If you told me at the beginning of the season that Jon Lester would be the Red Sox's best pitcher, I would have been a bit skeptical.

Listen, I love Lester. The way he came back from cancer to pitch less than a year after being diagnosed shows what kind of man he is. His no-hitter earlier this year was superb. But there is no way I would have guessed he would be the first-half ace of the rotation.

Now, all I have to say is, "Thank God for Jon Lester."

After a series against the Rays in which the Sox's bullpen looked so awful I was starting to think that letting Julian Tavarez go was a bad idea, a series against a New York team that had just scored 18 runs the night before was giving me chills.

So, what does Jon Lester (7-3) do in his first start at Yankee Stadium? He keeps the Yankee bats at bay, yielding only five hits in a complete-game shutout masterpiece.

How important was Lester's performance for the Red Sox?

It stopped a five-game losing streak and gave a shaky bullpen some rest (much needed, I might add). It also helped the Sox gain a half-game over the Rays lead, as the team from Tampa was idle Thursday night.

The offense did their part, chasing Yankee starter Andy Pettitte (9-6) after only 4.2 innings. They collected nine hits and six runs (five earned) off the Yankee pitcher.

Tomorrow, in the second game of this four-game set, the Sox send Josh Beckett to the mound, and the ace will be countered by Darrell Rasner, a pitcher that has struggled in his last couple of outings.