Even if one tried to make an argument, it would be hard to go against Josh Beckett's remarkable first three months.
However, Jon Lester, who was the Opening Day starter, provided the type of performance Thursday in Philadelphia that gives pitchers that kind of a reputation. It was a get-on-my-back effort for the lefty, who has completely turned the corner from an inconsistent May.
With his team in desperate need of someone to lean on, Lester allowed just two hits and two walks in seven scoreless innings of a 5-2 win. He was given more run support than any other Boston starter on this offensively inept road trip, but it didn't really matter.
The Red Sox, losers of six of their last seven games, received the performance they had to have.
"We needed to win this game. We've had a tough week," manager Terry Francona said. "So, to come and beat them today, that's the only thing we could do."
The Red Sox may have been given a break when Lester's counterpart, Cole Hamels, was removed from the game after four scoreless innings because of a line drive off his glove hand. But just like in game one of the series, when it didn't seem to matter who the Red Sox used against a dominant Cliff Lee, it might not have mattered if Hamels stuck around.
"It started with our pitching," said catcher Jason Varitek, the offensive star with two solo homers. "Jonny held on. He kept us in that game long enough. We got a break and got their starter out of the game, but Jonny's the story because he pitched extremely well."
Lester allowed just one walk and one single through the first six innings. For dramatic effect, he ended his afternoon with a pretty good duel against Raul Ibanez, the only hitter in the Phillies lineup that had good numbers against Lester coming in.
With one out in what figured to be Lester's last inning, he gave up a single to Ryan Howard and then walked Shane Victorino. With Daniel Bard warming in the bullpen, Lester got Ben Francisco to fly to center. That set up a seven-pitch encounter with Ibanez, which Lester won with a swing-and-miss cutter.
It was his 120th and final pitch of the game. Lester pumped his fist and walked an ace-worthy walk into the dugout.
"That was two big hitters right there," he said of the escape.
With the victory, Lester has reached 10 wins by the end of June for the first time in his career and becomes the first Red Sox left-hander to have that many Ws in the team's first 80 games since Bill Lee in 1975.
After posting a 6.52 ERA in his final five starts in May, Lester produced a 2.31 mark in five starts in June.
Ace, workhorse, stud, No. 1 starter, whatever term you want to use, Lester is looking more like it each time out. On Thursday, he was all of the above.
