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Lester Cruises For Boston

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The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 26, 2008

Updated: 09/26/2008 12:11 am

BOSTON - Jon Lester flirted with a no-hitter in his final tuneup before the playoffs, finishing with six innings of two-hit ball on Thursday night and leading the Red Sox to a 6-1 victory against the Indians.
Kevin Youkilis was 2-for-3 with his 28th homer for the Red Sox, who retained a mathematical chance of winning the AL East - if they win their last three games of the season and Tampa Bay loses its last three. The Rays lost to the Tigers 7-5 and hold a two-game lead and the tiebreaker in the division.

Lester, who threw a no-hitter against Kansas City on May 19, missed the chance to become the fifth pitcher in history with two in a season when Josh Barfield lined a clean double into left field to lead off the sixth.

Lester (16-6) also gave up Jamey Carroll's run-scoring single before leaving the game to the cheers of the crowd and the handshakes of his teammates.
Jacoby Ellsbury and Jed Lowrie, the top two hitters in the Boston order, hit back-to-back singles in the first and back-to-back doubles in the second as the Red Sox opened a 5-0 lead after two against Jeremy Sowers (4-9).

Lester allowed one baserunner in the first five innings, hitting Grady Sizemore with a pitch in the third. The Indians didn't get a hit off the 24-year-old lefty until Barfield, the No. 9 hitter who entered the game batting .160, led off the sixth.

Barfield took third on a balk and scored when Carroll singled under second baseman Dustin Pedroia's glove. But Lester got Ben Francisco on a weak flyball to right and struck out Johnny Peralta to end his outing.

Youkilis homered in the seventh to make it 7-1. Jonathan Papelbon pitched the ninth in a non-save situation to get ready for the weekend series against the Yankees and then the playoffs, which begin next week.

After spending the past five days at or above .500, Cleveland dropped to 79-80.

The Indians, who were eliminated from the playoffs by Boston last year after taking a 3-1 lead in the American League Championship Series, will finish the season with another chance to play spoiler.

Cleveland has three games against the White Sox, who are fighting with the Twins for the last playoff spot in the AL.

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