Jon Lester has showed bouts of inconsistency this season, but this past week the left-hander returned to dominance as he led the Red Sox past the Rays on Tuesday night.
Coming off 10 days of rest, Lester allowed only two runs on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings of work. Lester matched his season-high of eight strikeouts and recorded zero walks, notching his first win since June 27.
With the win against the AL East leading Rays, Lester now boasts a 9-6 record on the season, and he has posted 111 strikeouts in 132 innings this year.
Lester will take the mound Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles in the series finale.