It’s not exactly a double-digit run outburst, but the way the last few games have been going I was pretty happy to see the Sox offense put up four runs. Drew ended a double short of the cycle and planned to “hit the ball and run straight to second” in the 8th inning. Clearly “the idiot” mindset hasn’t completely left the Sox clubhouse. Plus, the Sox really should have scored five runs if Adam Jones hadn’t stolen a perfectly good home run away from Youks. That was just mean.

But the real story, for the fourth game in a row, was starting pitching. Jon Lester continued in the steps of Josh Beckett and Tim Wakefield before him and didn’t allow a run in 7 IP. If you look at the last four starts for the Sox starters they’ve allowed a whopping two runs in 26 IP. That’s a 0.69 ERA! (Beckett, stop giggling.) Lester was possibly the best of the bunch too. He used the entire width of the plate, and when he got two strikes on a guy, he threw a curve that was almost impossible to lay off but ended up at the batters’ feet. Narsty.

I also have a newfound respect for Paps. Not just because he tied Bob Stanley’s record with his 132nd save in a Sox uniform (although Bay deserves just as much credit), but because after watching Ramon Ramirez I recognize that not everybody has the mindset to get that 27th out. In fact, I’d give Ramirez the “Best Relief Pitcher for Outs 19-26″ award. He and Dusty Baker (The Best Manager for 23 Hours a Day) will be in the inaugural class of the 26 out Hall of Fame. Although, I’m not really sure if he should be proud of that…