BOSTON – Many people pray that Curt Schilling’s right shoulder never throws another pitch. Josh Beckett is hurt or going through a rare October glitch.
In other years the lack of a postseason stud would smother Fenway Park in a tsunami of panic. Schilling has been that guy; Beckett was that guy a year ago. Step back further in Red Sox history and it was Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez.
Now, as the Rays-Red Sox ALCS shifts to New England’s Living Room for Game 3 today tied, 1-1, the Red Sox and their faithful rest easy knowing Jon Lester, the new ace, takes the ball.
“Jon has been our ace,” third baseman Kevin Youkilis said yesterday before an optional workout at Fenway following the Rays’ 9-8 Game 2 victory Saturday night in 11 innings in St. Petersburg that required five hours and 27 minutes and ended early yesterday.
“He has pitched really well all year and become our ace.”
Lester has followed a 16-6 regular season that included a 3.21 ERA with a pristine postseason. In two ALDS games against the Angels, the 24-year-old lefty who overcame cancer was 1-0 and had not allowed an earned run in 14 innings covering two starts.
Naturally, Lester attempted to downplay the “ace” tag.
“I don’t think I try to be that, I just try to pitch my game. You guys can put the labels on it as what you want,” said Lester, who was 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA in three starts against the Rays this season.
“I don’t worry about that stuff,” he said. “It doesn’t matter to me who is the No. 1 starter or the No. 5 starter. We all have equal importance to this team when it comes to winning. I try to execute pitches. Hopefully I can go deep in the game and give the bullpen a rest.”
It would be nice for each pen for Matt Garza and Lester to work a lot longer than Scott Kazmir and Beckett did in Game 2 when they each contributed 41/3 lousy innings and laid the foundation for the tedious game that the Rays won on B.J. Upton’s 185-foot sacrifice fly.
“It’s a huge difference,” Garza said of being even at 1-1. “It’s like a count. If the pitcher goes 2-0, it gives the hitter the advantage. Go 1-1, it’s a tie ballgame. It’s a huge win for us, you really can’t capitalize that enough.”
As for facing Lester, Garza respected Lester’s season but he wasn’t in awe.
“Lester had a great year, he’s been throwing the [hell] out of the ball, but my year wasn’t bad either,” said Garza, who was 11-9 with a 3.70 ERA this season and 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA in one ALDS start against the White Sox.
“Yeah, these are great pitchers,” he said. “He’s had a lot of success, but myself on the road, I have had a lot of success, too, especially against Boston. I will go in confident like I am and see what happens after nine.”
Garza must have selective memory when it comes to success since he was 4-6 with a 4.53 ERA in 15 road games this year and 0-1 with an 8.44 ERA in a lone Fenway appearance.
Today, Garza has to be a lot better than he has been because Lester has taken the mantle of “ace” from Schilling and Beckett.