Jon Lester's Breakthrough

It was pretty cold for a late April game last night. Tracey and I had to deal with some last-minute sprinkles, but otherwise the weather cleared up a tick before game time. So I guess the chilly air circulating around the park was the only drawback to an otherwise exceptional Fenway experience.

I've been to a lot of games, but I'm pretty sure this was the first 1-0 instant classic I've seen live. Games like these rarely happen any more. The funny thing about it is the first few innings seem frustrating and lackluster to fans of American League baseball. We're programmed to expect the offense to be cranking out hits and runs at all times. Last night we had the opportunity to watch a genuine old-school pitcher's duel.

It was thrilling to see Dustin Pedroia's defensive gem that stopped a run from scoring, along with the dramatic lone run driven home in the bottom of the 9th--a Kevin Youkilis single that plated David Ortiz. But last night, pitching was the story.

I think if the game had gone the other way, with Toronto nipping the Sox by a run, I might have been inclined to write about how impatient the Boston lineup seemed against Halladay. The reality is that Toronto's ace is so good when he's on his game, it doesn't matter what the count is. He's going to throw strikes. If you're patient, you'll take a called third strike. If you're aggressive, he'll make you look silly, as he did to Manny Ramírez, who went down at one point like he was trying to swat a fly with his 32 ounce Louisville Slugger. Tough break for him to take the loss after throwing a complete game.

Jon Lester, who has been inconsistent at best this season, and arguably the weakest link of the five-man rotation, looked like he was mirroring Halladay's performance, inning for inning. Although he didn't get the win, he deserved it as he dominated a tough Toronto lineup for eight innings, powering his fastball for strikes and working in a changeup that kept the Blue Jays off balance for the duration.

If this is a sign that Jon Lester has turned the corner, then the Sox will be in great shape this season. If it's just a blip, an aberration lost in a string of mediocre performances, then I'll look back on this performance years from now as "what might have been" that great lefty starter, Jon Lester.