01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, June 22, 2006

BOSTON -- Jon Lester's rise to Boston has been greatly anticipated by the organization and its fans over the last two seasons.

The left-hander has had the "star" label attached to him almost from the time the Red Sox selected him in the second round of the 2002 draft.

Nothing he did in the minors changed the phenom status. Indeed, it was even heightened by his superlative 2005 season in Double-A Portland, which was followed by steady improvement in Pawtucket, leading to his promotion to Boston on June 10.

Now he is in the big leagues. And the 22-year-old has been impressive on many levels. His poise is one thing. Lester has made only three big-league starts, but looks extremely comfortable.

What may have been most impressive in his six-inning performance (three hits, one run) last night, though, was that Lester featured two outstanding strikeout pitches.

Fastball. Curveball.

The Washington Nationals couldn't sit on either one when they had two strikes on them. Lester fanned nine, his strikeout pitches ranging from 70 mph curveballs to 93 mph fastballs. Of the whiffs, four came on curveballs, five on fastballs.

Lester was particularly tough on journeyman Robert Fick. In the second, Lester won a battle by freezing Fick with a 3-and-2 curveball for a strikeout. In the fifth, Lester buckled Fick's knees with two breaking balls for an 0-and-2 count. Then he fired a fastball that surprised Fick for another strikeout.

He ended his night by blowing a 92 mph heater past Matthew LeCroy in the sixth on his 107th pitch.

Fastball. Curveball. And a cut fastball/slider-like pitch to help set up those pitches. Very impressive.

Ortiz strikes back

In his first at-bat, with the crowd roaring, two runners on base and no one out, David Ortiz looked feeble at the plate.

He whiffed, swinging and missing a two-seam fastball from Shawn Hill that was a bit up and over the outer half of the plate, tailing away. Ortiz looked to be almost in disbelief that he had failed and looked so awful in doing so as he trudged very slowly back to the Sox' dugout.

But when Ortiz came to the plate again, in the second inning, that at-bat was put behind him. He wasn't wallowing in an unsuccessful at-bat.

This time, Ortiz looked more like the slugger who leads the American League in runs batted in. This time, Ortiz crushed a two-seam fastball over the center-field fence for a grand slam that put Boston on top, 4-0.

Hill's intention had been to bury the pitch inside. Instead, it sailed out over the plate and Ortiz did what MVP-caliber thumpers do to mistakes.

Good piece of hitting

Alex Gonzalez, maligned for his early offensive woes, has come alive at the plate, boosting his average from .197 to .255 over his last 19 games.

He no longer is an easy, automatic out in the number-nine spot in the batting order, as evidenced by his sixth-inning at-bat last night.

Gonzalez quickly fell behind Hill at 1 and 2. Then he fouled off five straight pitches, four of them on the outer half, difficult pitches to foul off.

Finally, Hill fed Gonzalez a pitch that he could pull, and the Sox shortstop took advantage of it, lining a shot to left that reached the wall. Gonzalez's good piece of hitting in the at-bat was augmented by his solid baserunning. He sprinted out of the batter's box after making contact and hustled himself a double, eventually scoring the Sox' sixth run.

Curious decision

Washington third baseman Ryan Zimmerman made an interesting defensive play in the fifth.

The Sox were leading, 4-1, and had runners at first and third with none out. Mike Lowell hit a ground ball to Zimmerman, who had two options as he fielded it cleanly.

He could have easily cut down Trot Nixon trying to score, or he could have elected to try for a double play.

Curiously, he chose the second plan, starting a double play that conceded a run and a 5-1 lead to Boston with only four innings remaining in the game and lights-out closer Jonathan Papelbon in the Red Sox' bullpen.

Perfect for second spot

In many ways, Mark Loretta's offensive contributions have gone unnoticed.

Kevin Youkilis? An on-base machine who has made consistent contact all season.

David Ortiz? Manny Ramirez? The big boppers who clout long and dramatic home runs.

Trot Nixon? Another on-base machine who is in the top 10 in batting.

Mike Lowell? Doesn't he get a double every time he hits the ball in a season that has stamped him as the prime candidate for Comeback Player of the Year honors?

But Mark Loretta? He hasn't been getting his due. The man is a steady, professional hitter. He got a lot of attention when he slumped at the beginning of the year, but he never panicked, and his skills have come to the fore.

He has sweet hands. He has an inside-out swing he seemingly can use at will to shoot the ball to right field for a hit when he elects to hit to the right side. And he can turn on the inside pitch, also.

Last night, Loretta went 3 for 5. He pulled his first two hits to left on inside pitches, and smacked his third one to right on an outside pitch.

He's a perfect number-two hitter. He's batting .308.

Loretta's contributions may not jolt the fans out of their seats. But they should by no means be taken for granted, either.

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