Oh Jonny Lester

So, last night's game did not go to plan. The hitters spotted Jon Lester a 4 run lead. He entered the 6th inning maintaining 3 runs of that lead. Unfortunately, Jon Lester would leave that 6th inning with his team now down 5-4. Jon Lester lost a game last night that we should have won.

I'm a Jon Lester fan. I think his stuff is good. When he is his best, his stuff is electric. However, this season he has not been at his best more often than not. He made a mistake last night. He didn't make the play that needed to be made and as a result, he and the ballclub suffered for it. No one is more aware of that than Jon Lester. And after the double play that did not happen, he got a tad frazzled and was also fighting fatigue, so things went downhill from there.

Having said that, I still think Jon Lester is a guy you want in your rotation. You'd be crazy not to. He is a work horse. He is someone who is always learning and adjusting. He's also someone who admits his mistakes and takes his responsibility to the team incredibly seriously. In my experience with Lester, he is also someone who gets stronger as the season gets longer. In an ideal world, I'd want a lights out pitcher from April to October (November this year...thanks WBC!). But if I had to pick, I'd rather have brilliance in October if I could only have one.

Here is one quote from Lester's NESN interview I'd like to highlight because I think it shows what makes me a consistent fan of Jon and what he brings to this ballclub:

"4 runs in the first 3 innings. It's just inexcusable. But with that being said, I can promise you that there hasn't been a pitcher that has worked harder than I have from the beginning of the season and there won't be a pitcher for the remainder of the season that will work as hard I will to get back to where I've been in the past. I don't think we're far. I think it's just little things right now that are screwing up my outings. Hopefully, no not hopefully, it will turn around here in the future for not only me, but the team."

-Jon Lester (The 1st guy to show up to Spring Training)