Jon Lester

This is a weekly focus on the hurlers that dominated their adversaries. These pitchers put up nasty numbers and made big league hitters wish they were playing T-Ball again.

Ten days ago the Red Sox suffered a crushing loss to their arch (and division rival), the New York Yankees.  Losses happen, but this one stung more than most because Jonanthan Papelbon, the team's surefire closer over the last five seasons hardly looked like a guy who had been to All-Star games and enjoyed playoff success.

He gave up an astounding four runs in just two thirds of an inning.  For the first time in his career as a reliever he gave up two home runs in one inning and left Red Sox fans wondering if 2010 just wasn't their year.

The brooms were out in St. Petersburg tonight as the Boston Red Sox rocked the Rays 11-3. This was an impressive series as the Red Sox completed the first sweep of the Rays at Tropicana Field since 2002.

Completing the sweep was important and all, but now the Red Sox have climbed back into the AL East, sitting only 5.5 games behind the Rays and now six games over .500. 

Throughout the series the themes were run prevention and solid, quality pitching, the two themes this ball club is built on.

Red Sox southpaw Jon Lester pitched 5.2 shutout innings this evening, but his bullpen allowed two runs in the seventh inning and another in the eighth as the visiting Baltimore Orioles tied the game, thereby leaving the lefty with only a no-decision to show for his efforts.

But the Sox scored in the bottom of the frame courtesy of a bases-loaded walk to Adrian Beltre, and they went on to win the ballgame, 4-3, in front of 37,367 fans at Fenway Park.

Over the past two years, Jon Lester has been one of the best pitchers in the game of baseball. In both 2008 and 2009, Lester won at least 15 games while maintaining an ERA under 3.45.

Last year, Lester struck out 9.96 batters every nine innings while allowing just 2.83 walks. His 3.15 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching, a statistic combining strikeouts, walks and home runs) was better than all but fours pitchers in the American League.

At the young age of 26, Lester is one of the most promising stars of the game.

The baseball season begins tonight with arguably the best rivalry in sports.  With the Red Sox and Yankees both making major changes to their team over the offseason, it's time to take a long at what differences the fans will look at this season.  With that in mind, here is a look into who made the right moves and who made the wrong moves.

Boston Red Sox

With the start of the 2010 MLB season fast approaching, questions remain regarding the possibility of success for the Boston Red Sox. After some major off-season acquisitions and departures, the Red Sox front office is hoping for solid contributions from their new arrivals and continued success from some of their younger members.

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Fantasy baseball drafts are happening in peak volume across the country this week and next, and in nine out of 10 of those drafts, Tim Lincecum and Roy Halladay will be the first two pitchers off the board.

Lincecum and Halladay are the premier starting pitchers in the game, particularly for fantasy owners. They are durable, strike batters out in bunches and have great control.

Unfortunately, both Lincecum and Halladay will come off the board within the first round and a half of the majority of drafts.

Lefty Jon Lester surrendered three hits and issued two walks as part of a four-run first inning as the Minnesota Twins rebounded from yesterday’s loss with a 5-0 defeat of the Red Sox today in Ft Myers.

The Sox wasted a solid scoring opportunity in the top of the first inning. CF Mike Cameron drew a walk off RHP Carl Pavano to open the game but was thrown out trying to steal second base. The caught-stealing proved costly when Victor Martinez doubled to left field one out later.

There is a widespread consensus that the Red Sox starting rotation was significantly improved this winter.

But while most of that improvement is attributed to the signing of John Lackey, there is more to it than just that.

Lackey will no doubt improve the Sox rotation. But in addition to adding the best free agent pitcher on the market, the Red Sox improved their rotation through subtraction.