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Lester Avenges Patriots Loss, Beats Blue Jays for 18th Win

OK, so maybe Jon Lester technically didn’t avenge the Patriots loss to the Jets on Sunday because baseball in Boston is nearly irrelevant now that the Patriots season is in full swing. But, Lester did what he could to make some Boston sports fans smile on a day when most would rather mope.

In the midst of his quest for 20 wins, Lester put forth a strong effort, going seven innings and allowing zero runs on four hits and four walks to lead the Sox to a 6-0 win. He struck out four to earn his 18th win and help his team avoid a sweep at the hands of the Jays.

Offensively, the Red Sox did all their damage in the fourth and fifth innings. Victor Martinez stroked his 18th homer of the season in the fourth, and the Red Sox got five more in the fifth on an RBI double from Daniel Nava, a two-run single from Yamaico Navarro, and a two-run HR from J.D. Drew.

With the loss, the Jays were mathematically eliminated from postseason play.

Sox Stud of the Game: Jon Lester

The two least expensive pitchers in the starting rotation, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, have been the best pitchers in the rotation, BY FAR. Lester again proved how valuable he is to the team, turning in another dominant performance. This time, it was against a team that had just scored 15 runs total over the previous two games.

Sox Dud of the Game: Ryan Kalish

Kalish went 0-4 from the leadoff spot. I know, big deal. Hey, it’s tough to pick a dud in a 6-0 win.

Game Notes:

W: Jon Lester (18-8)
L: Shawn Marcum (12-8)

• Lester is the first Sox lefty since Bruce Hurst in 1988 to win 18 games.
• Victor Martinez went 2-4 to extend his hitting streak to five games.
• The game went a swift two hours, 37 minutes.
• Jose Bautista did not hit his 50th homer. He’s stuck on 49.

About KC Downey

KC is the "head coach" of the Sports of Boston, LLC blog network. Follow him on Twitter: @kc_downey

Tags: Jon Lester, Jose Bautista, Red Sox, Ryan Kalish, Shawn Marcum, Toronto Blue Jays