Boston Red Sox port-sider Jon Lester denied the Kansas Royals a single hit Monday night when he threw a no-hitter on 130 pitches. The 24-year old cancer survivor walked just two batters all night in the 7-0 victory and became the first pitcher in MLB to hold a team hitless this year.
Lester’s first career complete game was the second no-no for the Red Sox in as many years and their fourth in this decade. Hideo Nomo blanked the Orioles in 2001, Derek Lowe did it in 2002 against the Rays and Clay Buchholz no hit the Orioles last year. Incidentally, according to MLB.com, all four were caught by Jason Varitek, “breaking a tie held by several catchers.”
Thanks to our editor John Guilfoil for digging these up: The last Red Sox lefty to throw a no-hitter was Mel Parnell on July 14, 1956 and southpaw Dutch Leonard threw two between 1916 and 1918.
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