Out of order

Something amiss with Lester again

May 27, 2009|Amalie Benjamin, Globe Staff

MINNEAPOLIS - While much of the focus was on the shift of David Ortiz down in the order - to depths he hasn't seen in years, - there should have been concern laid at the feet of the man on the mound, as well. Because even as the Red Sox have stayed afloat - and even thrived - despite nonexistent offense from their designated hitter and spotty pitching from their starting rotation, the hole they continue to be put into by Jon Lester is getting deeper.

Lester now has allowed at least five earned runs in five of his starts this season, bringing his ERA to 6.07. He gave up that many runs in just four starts over 33 games in all of 2008. There is something amiss in 2009, that much is clear, even though three of those runs last night came on one fifth-inning blast by Justin Morneau, who has victimized pitchers 13 other times this season.

"I gave up five runs," Lester said after the Sox had lost, 5-2, to the Twins in front of 20,019 at the Metrodome. "What else is there to say about it?

"Made one pitch. One pitch cost me three runs. Ballgame right there. I felt like I threw the ball pretty well, made one mistake, he hit it out. That's what makes him a good hitter."

The fastball had been destined to go middle-in, and Lester said, "He was obviously looking fastball in, and he didn't miss it."

Even though Morneau hasn't been quite as absurd recently as Joe Mauer, he can wield a stick, too. He had spent time before the game being amused at the futile swings of some Minnesota Wild players taking batting practice, but he took no tips from the hockey guys. Instead, he lashed his three-run homer 367 feet to right field, where it smashed into the seats tucked upright and off limits.

As Morneau came around to score the final run of the night for the Twins, it was sealed. Lester would not be continuing his progress from his last start, in which he allowed one run in getting the win against Toronto. He regressed, adding to the frustration of the "one bad inning" that has plagued him for much of a season in which Lester is showing the strain of not pitching well and not knowing exactly why.

"When you look back, it can come down to one pitch," manager Terry Francona said. "I know there's a lot of things that happen. If you put up five runs in an inning, it's more than a pitch. But it was almost the same thing as Seattle. It looked like he's got a chance to get out of it. Then one pitch, and all of a sudden there's a crooked number on the board. I know he's frustrated.

"I guess I feel like he's so much closer to being real good and dominant than he is to the five-run inning."