Sometime around when Lester was cutting through the Phillies lineup like a hot knife through butter, I came to a realization: we have a starting pitching staff again! No more of this 4 inning, 6 runs crap from what was supposed to be our ace and number two starters. Lester’s last three outings have been superb: 1.23 ERA over 22 IP (that’s an average of 7.1 IP/start) and 34 strikeouts. 34! Including this series from last night:

Bottom 4th: Philadelphia
- R. Howard struck out swinging
- R. Ibanez struck out swinging
- S. Victorino struck out swinging

Bottom 5th: Philadelphia
- P. Feliz struck out swinging
- C. Ruiz struck out swinging
- J. Blanton struck out swinging

Beckett is going to have to continue to step up his game if he’s going to keep that “ace” designation on the pitching staff. (Yeah, yeah, I know, Beckett’s last three start’s he’s allowed 3, 2 and 1 hits. But he doesn’t have 34 K’s!)

I just hope that the starters haven’t turned it on too late. The once lights-out bullpen is starting to show some cracks in the armor, maybe because of overuse. Since Paps wasn’t available after closing out two games vs. the MFY, Ramirez tried to take his job for the night. I guess closing the 9th out is harder than it looks. One Ryan Howard blast later and we were heading to the 13th.

Lucky for the Sox, the rest of the pen held up, while the Phillies’ pen phinally phaltered in the 13th. You know the Phillies used the last man available in their pen, since he gives up a pinch hit to H1N1E6. But an interleague win is a win. Especially when you’ve got Dice-K going the next day. Crap, maybe the pitching staff still has some work to do.