In Lester I Trust

Hearing that Beckett is injured and there's a possibility he may not pitch in the ALDS is never good news. As of now, he's lined up for Game 3 on Sunday, October 5 at Fenway instead of Game 1 on Wednesday the 1st at Anaheim. That said, I can't help but be optimistic about the new Game 1 starter, Jon Lester. After a somewhat rocky start in the early weeks, Lester has emerged as an ace this season. Although his win-loss record is second to Dice-K's, he goes seven to eight innings a lot more often and avoids putting a strain on the bullpen. His no-hitter in May, along with his shutout at Yankee stadium are just two of the gems he has thrown in this tumultuous 2008 season. Amid all the adversity the Sox have had to deal with, such as overseas travel, road skids, and injuries, Lester has quietly become one of the elite pitchers in the game, especially among the lefties. Last year, he was coming back from his battle with cancer and rebuilding his stamina. His starts in '07 were somewhat tentative, with lots of pitches thrown early and getting into jams via the walk. The beginning of this year, some tentativeness remained, but a gem against Halladay and the May 19th no-hitter were the beginnings of a new, more confident Lester. He pitched aggressively in the zone, trusted his stuff, and baffled the batters who had the misfortune of facing him. As Beckett struggled with inconsistency after starting the season on the DL and missing almost all of Spring Training, it was Lester who stepped up and provided the team with a pitcher they could count on, especially when it came to stopping a losing streak. Lester in '08 is pretty darn close to Beckett in '07. I wouldn't be surprised if that carried into the post-season as well. I have the feeling that this is his year.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!! CONGRATS TO LESTER FOR HIS SECOND AL PITCHER OF THE MONTH FOR THIS SEASON!!! GO OUT AND DE-HALO THOSE ANGELS!!!!