Lester on his season: 'I'm glad it's over'

NEW YORK -- Speaking after the Red Sox' 4-3, 12-inning loss to the Yankees on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, Jon Lester admitted that he was happy his season has come to a conclusion.

"We finished fifth. That’s not good enough," the lefty said after his 33rd start of the season. "It’s been a long year for a lot of people for a lot of different reasons. Like I just said, I’m glad it’s over, move on -- over for me. I’ll go into a much-needed offseason, regroup, and come back to spring training next year and kick some people’s asses and go from there."

Lester finished his last outing of the season by going five innings and giving up one unearned run before having to leave due to back spasms. The lefty completes his 2012 campaign having totaled 205 1/3 innings, compiling a 9-14 mark with a 4.82 ERA. The Red Sox were 13-20 in games he pitched.

"I did what I could. I took the ball every five days and threw as many innings as I could, and the rest just didn’t fall into place," Lester said. "I feel like, going into a season, that’s all I can control -- how many times I take the ball, how many innings I throw. Usually, five out of six years, it takes care of itself, so I’ll take those odds and come back next year and go with the same goals and get right back up on the hill and do it again. I’m going to say the same thing to y’all the first day: My goal is 200 innings, and the rest will take care of itself. That’s all I can control. Baseball is a funny sport. You can make the perfect pitch in the perfect location at the perfect time, and the guy gets a hit and scores a run. It is what it is. I’m going to continue to do the same things I’ve done the last six years -- bust my ass this winter, show up at spring training ready to go, show up early, set an example, and get after it."

Lester wouldn't fashion an opinion as to what the Red Sox needed going forward, instead just focusing on putting 2012 in the rear-view mirror while looking toward '13.

"It’s surprising, but it’s something that was needed, they felt was needed on their part," the starter said regarding the organizational overhaul. "Just like [the members of the front office] have our backs, we have their backs. It was their decision to make. We have to support them and know that, going into this offseason, they have to support us and produce another good team next year -- which we all believe they will. Everyone in this room, if they’re back, is going to be prepared in spring training to go out with the same goal we’ve had since I’ve been here, and that’s to win the World Series. Anything less than that is obviously a failure."

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