Huge Night in the Hub

Before I hit the Sox game I think everyone should take a moment to tip their caps to the Bruins tonight. This is a team who, after finishing six games under .500 in 2007 and have been without their star player since the end of October, has managed to bump, thump and crash their way back from a three games to one deficit and force a Game 7 on enemy ice. The climax is Monday night in Montreal, and the Sox won't even have to be bumped off of NESN because of the early Patriots' Day start.

On the diamond it was another disappointing outing for Jon Lester. He managed to get one out into the sixth inning but gave up 10 hits in the process. The fact that he only allowed 3 runs speaks more to the defense and the suckitude of Gerald Laird than it does to Lester's ability to pitch effectively. Luckily, the bats woke up in the late innings and managed to scrape out a 5-3 win on the back of Manny Ramirez yet again.

Until Lester can move in and out of the strike zone with confidence and consistency he's going to continue to struggle against big league lineups. His stuff isn't overpowering, though he can be deceptive enough to miss bats. Still, it so frequently seems as though he's just crossing his fingers and hoping it gets into the zone.

Buchholz goes tomorrow in the third game against Texas.