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Sox's Lester Tough To Handle

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By TONY FABRIZIO

afabrizio@tampatrib.com

Published: October 13, 2008

BOSTON - The Rays managed only four hits in Game 1 against Daisuke Matsuzaka and his late-inning help. How much tougher can Boston's pitching get?

Meet Jon Lester, the Red Sox's hottest pitcher and a man who went 3-0 with an 0.90 earned run average against the Rays this year.

The Rays not only get him today in Game 3, they get him in a late-afternoon start in which the shadows at Fenway Park can affect batters' visibility against a tall left-handed pitcher.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona said the advantage would be more pronounced if two sections of center field seats had been sold and batters would have to find the ball coming out of a backdrop of multi-colored shirts. But the two sections, as is common for day games, will be covered with dark tarps.

"It won't be the perfect conditions to see, but it won't be as much of an issue as if they had sold the tickets," Francona said. "The only time our guys have complained is when there's a tall lefty on a day game when it's coming out of the shirts."

Lester, a 24-year-old Tacoma, Wash., native who overcame lymphoma in 2006, hasn't needed much help anyway. He was the American League Pitcher of the Month in September, going 4-1 with a 2.27 ERA, and so far in this postseason, he has pitched 14 innings without allowing an earned run.

The winning pitcher in Boston's decisive Game 4 World Series victory over Colorado last fall, Lester has a career postseason record of 2-0 with an 0.77 ERA. He has a deceptive delivery and a 96 mph-plus fastball that he throws early and often.

"I think anyone who succeeds in this league has to pitch off their fastball," teammate Jason Bay said. "For the most part, he has an overpowering fastball, and he commands it very well. You look at him, he's a big, strong guy. He's built for pitching."

In August 2006, Lester was diagnosed with a treatable form of anaplastic large-cell lymphoma. He underwent chemotherapy during the offseason, participated in 2007 spring training and eventually worked his back to the majors.

Francona and his staff brought Lester back slowly, and this year he was 16-6 with a 3.21 ERA during the regular season, throwing a no-hitter against Kansas City on May 19.

"He's farther away from being sick, and he's bigger and stronger," Francona said. "If you look at video of him just from the back, he doesn't even look like the same kid anymore. He's turned into being a phenomenal major-league pitcher."

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