucky member of Tampa’s bullpen, however.

After working his way out of a partially self-inflicted jam in the ninth inning, he retired the first batter of the tenth. With one out, however, Jacoby Ellsbury laced a single to center field to put Gomes in the stretch. Everybody in the stadium knew what was about to transpire, but that didn’t stop Ellsbury from running on a 2-2 pitch, nor did it stop catcher Jose Lobaton from tossing the ball into center field and allowing Ellsbury to reach third. The Rays obviously put the infield in for Shane Victorino, but on a hard groundball to the side of Yunel Escobar, they still couldn’t nab Ellsbury at the plate to give the Red Sox a 2-1 win in a thrilling ballgame.

Pay no attention to the final score.  This game was all about Jon Lester in his final spring tune up before he takes the hill next Monday at Yankee Stadium for opening day.  He did not disappoint.

Mar 11, 2013; Jupiter, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) throws in the fourth inning during a spring training game against the Boston Red Sox at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Numbers?  4 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 0BB, 4K, 50 pitches, 38 for strikes.  A performance we all wanted and needed to see prior to the curtain rising on the season.

Before the game, manager John Farrell “officially” named Lester the opening day starter.  But there was never much doubt since the beginning of camp that Lester was going to be the guy barring an unforeseen setback.

That is as it should be because it is now Lester’s time to become the unquestioned leader of this pitching staff.  There’s no more Josh Beckett to lean on. Lester is in his prime and at the point in his career where he should jump at the chance to be the ace.  There are no more excuses to be had and he looks ready for the challenge.

More than anyone in camp, Lester seems to have benefited the most from the return of Farrell to the team and the refreshing approach new pitching coach Juan Nieves brings to the table.  Their presence and instruction have been great for him both mentally and physically.

Farrell and Nieves have commented throughout the spring that Lester once again looks like the pitcher he was during his best seasons.  His command has returned and they think that is because they have straightened out his mechanics, allowing him to produce the performance we saw this spring.  He must continue to pitch like that during the regular season.

Mar 11, 2013; Jupiter, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) throws agaisnt the Miami Marlins during a spring training game at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Lester will lead a rotation that will consist of Clay Buchholz and Ryan Dempster, who will pitch the other two games in New York next week, as well as Felix Doubront and John Lackey, who will pitch games four and five next weekend in Toronto.

The Red Sox are going to go as far as their starting pitching will take them this season.  The fact that the Sox will rely on Lester to lead the way is a good thing because he certainly looks like he has returned to the form that has made him so beloved in Boston for so long.  Or at least until chicken and beer-gate.

Lester knows there is pressure on him to win back many of the fans.  He can set the bar for excellence and work ethic in this rotation.  I believe he knows it is his time to take center stage.

We’ve seen in past seasons that he is capable of being a work horse who can bear down and win games.  If the other rotation members follow his lead it will make for an interesting summer in Beantown.  It will mean the Sox are right in the thick of things and, as fans, that is all we can ask for from this team.

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Mar 11, 2013; Jupiter, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) throws in the fourth inning during a spring training game against the Boston Red Sox at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

I was working through some Sox statistics yesterday and and noticed how great both Jon Lester‘s and Clay Buchholz‘s numbers looked so I decided to bump those up against other MLB pitchers. The top of Boston’s rotation has quietly put together a killer one, two punch that fans should pray carries through to the regular season. Lester and Buchholz combined over 38.2 innings, have an 0.93 ERA and a sick 0.68 WHIP. Heading into the last 10 days of spring training that makes Lester and Buchholz numbers one and two in major league baseball.

Yes, spring training stats are essentially meaningless but the trends, especially for pitchers, cab be important signs for things to come. Ask Roy Halladay about mechanics, adjusting throughout your career and health and what all those components mean to momentum heading into the regular season. The normally dominant Halladay started to falter during the second half of the 2012 season, posting a 4.93 ERA during that time. This spring he has not been right. Both his velocity and swing and miss ratios are down. He has battled a stomach virus that has caused him to lose 10 pounds and some of his stamina. It shows. Halladay is not the same and that is cause for concern for Phillies fans.

Mar 7, 2013; Fort Myers, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz (11) throws in the first inning during a spring training game against the Minnesota Twins at Hammond Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

With the exception of Buchholz’s freak hamstring tweak on the first day of camp, both pitchers have been the picture of health – both mental and physical – and have simply kept the opposition in a hole. They are a combined 5-0 with 16 strike outs each. Opponent have batted 0.92 and .167 respectively against the duo.

Compare that with their 2012 spring numbers:
Lester: 3.50 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 2-1 record, .250 opponent batting average, 14 Ks, 7 walks
Buchholz: 5.23 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 2-2 record, .228 opponent batting average,  15Ks, 3 walks

This translated to 2012 regular season numbers:
Lester: 4.82 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 9-14 record, .273 opponent batting average, 166 Ks, 68 walks
Buccholz: 4.56 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 11-8 record, .263 opponent batting average, 64 walks, 129 Ks

They are two different guys this year. Credit goes to each player as well as new Red Sox pitching coach and manager Juan Nieves and John Farrell. They have kept the tone low-key and professional, a far cry from reports of Bobby Valentine‘s spastic dashing about from field to field during the 2012 spring training season, which apparently wore him out and rendered him unable to perform…well, except for the mouth.

Staying healthy, staying focused and just playing baseball is all Red Sox Nation needs this year from each player. Lester and Buccholz are providing that leadership so far.

And I’m one step ahead of the shoe shine 
Two steps away from the county line 
Just trying to keep my customers satisfied, 
Satisfied.
- Keep The Customer Satisfied, Simon & Garfunkel 

Lester threw 79 pitches, 53 for strikes and has a 0.90 ERA this spring. Will Middlebrooks also chipped in with a nice 2-3 day with a pair of doubles.  It was all, hopefully, a preview of things to come.

Mar 11, 2013; Jupiter, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) throws agaisnt the Miami Marlins during a spring training game at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Just as my colleague Aidan Flynn writes a column indicating spring training stats mean nothing, the Sox proceed to go out and deliver a performance that has to give them a lot of confidence going into the season.

I disagree with Aidan that spring training performance is meaningless. Especially with a Red Sox club that has had a fragile psyche since the end of 2011.

Anything the Sox can do to get themselves in a good frame of mind for the start of the season is important. Boston cannot afford to get off to another bad start. They must start well for both their own sanity and that of the fans.

Although there is still a lot of spring training left, having Lester perform this way is huge. He is a guy that is going to set the tone this year.

For him to be this crisp this soon is a big deal and I don’t think you can just dismiss his good spring and say let’s see what he does when the bell rings.

Pitching is all about building blocks and Lester has had several this spring. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t bode well for him in April.

Fans have been waiting to see the good Lester return to a Red Sox uniform. He most certainly has appeared in Fort Myers. It now looks like he’s back and this can only be good news.

The Red Sox are now 13-9 this spring and will travel to Bradeton to face the Pirates today at 1:05.

September 21, 2012; Boston, MA USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) gets set to pitch during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

This past season, Lester finished with a 9-14 record, a 4. 82 ERA, a 90 ERA+ (where 100 equals league average), and posted his lowest strikeout rate since 2008 (7.3 K/9 last year). The sharp contrast of his numbers from last year to 2008-2010, his best three years as a pro, make 2012 look even worse. During that three-year period, Lester averaged a 3.29 ERA,  a 8.7 K/9 rate, and a 138 ERA+. These averages put him in a class as one of baseball’s truly elite starters (his 138 ERA+ was 10th best in the league over that time) and is clearly a far cry from last year’s disaster. However, even with last year’s subpar W-L total and ERA, they fail to tell the whole story of Lester’s season.

A player’s peripherals are the more obscure numbers that give evidence to how they performed and should be expected to perform in the future. These statistics are those that give light to how a player did without necessarily including the results. If that is confusing, hopefully the upcoming examples help.

Last year, Lester had a .312 BABIP or batting average on balls in play, where league average is around .290-.300. BABIP is a statistic that usually indicates if a certain amount of luck-good or bad-was at work and any extremes to either side of the pendulum usually fall victim to the mathematical phenomenon known as regression to the mean. In fact, this is something that is more common than typically observed. A good example of this would be players that experience “fluke” seasons such as Mark Fidrych and Chris Coghlan, in which they play over their head due to various benevolent influences. Over time, as sample sizes increase, we as fans and analysts get a better idea of players and their talent level.

In any event, Lester’s increased BABIP reveals a solid amount of differentiation from his career norm, and thus should return closer to his career average. Furthermore, having injuries to solid defensive players such as Dustin Pedroia and Will Middlebrooks further suppressed Lester’s abilities to get outs on balls put in play. With these key injuries and the revolving island of misfits behind him, Lester’s numbers suffered as a result.

In contrast to the BABIP spike, many of Lester’s other peripheral statistics remained constant or even improved from his ’08-’10 days. For example, Lester improved his walk rate for the second straight season and his velocity stayed relatively stable from his previous seasons as well. Usually when dealing with decline, one has to wonder if an injury was at hand. That said, generally the two most obvious signs of injury for a pitcher are velocity and control, yet, as I already said, Lester’s numbers actually improved in that regard.

Altogether, the evidence continues to point in the direction of last year being closer to a fluke than a trend. I’m not saying Lester will go back to being a top ten pitcher, but I look at him as being a solid option at the front of the rotation for a potential playoff team. Entering his age 29 season,  I’d like for Lester to learn from his experiences and benefit from the good ole’ regression to the mean phenomenon and healthy infield.  Don’t be surprised when Lester is the team’s best pitcher in the heat of a pennant race; he’s still that good.

Mar 6, 2013; Fort Myers, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) throws in the first inning during a spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

A few observations from today’s loss:

Jackie Bradley drew two walks and struck out in three plate appearances. More and more he’s developing a reputation as a guy who will be a grinder in the lineup for years to come.

Jonny Gomes doubled and knocked in a run. Jarrod Saltalamacchia also hit a two-bagger. Jose Iglesias drew a walk.

Jon Lester pitched four innings, giving up one run striking out three while allowing five baserunners (three walks and two hits). Steven Wright gave up five runs (all earned) with three walks in two innings. Rubby De La Rosa was touched up for the first time this spring (three runs, only two earned, two strikeouts). Junichi Tazawa pitched one scoreless innings while giving up one hit.

Once again, it’s only spring training. It’s encouraging to see the good but at the same time we shouldn’t get too worked up over the good nor the bad.

Feb 24, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium. The Red Sox defeated the Cardinals, 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

While the jury is still out, if you extrapolate the numbers, Lester’s 2012 campaign is telling in that his spring season arguably became his regular season: 9-14, 4.28 ERA, 68 walks and 166 strike outs with a 1.38 WHIP, right behind Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz at number 15 on the staff.

Like any spring training record, Lester’s numbers are helped immeasurably by the rest of the staff since he only gets 2-4 innings of work each time out, which is another good sign for Red Sox fans (even though the Yankees thumped Boston 5-1 Sunday afternoon, primarily thanks to to two Drew Sutton errors). Red Sox pitchers are actually pitching this spring.

More importantly, Lester appears more at ease again this year. There have been no signs of his early inning loss of control and resulting blow ups. He has been solid and focused. In Lester’s last out against the Pirates, he fired three shutout innings, walking one and striking out two. That’s the definition of crisp kids. Welcome back John Farrell.

“I was able to do the same things that we talked about early on — staying tall, driving the ball downhill, and I was able to do that tonight,” Lester told MLB.com’s Ian Browne. “And I was able to mix in a few other pitches. I threw one, maybe two changeups, a couple of curveballs and a couple of cutters. It was nice to break them all out and get good results. It’s always nice when you’re working on things to get good results.”

When you don’t get good results or get the close call that you really needed, remember John Farrell’s words: “be professional.” It seems a culture of professionalism is once again taking root in Boston.

September 21, 2012; Boston, MA USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) pitches during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

I confess I had mixed emotions when I started watching this game Friday night. From the brouhaha that was raised during last season to the ostensible doldrums running rampant through the Red Sox Nation, I thought I might rather go to the dentist. Shame on me. The boys looked crisp, loose and had a bit of a swagger.  Jon Lester, in his second start, shone like the seat pants of a cheap suit. Three innings does not a season make, but, boy, he looked sharp, relaxed and business-like with three one hit innings.

Rubby De La Rosa, who we got in the Dodger trade last year and who was recovering from the now routine Tommy John surgery brought some serious heat with his two scoreless innings. Steven Wright did okay until he knuckled under (please forgive me, but I had to say it) when he faded in the top of the eighth inning. He was the only pitcher pulled by John Farrell, after he loaded the bases and allowed two runs to come in, scratching the shutout. Wright shows promise, no doubt, but he’s not quite there yet.

Feb 17, 2013; Fort Myers FL, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Alex Wilson (63) poses during photo day at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Wright was relieved by Alex Wilson, who did a nifty job getting out of the eighth inning jam when he snared a hot come-backer in mid-air and threw to first to complete a double play that ended the inning and stopped any further bleeding. Wilson remained in the game and nailed down the save in the ninth.

We got a solid debut from Mike Napoli.  Stephen Drew looked exceptionally comfortable at short and Pedro Ciriaco, as well, at third.  Will Middlebrooks sat this one out,  but no cause for alarm. Pedroia, as usual, gave 110% and had the dirtiest uniform on the field.

All in all, I think we will be in contention at the end of the season, which I definitely did not think last week. The team had fun. It wasn’t an exciting game but it was comfortable and reassuring. The probable first string acquitted itself admirably (with the possible exception of Jacoby Ellsbury dogging it a bit).Our new right fielder, Shane Victorino played especially well, joined in by Drew, Napoli and Pedroia. I will always remember that Victorino, when with the Indians, was ejected from the game while playing in center field by the home plate umpire, from behind home plate. Never had seen an ejection with that much distance between the offender and offended.

The game, as I said earlier, was comforting for those wanting to see the Red Sox of the last decade.  The TV team was split between our Don Orsillo and JerryRemy with the Pirates’ crew of Bob Walk and Tim Neverett. The banter was superb, humorous and insightful.  I remember when Walk pitched for the Atlanta Braves back in the Joe Torre years, and I remembered what a horrible name it was for a pitcher to have – Walk. I also remember that he turned his turns at the plate into high drama. From his stance to his swing to his customary strike out, it was worth the price of admission, especially when narrated by Skip Carey, the  Ambrose Bierce of play by play men. (Skip was taken from us way too soon. Chip has a long way to go). Forgive me if I wander down Memory Lane but if you can remember Ted Williams‘ return from World War II, you’re allowed a slight digression from time to time.

Remy,  Orsillo and Walk finally got around to discussing the Valentine year; Remy adroitly damned Valentine with faint praise, but the tone, in general, was not gentle. They had a decent discussion about the Red Sox’s chances this year (after quickly and gently dismissing the Pirates from any serious contention). Remy, who correctly acknowledged the fans’ anticipated disappointment but he was  more than a little optimistic.  Last year was a total nightmare. There were numerous reports of anonymous and otherwise covert communications between players and the triumvirate upstairs, all indicating “Get rid of  Valentine or we go up in smoke!” The Pittsburgh Pirates who had a worse year than we did last year, looked a little out of it, so I can only get so fired up over tonight’s win, but it does look good. It’s a long way until April 1, and the final members of the Dramatis Personae. 

To a large part, this dissension precipitated the wholesale trade with the Dodgers. What it did was move to repair the rent in the fabric of the universe.  Josh Beckett had become unbearable; Carl Crawford became our resident  rehab patient and Adrian Gonzalez, who played pretty well for us but was about to man the barricade of rebellion against our funny Valentine.  At season’s end, as we suspected would happen, Bobby was sent packing – enter John  Farrell. An excellent manager and teacher, a familiar and friendly face among the veterans on the team – the proverbial breath of fresh air. Jeff Bridges was in a movie where he played an androgynous space alien who was growing weaker as he was deprived of the rejuvenation of his own people. As the movie progressed, he became weaker and weaker, until he made contact with his people. His change in demeanor was dramatic and instant. He became completely revitalized and all was well (cue the music and fade to black).

From what I understand, the change within the rank and file players was positive and obvious. Remy’s main point was the bad guy had been run out of town and birds in the trees renewed their chorus of optimism.  The fans haven’t seen that yet and remain despondent, as despondent as they have been in a long time . They have yet to collectively feel this new energy but Remy’s analysis likened it to motivation with a touch of fear,  keeping  all awake. Okay, we got rid of the bad guys’ gang with it’s leader (my jury has not returned on John Lackey yet), so we now have no alibi for failure. We got the manager we wanted and needed. We got some fresh strong faces and the only thing in our path to hinder us is ourselves.  As Pogo the Possum said,”We have met the enemy and he is us.”

Last night’s game accented this positivism  with good, fundamentally sound play and attitude and Lester’s probable  reemergence as one of the best left handed pitchers in the game gave off very good vibes. Our new players, the returning ones with injury question marks hanging over them and our core veterans left me with a warm fuzzy feeling.  As said at the outset, one preseason game against a “rebuilding” team does not a season make, but from what I saw yesterday, it is a harbinger of things to come.  As a mother would comfort a child, last night said “It’s gonna be all right. Don’t be afraid.”

Lester is all but certain to be better than that in 2013. He may not be the same pitcher as he was pre-2012, but his mistakes looked largely mechanical rather than stuff-wise. Hopefully former pitching coach and newly acquired manager John Farrell can get him sorted out to the #2 or #3 starter he should be. His strikeout and walk rates have gotten progressively worse since setting career highs in 2009 and 2008, respectively, but hopefully he can sort that out in 2013. Bill James projects him for a 12-12 record and 3.71 ERA in 2013, with his strikeout rate climbing up to 8.19 from a career low 7.28 in 2012.

Aug 18, 2012; Papillion, NE, USA; Omaha Storm Chasers center fielder Wil Myers (8) prepares to hit in the third inning against the Nashville Sounds at Werner Park. Mandatory Credit: Matt Ryerson-US PRESSWIRE

Wil Myers isn’t as well known as Lester, but among baseball circles, he generated a ton of hype this past year. Already the Royals top prospect, Myers made a run at being a Top 10, possibly a Top 5 prospect in all of baseball after a magnificent 2012 year. Between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha, he hit to a .314/.387/.600 slash line with 37 home runs and 109 RBIs.

Myers is only 21 years old and if he isn’t right now, is very close to being major league ready. He did strike out 26.8% of the time, but also walked 11.6% of the time– a quite respectable rate. A right fielder, he would probably compete for a starting job during spring training. As a right-hander with ample power, Myers would likely anchor that job for years to come and be a very good player.

Just by Myers’ ceiling alone, it would be very hard to turn down a Lester-Myers trade straight up. Lester is a question mark coming off a rough 2012 campaign, and his trade would enable the Red Sox to sign some big money free agents. Although the $11.625 million left on his contract (he also has a $13 million option for 2014) isn’t much, it would give them more payroll space. They could use an even more open payroll to sign a solid pitcher of the likes of Anibal Sanchez or Edwin Jackson.

If the Royals were willing to trade Myers for Lester alone, I would probably make the deal. If the Red Sox had to add a kicker (depending on the size), I would be more inclined to turn down the offer despite Myers’ ceiling. It’s true that Lester has the potential to return to the #2 starter stud he once was. However, it’s equally likely that his decline will continue and Myers will become a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate for the Royals. The details of the trade are unknown, but if it’s Lester or Myers straight up, I’d strongly advise Ben Cherington to take that deal.

September 21, 2012; Boston, MA USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) pitches during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-US PRESSWIRE

Lester, 28, did not have a pretty 2012 season. He had a record of 9-14 with a 4.82 ERA in 33 starts. Perhaps the 2013 season will give Lester a chance to redeem himself and possibly talk contract with the organization. He made $7.625 million this season, and will make over $11 million next season. His contract includes a 2014 team option, in which he would make $13 million.

Despite a downhill season, Bradford points out that from 2006-11, Lester tallied fourth most wins by a LHP in baseball (76), and managed the sixth-best ERA (3.53).

Should the Red Sox offer Lester a contract to extend his time in Beantown, he would have a huge decision to make. He says he has no problem with conversing.

“We’ll see,” said Lester on the final day of the ’12 season. “This probably isn’t the best year to talk about it. I’m always open. I’ll listen. We can always talk. I have no problem with dialogue. I have no problem with sitting down and seeing where they’re at, and seeing where we’re at.”

It will be interesting to see what choices Jon Lester and/or the Red Sox Organization will choose to make in the 2013 season with the new leader.

Overall, the Red Sox should see how Lester performs before talking contract matter. He has to work well on the field, and keep a positive attitude in the clubhouse. He did have a small outburst this past season in the dugout, where he was reportedly seen throwing sunflower seeds in the face of Red Sox Coach Alex Ochoa (click here to view the YouTube video).

Only time will tell us if the Red Sox should negotiate with Lester. If he does not meet expectations for the 2013 season, he will be out the door without a doubt. If   the Sox like what he is doing, they will make him an offer.

Hurst last appeared in a Sox uniform in 1988 where he collected the previous record setting K.  In total, Hurst played nine seasons in Boston and pitched in 1,459 innings while facing 6,264 batters before fanning his 1,034 victim.  Lester accomplished the feat in a much shorter time span with this being his seventh season in a Sox uniform.  To date he’s worked in 1,138 innings while facing 4,795 batters making his record breaking night even more impressive.

While Hurst is a Hall of Fame pitcher who played in the majors for fifteen seasons, it’s too early to peg Lester in that same category.  But this much we do know.  Given how well he’s performed through his first seven seasons, this rough year included, if he can continue on his winning percentage pace of .654, we will be discussing which ballot Lester is likely to get inducted on.  Granted that is well over a decade away, for the time being, we will savor watching this small milestone as it’s been one of the few bright spots for Lester on a down year.  He’s been better of late which is promising for next year.  After all, that’s all we have left for this season, is looking forward to next year.

It doesn’t come as a surprise given the club can revoke both players if they should get claimed.  Hundreds of players across Major League Baseball will end up on waivers with only a small percentage actually getting claimed. Teams will seek to gauge trade interest from other clubs in a particular player that could lead to a deal for those clubs competing for a postseason birth.  By no means does it mean the club intends to trade either Ellsbury or Lester.

It would be a complete surprise if either player were claimed, but given the Texas Rangers were said to be looking at a deal for Ellsbury back in July it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think they may have discussions again with Ben Cherington again.  Recently we’ve heard comments from the Red Sox owners that some major changes are needed this offseason and who’s to say that a blockbuster deal now wouldn’t be the start of things to come.

Aug 18, 2012; Bronx, NY, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) pitches during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE

The Red Sox and Yankees played a rare pitching duel today, benefitting from the work of an unlikely matchup in under-performing Jon Lester (6-10, 5.20) and rookie David Phelps (3-3, 2.53). It didn’t look like it would turn out that way early on though, as the Red Sox jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Adrian Gonzalez went to the opposite field for a two-run homer.

After that, Lester and Phelps each held the opposition in check for the next several innings, and it wasn’t until two outs in the bottom of the fourth when the next run was scored. That was when Curtis Granderson turned a two-strike mistake by Jon Lester into a solo home run to deep center to cut it to a one run game. However, the Red Sox got that run right back in the top of the fifth on an RBI triple by Nick Punto– who had a fantastic game, recording several great defensive plays at third base.

At that point, both starting pitchers just kind of settled in for the rest of their outings. Phelps actually tossed the longest outing of his major league career– holding the Red Sox to 3 runs on 7 hits in 6.2 innings pitched. However, he was tagged with the loss because Lester was even more dominant on the other side of the ball– holding the Yanks to a run on 5 hits in 7 strong innings, pushing his record to 7-10 and his ERA down to 5.03. The Red Sox got to the Yankees bullpen for a run on a wild pitch in the ninth, as they won 4-1.

Sure, WE have all know it for months:  “It’s the pitching, stupid!”

But the stupid part is that the Management Morons, “The Three Stewards,” John, Larry & Benny, have taken the entire summer to “get it.”

And, COMING SOON: National Harpoon’s Sox Summer Vacation!

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