TORONTO -- This year's roadblock wasn't nearly as recognizable as a season ago.
When Jon Lester struggled at the outset of 2008 before going on a five-month roll that lasted up through Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, it wasn't hard to figure out. The continuing road back from cancer, along with some lingering inexperience, were difficult at the time for the lefty to maneuver around.
This season, however, the enemy proved to be a bit more clandestine. As Lester pointed out after his six-inning, one-run outing against the Blue Jays, Sunday, in which he struck out a career-high 12, expectations can be a sneaky thing.
"If this is last year at this time and I'm having the same results I would still be aggravated by it. But given what went on last year, and the year I had, it just adds an emphasis on trying to do well," said Lester after his fourth win of the season (4-5). "That's where I tried to do too much and maybe was overthrowing the ball a little bit. I think now maybe we can get into a little bit of a rhythm and pitch a little bit better."
Perhaps Sunday's outing will be that moment like those Lester starts in late April last season, when suddenly it just made sense for the lefty.
The reality is that the Red Sox need that to be the case.
As unfair as it might be to single out Lester, but this is the lot in life the 25-year-old has pitched himself into. Even when the results aren't there, he is one of the Red Sox' aces, and with that title comes great responsibilities. A lot rests on Lester, a fact that he understands and embraces.
"I don't think it's hard. I like it," said Lester carrying the mantle of 'The Man'. "I think it adds responsibility and an added emphasis on doing well. When you're not going well it adds emphasis on why you're not going well, and you start thinking, 'Why am I not doing what I did last year, or anything in between?'
"I like it. I like guys looking at me, whatever you want to call it... more or less a good pitcher, and that's what I want every five days, to know the other team respects what I can do, knowing my team has my back, and we'll go out there and battle. That's what we're trying to do."
Lester didn't want to focus on his career-high strikeout game, instead rueing the fact he couldn't make his 115-pitch outing translate into at least one more inning. But for those looking at Lester as the top-of-the-rotation stalwart most expected this season, it was hard to ignore the the image portrayed by the Sox' starter.
There was the consistent mid-90's fastball, cavalcade of cutters, and more change-ups (catcher Jason Varitek estimated approximately 20) than Lester had ever thrown in a big league game.
Perhaps most important was that Lester didn't give in when momentum was sliding over toward the Blue Jays.
Coming into Sunday, he had lived through a 13.02 ERA with runners in scoring position, a bugaboo that had haunted him in last start when Justin Morneau ruined his outing with a game-altering three-run blast.
This time trouble lingered from the outset, with the Blue Jays coming out of the gate with runners on second and third with one out. But Lester limited the hosts to just one sacrifice fly and that was it. Five innings later the lefty would walk off the mound having allowed just that one Vernon Wells fly out to escape the infield.
It was just like old times -- the Red Sox needed their ace, and he came through. It can't be an aberration, a fact Lester fully understands.
"I think just with having a year like last year, especially being part of this organization, having a target on your back and teams wanting to beat you, I think that just adds emphasis," Lester said. "All five guys in this rotation, teams come into series knowing we're going to give them our best and they're going to give us their best."
WHY THE LINEUP LOOKED DIFFERENT
Dustin Pedroia was one of the few members of the Red Sox who was actually familiar with Toronto starter Ricky Romero, having faced the lefty when he was relieving for Cal State Fullerton and Pedroia was a member of the Arizona State baseball team. But that's not why Pedroia was hitting first, Sunday.
And the move of Pedroia to the top spot, J.D. Drew to No. 2, Kevin Youkilis
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