Lester makes history, no hits Kansas City

Sox 7, Royals 0
WP: Lester (3-2)
LP: Hochevar (3-3)
SV: None
HRs: BOS-Tek (5)

SUMMARY:
Jon Lester became the 16th member of the Boston Red Sox franchise to toss a no-hitter when he mesmerized the Kansas City Royals hitters with a variety of well-placed fastballs and crisp breaking balls tonight at Fenway.

The only base runners he allowed were on a pair of walks and a fielder's choice; he struck out 9 batters, including the immortal Alberto Callaspo to end the game, after which Lester was mobbed by teammates, cheered by fans and serenaded by "Tessie" in one of the gretest moments of the 24-year-old's life.

SUPERSTAR: Lester (duh!) 9IP, 0H, 2BB, 9K, 130P
Welcome to an exclusive club, Jon. You earned it and you deserve it.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Callaspo 0-1, K
The young infielder entered the game as a 9th inning defensive replacement and had a chance to thwart history. Instead he became a footnote in the annals of baseball, forever immortalized as 'the man who made the last out in a no hitter'.

RECAP:
One day after Boston fans were treated to one of the most exciting playoff basketball games in NBA history we were blessed by another monumental sporting event that makes us all realize why we love the games so much.

Because after watching Jon Lester, a man who didn't know if he would even live to pitch again never mind throw a no hitter at Fenway Park, complete his no-no against the Royals tonight, if you weren't overcome with emotions you must either be a serial killer or a Stankees fan.

Just a year and a half removed from the cancer scare that could have cost him his career Lester stands at the top of his profession, first having been on the mound for a World Series clinching game last October and now by joining the list of baseball greats who have thrown no hitters.

He became the first lefty to toss a no hitter for Boston since Mel Parnell in 1956 and by throwing the first one of 2008 he, along with teammate Clay Buchholz, who tossed his last September, also accomplished another rare feat: they became the first pitchers from the same team to toss consecutive no-nos since Nolan Ryan did it himself twice for the Angels in 1974 and 75.

It was truly an amazing night at Fenway and of course as is the case with all no hitters there was plenty of drama, close calls and one great defensive play that made history possible.

The game actually started off on a bad note for Lester after he pitched a 1-2-3 first inning. He walked Billy Butler with one out in the second, and after a fielder's choice by Miguel Olivo cut Butler down at 2nd base, Lester threw an errant pickoff to first that let Olivo scoot down to 2nd with two outs.

But Lester got Michael Teahan to tap back to the mound to end the inning, and little did we know that with that harmless dribbler the Royals only threat of the night had gone by the wayside.

Boston would score all the runs it would need and then some in the 3rd inning off rookie righthander Luke Hochevar (6IP, 5H, 7R, 4ER, 6BB, 2K, HR). The only run Lester would need came home on an RBI double play grounder by Julio Lugo, which plated JD Drew, who had led off the inning with a single.

But Boston went on to tack on three more runs in the inning, thanks to some shoddy defense and shaky pitching.

Jacoby Ellsbury tripled after Lugo's groundout, and Hochevar walked Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz and then Manny Ramirez with the bases loaded to force home the second run of the game.

The game got out of hand after that when Hochevar got Mike Lowell to pop up harmlessly to the infield for the apparent third out of the inning. But a blustery wind at Fenway played havoc with the attempted catch by second baseman Mark Grudzielanek, and by the time the ball glanced off his glove and landed on the dirt, Pedroia and Papi had raced around to score, Manny was on third and the lead was 4-0 Sox.

A booming ground rule double to deep center field by Kevin Youkilis pushed the margin to 5-0, and by that time it was all about Lester and would the kid be able to make the lead hold up.

In hindsight the thought seems foolish, but the youngster had allowed at least 3 earned runs in six of his 11 starts this year, so a comeback wasn't completely out of the realm of possibility at that point, even for the Royals, especially if they could get to the bumbling Boston bullpen.

Except Lester made sure they wouldn't have that chance.

And in the next inning, Ellsbury made the play that ensured the no hitter remained intact.

By the 4th inning Lester is starting to get in the zone, having retired six straight batters since the Olivo fiasco, but he nearly lost his bid at history when hot hitting Jose Guillen came to bat with two outs in the inning.

The temperamental DH had just been named the player of the week and carried a 10-game hitting streak in which he was batting an even .500 (19-38) into the game, so you know he was confident as he dug in the box.

So when he sliced a hard, sinking line drive to left center field, everyone assumed it would fall in for another hit.

Except Ellsbury, who raced to the spot where he thought the ball would drop, dove parallel to the ground and snagged the ball just before it hit the top of the grass for an inning ending, no-hit saving catch that will surely earn the rookie a nice dinner at the Oyster House at the very least.

The innings went on and the outs kept piling up, and by the time Jason Varitek hit a two run homer in the 6th to make it 7-0 which all but ensured the Sox would win the game, all the attention soon focused on what the Sox pitcher was in the process of doing.

Or not doing.

The great thing about this game is that Lester seemed to be just as strong in the later innings as he was early in the game. He was throwing darts to every corner of the strike zone, and was ahead of the KC hitters all night, as evidenced by his first pitch strikes thrown to 20 of the 28 batters he faced.

In the 7th he needed 16 pitches to dispatch Grudz, Alex Gordon and Guillen, and in the 8th he fanned Butler and Olivo to start the frame before getting Teahan to fly out harmlessly to center, setting the stage for a raucous scene in the 9th.

As my son and I sat motionless, praying for the Sox to be retired quickly in the bottom of the 8th, Lester looked as calm as a con man in the dugout, his face obviously belying his turbulent intestines.

After the Boston batters obliged with a 1-2-3 8th, Lester took the mound to a roar from the Faithful and went about his business, then proceeded to walk leadoff hitter Esteban German on five pitches to open the inning.

Gulp.

With hearts in throats and fingernails throughout the Nation bitten to the quick, Lester got Tony Pena to ground out to Lowell on a high chopper, retired David DeJesus on a roller to Youk at first and then fanned defensive replacement Alberto Callaspo to complete the masterpiece, and then it was time to rock the party in the old ballyard again.

As "Dirty Water" rang through the speakers Lester was mobbed by his teammates, first Varitek, who held him up and then handed him the game ball, and then each member of the team individually hugged the outstanding man who had been through so much in his young life, persevered through it all and now stood on top of the baseball world.

Congratulations, Jon.

We'll be waiting for the Disney version.

RECORD: 28-19
AL EAST: Up 1.5 GMS
STREAK: W4
LAST 10: 6-4
UP NEXT: Tues vs. KC 705 Meche vs. Masterson