OAKLAND, Calif. — Jon Lester got a rousing ovation the first time he pitched in an Oakland uniform. His second start for the Athletics ended with his name being chanted by the crowd at O.Co Coliseum.
Lester pitched a three-hitter for his fourth career shutout, and the A’s beat the Minnesota Twins 3-0 on Thursday night.
The All-Star left-hander struck out eight, walked two and allowed just two runners past first base in the 11th complete game of his career. He pitched out of a two-out, bases-loaded jam in the sixth but was otherwise stellar.
Lester (12-7) was making second start since being acquired at the trade deadline as part of the blockbuster deal that sent Cuban slugger Yoenis Cespedes to Boston.
The deal rankled many Oakland fans. Others welcomed the trade and showed their approval with chants of “Lester! Lester!” when the veteran pitcher came out to pitch the ninth inning.
“We all know what Cespedes did for this organization and how well he’s liked,” Lester said. “Just coming over here, you don’t want to (mess) that up. You want to make the trade look like it had a purpose and it was good.”
Lester retired the first 15 batters while allowing only three balls out of the infield. Former A’s catcher Kurt Suzuki ended the bid for perfection with a leadoff single in the sixth.
The former Boston Red Sox ace improved to 6-0 with 1.21 ERA over his last 10 starts.
“You could see from the onset that he was going to be tough to score on,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. “Not only is he able to pitch that type of game but he’s also a guy that gives the bullpen a rest. That’s exactly what he did tonight.”
“Lester was the story of the night,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire added. “He has all the pitches. He can do all those things.”
Photo via Lance Iverson/USA TODAY Sports Images
