All you Need is One
Thank You Jon Lester.
This could easily end my blog post, because that is all that really needs to be said. Normally, we’d be talking about Roy Halladay’s masterful win in Boston, giving up just 1 run while pitching a complete game. But not tonight, because Jon Lester was just that much better. Tonight he showed us that we don’t need Johan Santana after all. Tonight, he only walked one batter which in my opinion, was the key to the Sox win tonight.
There was one strikeout early on to end the third inning that I feel really set the tone and gave Lester the confidence he needed to match Halladay on the mound tonight. He had two strikes on Greg Zaun and threw one of those oh-too-close corner painting fastballs a bit high and outside and got the called third strike. At this point, with Lester getting that call and gaining confidence, I knew it was ON! If he doesn’t get that call and gives up the 2 out walk to the ninth batter, I think this game could have easily taken a turn for the worst. After all, this is still Jon Lester, the guy who walks way too many people by trying to strike everybody out. Instead, we got the good Jon Lester tonight. Pitching up to his potential but staying in control of the game, taking a cue from the master of controlling games, Halladay himself.
And Halladay looked incredible as well throughout the entire game. He had every pitch working for him with incredible drop on the curveball and late movement on the fastball. He looked like a Cy Young contender tonight while pitching his 4th complete game in a row (This, I find, unbelievable. Even for Halladay.)
But I’m sorry Roy, as good as you performed, your team still lost and tonight was all about Jon Lester. OK, so this is a team game as well and we have to give credit where its due for a great game from Kevin Youkilis as well. After all, he had 2 hits and that all important RBI, and a VERY rare stolen base on a bothced hit and run play. He hasn’t shown speed like that since his little league-style inside the park home run last year. Games like tonight show just how valuable a guy like Youkilis can be. In a game where every pitch counts, his ability to go up there and see several and still get hits off of a dominating hurler on the other team is what baseball is all about. This shows how a solid, patient offense can still win, even in the face of great pitching.
Halladay has his Cy Young awards and complete game streak intact. But Youk gave the Sox the only thing that really matters today, and that my friend, is a much needed win.
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