“I’ll remember forever”; Cancer Survivor Lester No-Hits Royals
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The Boston Red Sox roughed up young Royals starter Luke Hochevar for 5 runs in the third inning, sending 10 men to the plate and scoring on 4 hits as the youngster walked 3. And BoSox catcher Jason Varitek homered in the sixth adding two more insurance runs. But the Big News was that cancer surviver lefthander Jon Lester No-Hit Kansas City as Boston won by a 7-0 score.
Lester, who recovered from anaplastic large cell lymphoma during the 2006 off-season, returned and went 4-0 in 2007 for the Red Sox in 11 starts and was the starting pitcher going five innings in the Red Sox 2007 World Series Championship clinching 4th game against the Colorado Rockies.
AP Sports writer Jimmy Golen describes Lester’s memorable performance as well as the Red Sox defensive plays which helped to preserve the no-hitter for Yahoo sports;
The 24-year-old lefty shut down Kansas City 7-0 Monday night for the first no-hitter in the majors since Red Sox rookie Clay Buchholz threw one last September.
It was Lester’s first major league complete game. And what a way to do it.
“You don’t feel tired in that situation. You’ve got so much adrenaline going,” he said. “I’m sure it will hit me in the morning.”
Lester (3-2) allowed just two baserunners, walking Billy Butler in the second inning and Esteban German to open the ninth; he also had an error when he threw away a pickoff attempt.
Lester struck out nine, fanning Alberto Callaspo to end the game before pumping both fists in the air.
Manager Terry Francona gave a long, hard embrace to Lester, who missed the end of the 2006 season after he was diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
“I’ve been through a lot the last couple of years. He’s been like a second dad to me,” Lester said. “It was just a special moment right there.”
Center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury made a diving catch of Jose Guillen’s line drive to end the fourth—the best defensive play of the night. Lester also got help from first baseman Kevin Youkilis, who made a nice scoop on shortstop Julio Lugo’s throw after David DeJesus hit a grounder in the third.
Lester and [closer] Jonathan Papelbon combined to one-hit the Royals on July 18, 2006.
Mel Parnell was the last Red Sox lefty to throw a no-hitter, beating the Chicago White Sox on July 14, 1956. Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan is the only other person in history to no-hit the Royals.
Lester’s battery-mate Jason Varitek, who clubbed the 2 run homer in the sixth inning to cap Boston’s scoring and who lifted Lester in triumph after the final out, has caught a record-tying four no-hitters, including Buchholz’s last season. He joins co-record holder Ray Schalk who played from 1912-1929.
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