Lester Throws Gem as Sox Reach .500

By KC Downey in Featured, Red Sox, Top Story ⋅ April 19, 2009 at 8:40pm ⋅ Post a comment

After a tremendous 2008 season, Sox lefty Jon Lester was poised for an even better campaign in 2009. In his first two starts, he was pretty shaky, going 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in 11 innings. Sunday against the Orioles, however, he was magnificent.

Lester tossed seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts. He allowed only six baserunners (four hits, two walks) in easily his best performance of the season. Takashi Saito allowed a run in the ninth on an RBI groundout, but still earned the save in a 2-1 Red Sox win.

Sox Stud of the Game

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF: SInce Ellsbury is obviously an avid reader of Sports of Boston (we hope), I’m going to make him our Sox Stud of the Game to boost his confidence. He was the only Sox hitter with two hits (2-4), finishing with a single and a dobule.

Sox Dud of the Game

David Ortiz, DH: Big Papi is paid to be the Designated Hitter, and he’s officially not doing his job effectively in 2009. Ortiz finished 0-4 again with two strikeouts to drop his season average to .170. To make matters worse, he has just one extra-base hit on the season (a double).

Game Notes

WP – Jon Lester (1-2)
LP – Koji Uehara (2-1)
S – Takashi Saito (1)

The Red Sox scored both their runs on RBI singles: Mike Lowell drove in Kevin Youkilis in the second, and Dustin Pedroia drove in Nick Green in the fifth.
Ty Wigginton was the only Oriole with two hits (2-4) and drove in Baltimore’s lone run in the ninth inning.
Adam “I’m not Pacman” Jones left the game in the second inning with soreness in his hamstring.
Josh Beckett’s suspension was dropped from six games to five games.