BOSTON -– There was a time when a Jon Lester start opposite the Baltimore Orioles meant the Red Sox could automatically add one to their "W" total in the standings.
Those days seem to be no more.
The Red Sox left-hander was the victim of some bad luck against Baltimore, with the Sox dropping a 8-6 decision to the O's. Lester's 14-0 win-loss record against Baltimore remains intact, but Boston has now lost Lester's last three starts against Baltimore.
It may also be starting to become a little unsettling that Lester's struggles, at least on the stat sheet, continue. The Opening Day starter went six-plus innings and was charged with four runs (two earned), marking the fourth straight start that he's allowed at least four runs.
Of course, Lester wasn't exactly knocked around the yard by the Orioles. Lester gave up two unearned runs in the third inning after Mike Aviles booted what should have been a double play ball up the middle.
"I felt good. I felt like I threw the ball pretty well, with the exception of two balls — well one," Lester said, recalling a first-inning triple from J.J. Hardy and a double from Matt Wieters in the sixth.
Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine agreed with that assessment.
For the most part, Lester did throw the ball well, and while it takes a lot of good luck to post a 14-0 record against one team, it's becoming clear that luck is starting to even itself out some.
"The balls that aren't squared up for me aren't finding gloves right now," Lester said. "But that's baseball."
Lester's recent "struggles" against the Orioles aren't just by coincidence and bad luck, either. The O's have a good lineup that continues to get better, something that played a role in Valentine's decision to lift the left-hander after 100 pitches in the seventh inning.
After allowing a single to Endy Chavez, Valentine decided it best for Lester to be pulled in favor of Scott Atchison, as Robert Andino and J.J. Hardy were due up after Chavez. That duo entered Tuesday night's game hitting .409 (9-for-22) against Lester, and Hardy's ringing triple was still in Valentine's mind.
"I thought right there, like we said, I thought with Andino and J.J. coming up we were gonna be able to cruise it home," Valentine said.
That, of course, did not happen. Atchison struggled, allowing Chavez to eventually score, ensuring that Lester's career mark against the Orioles would not improve to 15-0.
"Any time you come out of the game, it's tough," Lester said. "Our bullpen has been great, just a little hiccup tonight. No big deal. Next time we're in that situation, they'll pick me up. That's the way baseball goes."
While the Orioles are starting to get the better of Lester after years of domination, it's still noteworthy that he's able to boast that 14-0 record against the Birds.
But then again, that's how baseball goes.
