8/14/2007
After making three starts on the road, Jon Lester will finally get to
hear just how much the Fenway faithful appreciate his return to the
Majors as the Red Sox host the Rays in the middle game of the
three-game series.
Lester, who was diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in
his back last year, made his return on July 23 at Cleveland. He has
since made two more starts, both on the road against the Devil Rays and
Angels, posting a 1-0 record with a 6.43 ERA.
"[I'm] just trying to make another start," Lester said of his
assignment. "I'm sure there will be some emotions going through my mind
a little bit."
The left-hander lasted just 3 1/3 innings last Wednesday in Anaheim, allowing five runs on eight hits while walking three.
"Throwing strikes, really," he said of his main objective. "For
some reason, the past couple of starts, I've just been getting away
from throwing strike one, and it's really hurt me. If I get back to
doing that, like I did in the Cleveland and Tampa Bay starts ... Except
for one pitch in the Tampa Bay start, I thought I threw the ball well.
"Hopefully, I'll get back to that, and the rest will take care of itself."
If Lester hopes that his fortunes will be much different from
his last outing, he can rest assured the surrounding environment will
be. It will be his first start at Fenway since Aug. 18, 2006, against
the Yankees.
"I'm sure it'll be good," he said. "It probably won't sink in until
[Tuesday] when I get on the mound and see the Fenway background again.
"Any start, whether it's the seventh game of the World Series
or if it's Opening Day, you try not to get too amped up. If you do, you
lose control of your mind and your body and the ball starts going
everywhere. I have a hard enough time controlling the ball as it is.
"It's been great," he added of the supportive fans, "from the
mail to the bracelets to the support in Spring Training and coming
back. It's been great. I couldn't ask for more."
With Monday's 3-0 victory, Boston has taken six of the first
seven meetings with Tampa Bay, with 10 still remaining after Tuesday.
Monday's win also allowed the Red Sox to maintain their four-game lead
on the Yankees in the American League East.
Lester and the Red Sox will be opposed by another left-hander,
Scott Kazmir, who has allowed just one run in his last 19 innings.
