Flat-out good

Lefthanded prospect Jon Lester yesterday provided a nice follow-up to Buchholz's eye-popping performance Saturday night. He allowed two earned runs over six innings in improving to 3-0. There was also a significant contribution from young center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who started in center and then moved to left. The speedster hit his first major league home run and went 2 for 3 with two superb catches. Kevin Cash caught (the Sox are 3-1 when he's out there) and Brandon Moss started in left. He went 0 for 3 but made a nice catch on Nick Markakis in the sixth to prevent extra bases. Rookie of the Year candidate Dustin Pedroia had two hits; he had helped save Buchholz's no-hitter with a great diving play at second base.

"There are some proud people in the organization, and there should be," said manager Terry Francona. "Guys getting to the big leagues is always exciting. Exciting for us and especially for the player development people. When they come here they understand how to play the game. They understand how to act. If they have the talent we think they do it will show, like it did today."

For all of the heat general manager Theo Epstein sometimes gets to make a deal, his resolve not to lose his top prospects - Buchholz and Ellsbury - has proven wise.

Ellsbury used his superior speed on both of his superb catches, fighting the sun and the wall in the triangle in right-center to rob Ramon Hernandez of extra bases in the second inning, and also diving for a ball he had to run in a long way on to take a hit away from Jay Payton in the fifth.

"It's a matter of trusting your ability to go out there and showing it on the field," Ellsbury said. "You can't play tentative. You've got to believe you can make the play and then go out and do it."

The Orioles have lost 11 of their last 12 games and have been outscored, 119-49. Teams can't wait to play them. The Sox are now 24-8 vs. the Orioles since the start of 2006.