"Here's one way to overcome the absence of three All-Star sluggers: Put the ball in the hands of your best pitchers.

Playing once again without Jacoby Ellsbury [stats] (bruised back), Kevin Youkilis [stats] (strained lower back) and David Ortiz [stats] (right heel bursitis) yesterday in the finale of a four-game series, the Red Sox [team stats] got a stellar start from Jon Lester [stats] and clutch relief pitching from Daniel Bard in a 6-1 victory over the youthful Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

"It's nice to know that when those guys are out, we have other guys that can fill in and do a good job," Lester said. "That's big for us. Confidence-booster, definitely."

The ace lefty was referring to Carl Crawford and stand-in center fielder Darnell McDonald, who notched solo home runs to help stir the offense. But he may as well have been talking about himself.

It took five innings before the shorthanded Sox dented left-hander Danny Duffy, and in the interim, Lester quieted the Royals, allowing only one hit through six innings en route to his team-leading 13th win. It's what everyone has come to expect from him, and nearly one month removed from his return from the disabled list, it's a good sign for the Red Sox that he has resumed delivering such outings with regularity."