G72: Rockies 2, Red Sox 1

Red Sox - 000 000 001 - 1  7  0
Rockies - 000 010 01x - 2  9  0

Lester (6-6-1-1-6, 90) allowed a single and a walk to start the fifth, and had nearly pitched out of danger when Todd Helton rapped an RBI single to right. Hideki Okajima gave up a run on three consecutive one-out singles in the eighth.

Chacin allowed four hits and five walks in 6.2 innings, but they were nearly all bunched together in two innings. Mike Cameron singled to open the third, but was thrown out stealing. Josh Reddick singled and, after a bunt from Lester, Marco Scutaro and Dustin Pedroia walked. With the bases loaded, Victor Martinez worked a full count but grounded to second.

In the seventh, Adrian Beltre walked with one out and Daniel Nava singled. After Chacin fanned Cameron, he walked Reddick to load the bases. Joe Neimel came into face pinch-hitter David Ortiz and Papi grounded to second.

Boston rallied in the ninth as Beltre lead off with a double. Nava struck out, but Cameron singled Beltre home. Pinch-hitters Bill Hall (F9) and Mike Lowell (6-3) could not deliver. Lowell's grounder was deep in the hole, but Clint Barmes had time to dive for it, tumble a bit, then get to his feet and throw to first. A turtle could have beaten it out for a hit, but, alas, Lowell is no turtle.

The Yankees beat the Diamondbacks 9-3 and the Rays lost to the Padres 2-1, so both Boston and Tampa Bay fell to 1.5 GB in the East.

Jon Lester / Jhoulys Chacin

Scutaro, SS
Pedroia, 2B
Martinez, C
Youkilis, 1B
Beltre, 3B
Nava, LF
Cameron, CF
Reddick, RF
Lester, P

The last time the Red Sox played in Colorado was October 28, 2007, when Lester and friends finished a four-game sweep of the Rockies in the World Series.Lester gets the ball again tonight, as the Red Sox begin a road trip with three games each against the Rockies and Giants. (After that, five of their next eight games are against the Rays.)

AL East:

Padres/Rays, 7 PM
Yankees/Diamondbacks, 9:30 PM

June 22:

1894 - Washington scores in every inning and beats Boston 26-12. Washington's George Tebeau scores four runs without getting a hit.

1912 - It's Ty Cobb's turn to bat with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, and the Tigers trailing 11-3, but no one can find him. George Mullin pinch-hits and flies out to end the game. Cobb was in the clubhouse taking a shower.

1916 - The Braves pull off a triple steal against the Giants in the 11th inning. It is the only extra-inning triple steal in National League history. It has happened only once in the AL: by the White Sox against the Senators on June 25, 1941.