G101: Red Sox 4, Mariners 0

Red Sox  - 000 020 020 - 4 11  0
Mariners - 000 000 000 - 0  8  0

Lester, working on 12 days rest, was superb (7.1-8-0-0-6, 103), throwing only 60 pitches (and 48 strikes!) through the first six innings. His sinker was outstanding.

After allowing two singles to start the eighth, Lester got a line out before another single banged off his shin to load the bases. Jonathan Papelbon came in and threw two pitches, getting Raul Ibanez to ground into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. Bot then pitched a perfect ninth: 6-3, 3U, L4.

Boston got on the board in the fifth when Coco Crisp walked with one out and Jason Varitek lined a home run to left (not a typo!). Jed Lowrie's bases-loaded single brought home two insurance runs in the eighth.

In addition to his dong, Varitek singled and walked, Lowrie singled twice and walked, Crisp singled and walked three times, Manny Ramirez singled three times, and Kevin Youkilis singled, walked and was HBP.

The 6-7-8-9 spots in the Sox order reached base 13 times in 19 opportunities -- and scored and drove in all four runs.

The Rays two-hit the Athletics 2-0 and the Yankees routed the Twins 12-4. So the standings remain the same: Boston 1.5 GB, New York 4.5 GB.

***

Jon Lester (3.38, 128 ERA+) / Jarrod Washburn (4.83, 82 ERA+)

After a string of four superb starts, Lester has experienced problems in two of his last three outings:

                 IP  H  R ER BB  K  PIT
Jun  5  TBR  W  6.1  8  1  1  0  5  109
Jun 12  BAL  W  7    7  2  2  1  3  101
Jun 17 @PHI  W  7    6  0  0  1  5   99
Jun 22  STL  W  7.1  9  2  2  1  3  101
Jun 28 @HOU  L  5    9  6  6  0  3   76
Jul  3 @NYY  W  9    5  0  0  2  8  105
Jul  8  MIN  W  7.1  9  5  5  3  6  117

We need a win.

Also: A's/Rays and Twins/Yankees (4.5 GB), both at 7 PM