"Jon Lester isn't hurt, but he is the source of way too much pain for the Red Sox right now.

When the club's co-ace throws up his third stinker of a start in a row in the midst of the club's sickening, end-of-season death spiral like he did yesterday, it defies logic.

Lasting only 2 2/3 innings in a 9-1 loss to the Yankees, Lester gave up eight runs on eight hits, putting the Red Sox in an early hole that was way too deep.

One bad start is bad enough, but that is three in a row for the lefty, whose ERA in his last three is 10.54."