PAWTUCKET — It was quite clear that Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester did not want to end his seventh rehab start for the Pawtucket Red Sox last night prematurely. PawSox manager Ron Johnson had other thoughts.

Lester had been outstanding in his six previous starts for Pawtucket while he continues his way back to Boston after battling cancer during the offseason, but last night he struggled for the first time this season.

The 23-year-old left-hander was scheduled to work seven innings, or 100 pitches, but Johnson gave Lester the hook after only 2 2/3 innings, in which he allowed three runs on five hits and threw 70 pitches (42 for strikes). He matched a season-high with three walks and struck out only two Ottawa batters.

Lester had trouble with his command, location and velocity.

“This is not my first rodeo,” said Lester after the Lynx had beaten Pawtucket, 6-2, last night at McCoy Stadium. “I know in five days I’ll go back out there and hopefully do a little bit better than I did tonight. Everybody has them every once in a while.”

Unlike his other starts, Lester wasn’t able to make the necessary adjustments. There was speculation that last night would have been his last rehab start with the PawSox, with speculation growing that he might join Boston by the end of the week.

For now, however, he’ll likely remain with Pawtucket and make his next start on Thursday against Richmond at McCoy.

Johnson said he had to basically hide from Lester for two innings because the pitcher wasn’t too happy about coming out of the game. But that’s an attitude Johnson likes to see from his players.

“I don’t want to come out of the game, regardless of how good or bad I’m doing,” said Lester. “I want to go out there and compete and do well. In that situation, you just want to keep battling and hopefully you’ll get out of it.”

Strangely enough, he was strong in the first inning as he retired the side in order on just 11 pitches (nine for strikes).

“Even in the first inning I was a little off,” he said. “I didn’t feel quite right, and even though I made some good pitches, it still wasn’t there. Then it just snowballed from there. I got ahead of myself and couldn’t make the adjustment to fix it.”

It was clear, however, during his 38-pitch second inning that he was having problems as PawSox pitching coach Mike Griffin made two trips to the mound — one in the second and the other in the third. With two outs in the third, he loaded on the bases on back-to-back singles and a walk before he allowed an RBI single to the Lynx’ Danny Sandoval for a 3-0 Ottawa lead. Johnson felt Lester had had enough.

“He felt fine and threw the ball well,” said Johnson. “Jon never wants to come out of the ballgame, but that’s where we have to use our intelligence and say to ourselves, ‘Jon is a tick off today.’ He wasn’t with the quality of his stuff, just with his command. He was getting to 70 pitches in 2 2/3 (innings), and that’s not your typical Lester outing.”

Johnson said at this stage of Lester’s rehab there is no way he is going to take any chances.

“We let him battle, and it got to a point where Jon did get some value out of this outing,” said the manager. “He’ll bounce back in his next one.”

It was a tough night all around for the travel-weary PawSox, who arrived home yesterday afternoon from their 6-2 road trip. Pawtucket managed only two runs — an RBI single in the fourth by George Kottaras and a solo home run by Jeff Bailey in the ninth — and the bullpen allowed three runs after Lester’s brief outing.

“It was just one of those outings,” said Lester. “I have to suck it up and in five days go get ’em again.”

Johnson said after the game that he feels bad for the Richmond Braves come Thursday when Lester toes the rubber again.

jmcdonal@projo.com