Red Sox rookie lefty Jon Lester struggles in his major league debut, possibly because of a nearly five-hour rain delay, as Boston stumbles against Texas.

01:00 AM EDT on Sunday, June 11, 2006

BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- Jon Lester had been waiting his entire life for yesterday. Then, when it came, he had to wait some more.

Lester, the Red Sox' lefty phenom, outlasted a nearly five-hour rain delay to make his major league debut yesterday. The Texas Rangers, however, weren't as easy to overcome.

The 22-year-old Lester lasted just 4 1/3 innings and was charged with three runs on five hits, though he didn't factor in the decision as the Sox were beaten, 7-4. After bailing Lester out of of a first-and-second, one-out jam in the fifth with two strikeouts, reliever Julian Tavarez was the loser when he allowed two runs in the seventh.

Still, beyond the epic delay, Lester was the story.

"I thought he showed some of the things that we've heard about," said manager Terry Francona. "Today wasn't the easiest day to make your debut. He sat around and I'm sure he had a lot of anxiety. Any day like this, any starting pitcher is not really comfortable. I'm sure that didn't help. But I thought he competed and I thought we saw some signs of what he can do."

Lester, who arrived at Fenway at 9:45 a.m., but didn't take the mound until after 6 p.m., passed the idle time in the clubhouse, mostly watching TV and attempting to keep his mind off the task at hand.

"I was trying not to go stir crazy," said Lester. "When they told me to go get ready, I was just trying to hurry up and get out there."

He yielded a two-run, two-out double to Mark DeRosa in the first. Then in the second, after issuing two walks in the span of five hitters, bailed himself out of a bases-loaded, two-out pickle by fanning All-Star Mark Teixeira.

Following a routine third in which he allowed only a two-out single to Kevin Mench, Lester fell back into trouble in the fourth. Gerald Laird's windblown double managed to elude first baseman Kevin Youkilis in shallow right, and when Youkilis tried to go to third to cut down Laird on a sacrifice attempt from Jerry Hairston Jr., the Rangers had runners at the corners with no out.

A sacrifice fly to right by Gary Matthews plated Laird before Lester could record the final two outs of the inning.

A leadoff single, an infield popup and a walk in the fifth brought an end to his day at 102 pitches.

"I'm not satisfied with the four walks and (the fact that I threw) a lot of pitches in four innings," Lester said. "That's kind of the biggest thing right now -- keep the pitches to a minimum and get as many outs as I can in a few pitches. Obviously, I was disappointed. I wanted to go as far I could and 4 1/3 innings isn't very far. I want to go nine every time I go out there. But I'm happy to get that first one under my belt and get it done."

Waiting "had to be difficult," said Coco Crisp, "but I thought he did a good job. He left with the score tied. Overall, he was pretty effective. He took his time and looked comfortable."

Lester was lifted in the fifth, and received a standing ovation from the hearty fans who had braved the rain and wait. Lester said the support and noise made by the Fenway fans was a surprise.

"Sometimes," he said, "it helped me out, but other times I threw as hard I could and that got me in trouble."

The Sox countered the two runs in the top of the first with a run of their own off fellow lefty rookie John Rheinecker, with Mark Loretta scoring on a groundout by Manny Ramirez.

Crisp crossed the plate on a double-play ball hit by David Ortiz in the third and the Sox knotted the game at 3-3 when Varitek opened the inning with a double to center and came around on Alez Gonzalez' ground single up the middle with two outs.

An opposite-field homer from Ramirez -- the 450th of his career -- brought the Sox to within a run after the Rangers had taken a 5-3 lead, but Texas iced the win on a two-run homer by Hank Blalock.

Blalock's blast came off Keith Foulke, who was making his first appearance since May 31, having been sidelined with back spasms.

smcadam@projo.com / (401) 277-7340