Jon Lester has reinvented himself as a pitcher in the last few games, showing a remarkable return to form after much of his season had devolved into high-pitch-count struggles and poor starts.
But Lester has been bringing more than that to the Red Sox lately — he's also shown an uncanny ability to help Boston rebound from losses.
Lester went seven innings Friday night, giving up six hits and three earned runs. Most importantly, though, he provided a W on the heels of a Red Sox' loss, the third straight time he's done that in his last three starts.
That's enough to earn Lester the Amica Pitcher of the Week honor for a stretch that was full of otherwise forgettable moments for Red Sox pitchers. Aaron Cook, Clay Buchholz and Franklin Morales all struggled this week, and the bullpen also had trouble during a 14-13 loss that was riveting to watch but not kind to the Red Sox' record.
Boston, in the thick of a series with the Kansas City Royals, starts a road trip west Tuesday, with Lester and company needing to lead the way as the Sox look for a late-season turnaround.