No More No No Nanette

The Red Sox welcomed the Royals to Fenway Park, and Jon Lester greeted them with nine strikeout no-hit gem.

Lester, making only his 37th major league start, threw 130 pitches, none more important than the final one, a high tailing fastball that K'd Alberto Callaspo.

Raising his record to 3-2, Lester lowered his ERA to 3.41 and kept the Red Sox in first place, 1.5 games ahead of second place Tampa Bay. Lester mixed a 94 mile per hour fastball with a cutter and sharp-breaking curveball in pitching the first no-hitter by a Red Sox lefty since Mel Parnell in 1956. The victory was his first complete game in the majors.

Jacoby Ellsbury made a diving catch to end the fourth inning to save the no-hit bid. Ellsbury also stole a pair of bases to begin a new streak after having his 25 consecutive stolen base streak stopped yesterday.

Jason Varitek becomes the first catcher to catch four different no-hitters, which I suspect included Hideo Nomo, Derek Lowe, and Clay Buchholz.

Offensively Varitek led the way with two hits, two RBI, and his fifth homer.

Ironically, Lester was the pitcher likely to be traded for Johan Santana, whom the Twins ultimately traded to the New York Mets.