Righted by lefty

With increased use of a different-look changeup, Lester yesterday added to a string of what is now three straight games in which he has been at least satisfied, even pleased, with his outings. He beat Toronto two starts ago, allowing just one run in 6 1/3 innings, then lost to the Twins Tuesday on a bad pitch to Justin Morneau for a three-run homer in a five-run fifth.

Lester was far from perfect in yesterday's 8-2 win over the Blue Jays in front of 30,496 at Rogers Centre. He allowed a run in the first inning, which began with an infield bouncer over his head by Marco Scutaro, who came home on a sacrifice fly by Vernon Wells, marking the only time a Sox outfielder would touch a ball with Lester in the game. But Lester only grew more dominant the longer he was in the game, striking out a career-high 12, including eight of the final 11 batters he faced, and allowing only three infield singles.

Lester, though, said he would have given some of the strikeouts back to be able to go deeper into the game, even as teammate Mike Lowell called him "outstanding," saying he had "strikeout pitches left and right."

"His stuff today was . . . that's as good as we've seen," manager Terry Francona said. "He had power behind his fastball. He had the cutter working, curveball, changeup. That was fun to watch. That was funner when we spread it out."

With an altered lineup behind him, providing actual run support for only the second time on this trip (four homers), Lester settled down after an inefficient first three innings. After throwing 59 pitches over those frames, the pitch count increased by an inordinate number of foul balls, Lester managed to stay in the game through six innings. It was enough behind an offense that finally produced some separation.