Jon Lester News & Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

October 19

Boston Herald

"Before an early August game at Fenway Park, for no apparent reason, a new sign bearing a decades-old baseball slogan — "What You See Here, What You Hear Here, Stays Here!" — was posted in the Red Sox clubhouse. Two months later, there is disagreement over things seen and heard. One day after All-Star pitcher Jon Lester waged a media blitz to admit, but also downplay, that he and fellow starters Josh Beckett and John Lackey drank beer in the clubhouse during games, two unnamed Red Sox employees told WHDH-TV that the drinking occasionally spilled over into the dugout."

Jon Lester admitted today that he drank beer in the clubhouse during games this season

October 18

Boston Globe

"Until last week, there was only well-deserved praise for Jon Lester. The quiet lefthander beat cancer and helped the Red Sox win the 2007 World Series, starting down a career path that includes a no-hitter and two All-Star selections. That changed when it was revealed in a Globe story chronicling the Red Sox' September collapse that Lester was one of the unruly players drinking beer and eating fast food during games."

Jon Lester accepts blame

October 18

Boston Herald

"Now that Jon Lester has pled guilty to what has been known for more than two weeks, namely that Red Sox starting pitchers fell into the habit of drinking beer in the clubhouse during games in which they did not appear, there really is only one remaining question. What are the Red Sox going to do about it? While there already have been cries for the team to purge itself of at least one of the offenders — Josh Beckett or fellow right-hander John Lackey, in particular — the players' exorbitant contracts and the dearth of available pitching will make it exceedingly difficult for pending general manager Ben Cherington to trade them."

Jon Lester: Beer drinking 'wrong'

October 17

ESPN.com

"Boston Red Sox starter Jon Lester admits to drinking beer in the clubhouse, but he says it has nothing to do with the team's September swoon. "There's a perception out there that we were up there getting hammered and that wasn't the case," Lester said, according to the Boston Globe. "Was it a bad habit? Yes. I should have been on the bench more than I was. But we just played bad baseball as a team in September. We stunk. To be honest, we were doing the same things all season when we had the best record in baseball." A Globe report last week cited team sources as saying Lester, Josh Beckett and John Lackey drank beer, ate fried chicken and played video games in the clubhouse on days they"

Jon Lester only adds to club's pain

September 25

Boston Herald

"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."

It was a grind for Lester

September 2

Boston Globe

"The first inning was as torturous for Jon Lester as it was interminable. It took the Red Sox lefthander 43 pitches to extract himself after allowing three consecutive hits, including an RBI double to left by Robinson Cano, to spot the Yankees a 1-0 lead. Initially, it was reported Lester had thrown 44 pitches, but it was later corrected to 43. It still wound up being a career high for an inning."

Long story short: Jon Lester battles

September 2

Boston Herald

columnist Michael Silverman

"For anyone still wondering why games between the Red Sox [team stats] and the Yankees drag on and on, all the proof could be found at the very start of last night's series finale between the teams at Fenway Park [map]. It took Jon Lester [stats] 43 pitches to get three outs in the first inning. That's nearly half as many as are thrown in a full, normal outing for a starter. It's a bad beginning for anyone, and a guaranteed short night for most. That Lester managed to last five innings and throw 114 pitches while allowing just a single run counts as something of a minor miracle."

Royals fall to Red Sox as Lester outduels Duffy

August 22

Kansas City Star

"The kid had his good stuff Sunday, Ned Yost noticed, and his good command, too. Despite yielding a leadoff walk — in which he kept trying to make the perfect pitch — Danny Duffy escaped the first inning of the Royals' 6-1 loss to Boston unscathed. But Yost, the Royals' manager, still wasn't going to let his rookie left-hander overthink this. Not when he was matched up against one of the best pitchers on one of the best teams in the American League. "Danny," Yost told Duffy in the dugout, "let everybody play. You don't have to strike everybody out." Duffy had heard the whole "pitch to contact, trust your defense" mantra from managers before, but never from Yost, so he figured he'd better"

Shorthanded Sox get road boost from Jon Lester, Bard

August 22

Boston Herald

"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"

Jon Lester gets into groove

August 17

Boston Herald

"On paper, James Shields won the pitching duel with Jon Lester [stats] before the game even started. And after Lester's first three innings in the opener of a doubleheader yesterday, it was such a mismatch in Shields' favor that judges were looking for the white towel. Then a funny thing happened. Lester found his groove just when the Red Sox [team stats] needed him the most. Funny how those things tend to happen to aces more than just your average pitcher. And Lester, make no mistake, is as much the ace of the Red Sox staff as Josh Beckett [stats]. "I think the fourth (inning) was kind of the turning point for me," the left-hander said after the Sox' 3-1 victory at Fenway Park [map]."

Lester, Sox lose control

August 11

Boston Globe

"One of Jon Lester's goals in spring training was to cut down on walks, something he has accomplished over the course of the season. But a lack of control cost him dearly last night. Lester walked five Twins and three of them came around to score. The result was a 5-2 loss for the Red Sox before a sellout crowd of 40,491 at Target Field. The five walks matched a career high for Lester and he struck out just four, that coming against a team that had lost six straight and has the fourth-worst record in the American League."

Lester's outing deep-sixed

August 6

Boston Globe

"As far as Jon Lester was concerned, there was no use mincing words. No reason to sugarcoat it. When it came to the difference between his first five innings and his last - an ugly three-run sixth - Lester relied on nothing but straight talk to explain last night's 3-2 loss to the Yankees before a Fenway Park crowd of 38,006. "Just really lost command,'' said Lester, after the lefthander (11-5, 3.23 ERA) gave up three runs on five hits and four walks while striking out seven batters as the Red Sox fell a game behind the Yankees in the American League East. "You got to tip your hat to 'em, they did a real good job of being patient that inning,'' Lester said of his unraveling in the sixth."

To Lester, sixth makes no sense

August 6

Boston Herald

"So good for the first five innings, Jon Lester turned into not good enough during the sixth last night. The Yankees lineup, being as good as it is, did not waste the opportunity. Down 2-0, New York scored three times in the sixth inning and took the series opener from the Red Sox at Fenway Park, 3-2. Seven batters came up in the frame against Lester, who was done after the inning having thrown 108 pitches total. "I lost command," said Lester, who fell to 11-5 with a 3.23 ERA. "They did a good job of staying patient that inning. There were some pretty good pitches that they laid off, whether it was a ball or a strike, they stayed within themselves. It seemed like in the first five innings"

Lester looks strong, Red Sox pile on

July 31

Boston Globe

"On a night when team executives were trying to obtain a starting pitcher, Jon Lester proved again that the Red Sox are very formidable at the top of the rotation. The big lefthander pitched eight strong innings as the Red Sox took out some lingering frustrations on the White Sox with a 10-2 victory. Lester (11-4) allowed four hits, walked one, and struck out eight as the Red Sox snapped a seven-game losing streak against the White Sox that dated to last season."

Lester shows aces

July 31

Boston Herald

"With the sheer madness of the trade deadline in full bloom, one of the surest things stood on the mound last night for the Red Sox. And, as usual, Jon Lester dazzled. Making his second start since a nearly three-week stint on the disabled list, Lester was both efficient and effective. He allowed little more than a pair of solo homers and mostly mowed down the White Sox in a 10-2 victory that got the Red Sox past a two-game speed bump. "Jon was great," catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia said. "Just put a finger down and knew he was going to hit my mitt, and that's kind of what happened." Back home, general manager Theo Epstein was busy making moves to upgrade the back of the rotation, trading"

Lester shows little rust in return

July 26

Boston Globe

"Jon Lester had waited 20 days to pitch in a major league game. What was another 2 hours and 21 minutes? After a steady rain delayed the start of last night's Red Sox game against the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park, Lester took the mound for the first time since July 5, when he strained his left latissimus. Despite the stint on the disabled list and the rain delay, the lefthander looked sharp early. Through the first five innings, he didn't let a runner get past second as the Sox clung to a 1-0 lead courtesy of a Josh Reddick second-inning RBI double."

In need for big sigh of relief

July 26

Boston Herald

"Two long, deep and heavy sighs of relief were heard along Yawkey Way yesterday. Trading for a starting pitcher by Sunday's deadline would be a good excuse for a third one. The first "whew'' came mid-afternoon, after Clay Buchholz threw off a mound for the first time in more than a month. He reported no aches, twinges or pangs serious enough to derail a comeback somewhere around the middle of next month at the earliest. The second sigh, this one a lot more definitive, came a few hours later, in the middle of Jon Lester's start against the Royals. The lefty was coming off a three-week disabled list stint for a strained lat and a couple of innings in, after watching him command his fastball"

All eyes to be on Lester tonight

July 25

Boston Globe

"Having said he expects to pitch without any impediment from the left latissimus strain that caused him to go on the 15-day disabled list July 6, Red Sox lefthander Jon Lester is eager to return to the mound tonight to face the Royals at Fenway Park. "I don't need [tonight's] start to put it to rest,'' Lester said Friday. "We've tested it enough. I've had plenty of long toss, so it's definitely not something that's on my mind.''"

Lester getting his work in

July 21

Boston Globe

"Jon Lester is throwing in the bullpen now, the longer-than-normal side session designed to test the soundness of his body after the lat strain he suffered earlier this month. Pitching coach Curt Young is running the operation with head athletic trainer Mike Reinold watching closely along with vice president of baseball operation Brian O'Halloran."

Date is set for Lester's return

July 18

Boston Globe

"Jon Lester is scheduled to return to the Red Sox rotation July 26 against the Royals at Fenway Park. The lefthander, who strained the lat muscle on his left side July 5, has a schedule that will lead up to his being activated off the disabled list. He will throw in the bullpen in Baltimore today and do that for a longer period of time Wednesday. His final tuneup will be Friday or Saturday back in Boston."

Jon Lester penciled in for July 26th return

July 18

Boston Herald

"If it was up to only Jon Lester, he would make his next start Friday night, the first chance he's eligible to be activated from the disabled list. Instead, the left-hander will have to wait a few extra days. Regardless, the announcement yesterday that Lester is penciled in to start July 26 against the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park is great news for the Red Sox, who expect to have their ace back in the rotation within three weeks of him suffering a strained lat muscle. "I think he was actually aggravated. He wanted to pitch Friday (against the Seattle Mariners at Fenway)," manager Terry Francona said before last night's series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays. "I think that's good news"

This honor gets him going

July 11

Boston Globe

"Jon Lester said he didn't have anything special planned with his family for the All-Star break. "We were staying here,'' Lester said yesterday as his 11-month-old-son, Hudson, fiddled with the sunglasses tucked in his dad's shirt. "We were just going to lay low, hang out, and do stuff around the house. Just be normal for a couple of days.'' But those plans changed when Lester learned he had been selected to the American League squad for tomorrow night's All-Star Game in Phoenix. Lester was named to replace Seattle's Felix Hernandez, a player-selection who started yesterday against the Angels, making him ineligible to pitch tomorrow."

Star turn for Jon Lester

July 11

Boston Herald

"Jon Lester had a welcome last-minute change to his All-Star break plans. The left-hander is headed to Phoenix as a member of the AL squad. Lester was named to replace Seattle's Felix Hernandez, who started yesterday. By major league rules, a pitcher starting on the Sunday before the All-Star break is ineligible for the game. Lester was the next highest-ranked pitcher in the player vote, so he earned his second consecutive All-Star selection. A strained left latissimus dorsi will prevent Lester from pitching (he'll be replaced by Toronto's Ricky Romero), but he will go to Arizona to participate in the festivities. "You just try to have as much fun as you can," Lester said. "Hopefully, this"

Jon Lester to DL; Clay Buchholz gets 2nd opinion

July 7

Boston Herald

"The Sox are in a holding pattern with two-fifths of their starting rotation. Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz underwent medical examinations yesterday, and the future of both won't be determined until next week's All-Star break. Lester underwent a physical examination by team trainer Mike Reinold and had an MRI yesterday, both of which confirmed that he has a strained left latissimus dorsi. "He will be treated with a period of rest from throwing, followed by (a) progressive strengthening program," team physician Tom Gill said in a statement. "There is no specific time frame for his return at this time. His status will be better defined following the All-Star break." The Sox already were"

Lat lands Lester on the DL

July 7

Boston Globe

"Jon Lester was placed on the 15-day disabled list yesterday with a strained latissimus muscle. The Red Sox are apparently hopeful the lefthander will miss no more than two or three starts. Lester was injured during the fourth inning of his start against the Blue Jays Tuesday night. His examination yesterday included an MRI but the Sox were sparse with details beyond that. "He will be treated with a period of rest from throwing, followed by progressive strengthening program,'' said a statement attributed to team medical director Dr. Thomas Gill. "There is no specific timeframe for his return at this time. His status will be better defined following the All-Star break.''"

Thrown a scare

July 6

Boston Globe

"For four innings last night, Jon Lester pitched like a man trying to make history as he held the Blue Jays without anything close to a hit. But he did not take the mound for the fifth inning, leaving with an injury that could change the course of the season for the Red Sox. Lester has a strained lower left latissimus, a large muscle that runs beneath the shoulder. The lefthander does not believe the injury is serious but will undergo an extensive examination today. The injury overshadowed an exciting 3-2 victory for the Red Sox, which ended with a play at the plate as Jason Varitek took a throw from left fielder Darnell McDonald and tagged out Edwin Encarnacion. The Sox have won five of"

Jon Lester's early exit mars win

July 6

Boston Herald

"The Red Sox can only hope Jon Lester is as good at self-diagnosis as he is at pitching. The ace lefty seemed unfazed by the strained lower latissimus dorsi muscle in his back that forced him to leave last night's 3-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays after four no-hit innings. There was plenty of concern when Lester left after throwing 50 pitches, allowing only a walk. He felt cramp-like pain in the large, triangular muscle that covers the lower back during the fourth inning. He consulted with trainer Mike Reinold and was removed from the game. Lester will undergo an extensive evaluation today, but his initial reaction was that the injury was minor. "We may alter one start, but we've got the"

Lester leaves game with strained lower left latissimus, could miss two weeks

July 6

Boston Globe

"Jon Lester has a strained lower left latissimus, a large muscle that runs beneath the shoulder. Terry Francona said the lefthander will be examined tomorrow. "We'll certainly get him checked out extensively tomorrow," he said. "The good sign of it, I think, is that he didn't do it on one pitch. Between innings, it felt like it was cramping on him. There's now way we're going to let him pitch." Lester said he was not concerned and did not see the injury as a long-term issue. But obviously more will be learned tomorrow. Lat strains can last as quick as two weeks (that was the case for Matt Albers earlier this season) or as long as several months."

Booster shot

July 1

Boston Globe

"Manager Terry Francona posted what was surely his most unusual lineup of the season on the clubhouse wall yesterday before the Red Sox played the Philadelphia Phillies. Dustin Pedroia was the cleanup hitter for the fifth time in his career and was followed by Jason Varitek, who last hit fifth in 2007. Darnell McDonald, a .122 hitter, was in the No. 2 spot. Several players looked at the lineup, walked a few steps, and then came back to look at it again to make sure. But the name that mattered most was last on the list. Jon Lester lifted the Sox out of their slump, throwing seven shutout innings in a 5-2 victory. "He was really good,'' Francona said. "We needed to find a way to win that"

Sox salvage all that is left with Jon Lester on hill

July 1

Boston Herald

"It was billed, by the fans and in the media, as a World Series preview. But after three days and three games, did anyone learn anything about the Red Sox or the Phillies that they didn't already know? Only that it's too early to really know anything. If the Phillies' pitching stays healthy, they're undoubtedly the class of the National League. But lefty Cole Hamels, one of their four aces, took an Adrian Gonzalez line drive off his right hand in the fourth inning yesterday, a major reason the Red Sox were able to avoid a sweep with a 5-2 victory in Citizens Bank Park. And for as many runs as the Red Sox have scored this season, their lineup is far less fearsome without David Ortiz, whose"

Lester walks off with loss

June 25

Boston Herald

"How long before Jon Lester has absolutely no recollection of last night's start in Pittsburgh? Three months? Six months? A year? It was that kind of night for the Red Sox ace, who was certainly good enough to win but not great in a 3-1 loss to the Pirates. "I kept the ball down," Lester said. "Other than two hits tonight, everything else was not squared up. I'll take my chances with that every time." Lester went six innings, allowing eight hits and two earned runs. He walked one, struck out five and threw 107 pitches. The one walk was a bit of a killer, since it came against pitcher Paul Maholm during Pittsburgh's two-run third. The frame started with a Ronny Cedeno bunt single in front of"

Lester went deep after homers

June 19

Boston Globe

"Jon Lester was waiting for the red-hot Red Sox offense to kick in. He'd given up four runs in three innings, three on solo home runs, but the Sox weren't out of last night's game. An early two-run deficit? They had come back from worse during their recent hot streak. "Obviously, with the way we've been swinging the bat lately, I thought for sure if I just kept them where they were at, we'd have a chance,'' Lester said after the 4-2 loss to the Brewers."

Slow start by Lester

June 19

Boston Herald

"By the time Jon Lester figured things out, it was too late. The Milwaukee Brewers were aggressive from the outset against Lester last night, smashing three solo home runs in the first three innings. The Brewers posted four runs in the first three innings, before Lester settled down and finished with five scoreless frames. The damage was done, however, and the Brewers won, 4-2, at Fenway Park. "Sometimes it's tough throwing against teams you don't really know, especially early on," Lester said after his first career start against Milwaukee. "You're trying to feel them out, figure out what their game plan is against you — and, obviously, they were very aggressive. We made the adjustment"

Lester appreciates support

June 13

Boston Globe

"It only seemed fitting the Red Sox completed a three-game sweep of the Blue Jays yesterday by extending their winning streak to a season-high nine games in the same contest Jon Lester became the American League's first nine-game winner. While there seemed to be a perfect symmetry between those events, they were not coincidental. When Lester pitches as well as he's capable of, the Sox often come out on the winning end."

Lester on top of game

June 13

Boston Herald

"Oh by the way, Jon Lester allowed only two hits yesterday. Lost in yet another offensive blitzkrieg by the Red Sox was the performance of their No. 1 starter in a 14-1 victory over the Blue Jays. Save for a Jose Bautista homer to center that eluded Jacoby Ellsbury's outstretched glove by about a foot, and a seeing-eye single by Edwin Encarnacion, Lester could have thrown a no-hitter. The big left-hander was on his game from the first batter. He struck out eight, walked one and threw 102 pitches in eight innings, lowering his ERA to 3.73. He remained the American League's winningest pitcher and joined Philadelphia's Roy Halladay as the only nine-game winners in the majors. "You're never"

Command still issue for Lester

June 8

Boston Globe

"High hopes traveled to the Bronx for Jon Lester's start against the Yankees last night. He'd brought a pretty good track record against the Yankees — a 7-1 career record and a 3.49 ERA. He was also coming off a week's rest, and he said he usually pitches better with a little extra time off. Lester seemed ripe for a strong start, the kind that could get the lefthander back on track after a rough stretch in which he posted a 6.52 ERA in five starts and lacked command of his pitches."

Lester not wild about this outing

May 31

Boston Globe

"It was a struggle from start to finish. From his flawed first inning, in which he allowed two runs on three hits, to his final pitch of the game, Jon Lester had trouble with command, which inflated his pitch count to a season-high 127 in the Red Sox' 7-3 loss to the White Sox last night before a Fenway Park crowd of 37,463. "I stunk, there's no other way to put it,'' said Lester, who took his second loss of the season (7-2, 3.94 ERA) snapping his streak of eight undefeated starts after surrendering a season-high seven runs on eight hits. "I've got to do a better job keeping us in that game. I just flat-out didn't get it done.''"

Jon Lester's luster lost

May 31

Boston Herald

"For Jon Lester, the process of elimination was pretty simple last night. He couldn't command his fastball. He couldn't command his changeup. He couldn't command his breaking ball. That left one pitch — his cutter. When thrown in concert with everything else, it's devastating. But left on its own, it feels pretty lonely. Such was the case last night against the White Sox, who dealt Lester his first loss since April 12 in a 7-3 victory. "I just really didn't have a feel for anything," Lester said. "I stunk. There's no other way to put it." Lester's line was atypical. He went 52/3 innings, allowing eight hits and seven runs. He struck out four, walked four, and labored through 127 pitches,"

Jon Lester back to vintage form

May 26

Boston Herald

"After his last few rough starts that still resulted in a win or a no-decision, Jon Lester has been thanking his lineup for helping him out. Yesterday, despite getting the kind of run support that leads to drooling, Lester could take responsibility for the team's victory on his own. Staked to a 7-0 lead in the first inning, Lester ignored the huge advantage. He allowed two hits in the first inning, but then it was 15 Indians up, 15 Indians down. He allowed a bloop double in the sixth inning, followed by his one and only walk, but that was it. Asked if he did anything different on the mound knowing that he had a big lead to protect, Lester said, "No. Get people out. That's the main thing. It"

Scuffling ace Jon Lester bailed out in Sox win

May 21

Boston Herald

"It had been 93 years since the Chicago Cubs played at Fenway Park, making last night's series opener against the Red Sox even less frequent than sightings of Halley's Comet. To mark the occasion, Jon Lester did something exceedingly rare. In 133 career starts spanning six seasons for the Red Sox, the ace left-hander never before had allowed as many hits as the 12 the Cubs picked up. Lester now has allowed 14 runs in his last three outings, raising at least a few eyebrows along the way. Last night, it didn't much matter. The Red Sox won their season-high seventh consecutive game, a 15-5 giggler attributable mostly to their 19-hit barrage and the Bad News Cubbies' four errors. After a 2-10"

Jon Lester's baby is pitcher perfect

May 5

Boston Herald

"Red Sox ace Jon Lester is showing off his baby boy, Hudson, on his new blog, "Lester's Pitch." "Want to introduce you guys to the most important person in my life, Hudson," Lester blogged next to a picture of him holding his little man. "He's a Jason Aldean fan, loves the outdoors and (I'm) pretty sure he's into baseball, but I'm not forcing it!" Aw, so cute . . . Lester launched his blog last week on the Sullivan Tire Web site and will be providing professional analysis and personal insight about the games. Fans can comment on his posts and submit questions for Jon to answer."

Lester and Red Sox come up aces

May 4

Boston Globe

"The Red Sox faced Felix Hernandez on Sunday, Jered Weaver on Monday and Dan Haren last night. The three are among the elite starters in the American League. "They're some of the best pitchers in baseball and they're hot,'' Sox manager Terry Francona said. "It's a tough chore.'' That the Sox found a way to win all three games is a testament to how far the offense has come after a painfully slow start of the season."

Lester's performance is simply unbeatable

April 29

Boston Globe

"Perhaps it's the crab cakes at Faidley Seafood. Maybe it's all the sights and sounds the Inner Harbor has to offer. Or maybe it's just that pitching at Camden Yards brings out the best in Jon Lester. "I love this park, it's one of my favorites just to come to, it's real nice,'' Lester said. "Obviously, I look forward to it every time I come here to play. Good mound, real close to the plate. So it just kind of fits me a little bit. It's just one of those deals.'' Whatever the reason, Lester extended his perfect record against the Orioles to 14-0 (2.33 ERA) after last night's 6-2 victory before 21,209. It enabled the 11-13 Sox to conclude their 10-day trip at 6-3 before beginning an 11-game"

Jon Lester puts end to April fools joke

April 29

Boston Herald

"It's going to take a while for the 2011 Red Sox to return to their rightful perch as .?.?. pause here for drum roll .?.?. the Best Team Ever. But in a month that has been laced with question marks, here's one of the few exclamation points: Left-hander John Lester. Lester, you'll recall, has not always been on speaking terms with the month of April. A year ago, he was a 1-2 with a 4.71 ERA in five April starts. The year before that, he was 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in April. And in 2008, the man who started and won the clinching game of the World Series the previous autumn was 1-2, 4.31 in April. And be honest: When the newly christened ace of the Sox pitching rotation took the mound on Opening"

Jon Lester owns Baltimore

April 29

Boston Herald

"The Red Sox had lost six straight to open the season when they showed their faces for the first time at Fenway Park this season. This time around, they have won 6-of-9 on what has to be considered a wildly successful road trip in this wildly inconsistent 2011 season. As the 11-13 Red Sox begin play tonight against the Mariners, there is a whole new look and feel to the team. It's too late for a new beginning, but there is still plenty of time to start winning far more than they have so far. "Kind of a weird trip, going to the West Coast and coming back here, but we'll take that more times than not," said Jon Lester [stats], whose eight strong innings in the 6-2 victory last night over the"

Jon Lester gives some relief

April 23

Boston Herald

columnist John Tomase

"Before last night's game against the Angels, Red Sox manager Terry Francona was asked how he planned to navigate the late innings with a depleted bullpen. "Lester," Francona replied. "Go get 'em, big boy." Francona was joking, but with Daniel Bard unavailable and Bobby Jenks and Jonathan Papelbon having worked two straight games as well, the manager needed a strong start out of Jon Lester, and in one sense, the left-hander delivered. Despite being matched up with one of the hottest starters in the game in Los Angeles right-hander Dan Haren, Lester grinded his way through six shutout innings to capture the duel of former All-Stars, allowing four hits and striking out eight. If there was a"

Red Sox continue to put it together

April 18

Boston Globe

"More often than not, Jon Lester wore an annoyed expression as he stood on the mound at Fenway Park yesterday. The Red Sox lefthander fell behind in the count to 14 of the 25 Blue Jays he faced. Three drew walks and Lester went to three-ball counts on seven others. Only once did he retire the side in order. "A grind,'' said Lester, who frequently took brief strolls to the back of the mound to compose himself."

Jon Lester has April power

April 18

Boston Herald

"It's safe to say April is no longer the cruelest month for Jon Lester. In his fourth start this April, the left-hander won his first game of the season in the Red Sox' 8-1 victory against the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday at Fenway Park, and, more importantly, he continued a string of strong starts in a month that traditionally has been very rough on him. His ERA now stands at 3.20, nearly half of what it was last year at that time (6.23). He has a .239 batting average against and a 1.14 WHIP. "It's not like I'm going to go 0-33," said Lester, who improved to 1-1. "Keep grinding it out. I'm throwing the ball well. I think this is like the lowest ERA I've ever had in April. I'm pretty happy"

Sure bets Jon Lester, Daniel Bard let Red Sox down

April 2

Boston Herald

"Nobody saw this coming. You could have asked a computer to run a million simulations of yesterday's game or just poked your head into your next door neighbor's living room to get their take but nobody would have had the sheer gall to tell you that the two surest bets on the Red Sox pitching staff — Jon Lester and Daniel Bard — would be held responsible for a 9-5 Opening Day loss to the Rangers. Losses come in all shapes and sizes throughout the course of a baseball season but this one was not even recognizable. Who were those guys? Lester was making his first Opening Day start, and was certainly the safest pick, even against this dangerous Texas lineup, to deliver a quality start at the"