Jon Lester gets through five innings and Boston notches its 10th straight victory by clubbing the Mets.

01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, June 28, 2006

BY SHALISE MANZA YOUNG
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- With the last outstanding Red Sox homegrown left-hander, Bruce Hurst, here to celebrate the 1986 American League pennant-winning team, Boston's potential lefty of the future took to the mound last night for his fourth major-league start.

Jon Lester got himself in and out of trouble better than a four-year-old against the New York Mets last night, giving up two runs over five innings as Boston notched its 10th straight win -- all against National League East opponents -- by a 9-4 count.

Coupled with the Yankees' loss to Atlanta, Boston is a season-high 3 1/2 games up in the A.L. East.

The Mets, owners of the second-best road record in the majors and the best record in the N.L., were supposed to pose a formidable threat to the Sox. But though both teams started rookie pitchers, one of the young guns was able to keep it together on the mound while the other struggled.

"That outing was great, not only for us to win, which is what we came to the ballpark for, but for his development," Boston manager Terry Francona said of Lester.

The lanky 22-year-old basically was on cruise control until the fourth inning. Though he gave up a leadoff home run to Carlos Delgado in the second, the young lefty bounced right back, striking out the next two batters and inducing a groundout to end the inning.

Over the first three innings, Lester had thrown just 40 pitches. But he labored in the fourth, throwing 40 pitches in that frame alone, and threw 36 more in the fifth.

Paul Lo Duca led off the fourth with a bloop single just over the glove of second baseman Mark Loretta, and Lester walked Carlos Beltran and David Wright to load the bases. A walk to Julio Franco scored Lo Duca to put the score at 3-2 in favor of Boston, but Lester got out of the inning when Xavier Nady grounded into a fielder's choice and Beltran was thrown out at home. Chris Woodward struck out swinging for the final out.

In the fifth, there was more of the same -- Lester got himself into trouble and then got himself out of it. He hit rookie Lastings Milledge to lead things off, and Jose Reyes hit a potential double-play ball but Loretta lost it while trying to throw to first. After an infield single by Lo Duca put runners at first and second, Beltran laced a single to shallow left. Mets third base coach Manny Acta sent Reyes home, and Manny Ramirez easily gunned him down.

Reyes was shaken up when he ran into catcher Jason Varitek but stayed in the game.

Lester walked Delgado, loading the bases. It took 10 pitches, but he struck out David Wright on a slow curveball, pumping his fist as he came off the mound. He threw 116 pitches, with five walks and five strikeouts, but recorded his third win.

Varitek was impressed with Lester's composure.

"We stayed out of a big inning against a very good lineup; Lester did a good job," said Varitek. "We hoped he would go further, but he didn't. But anytime you get out of jams, it gives you confidence; if you don't panic and don't let innings [get out of hand], it gives your teammates a chance to win."

"It's amazing," Francona said. "In two innings, he threw 76 pitches and gave up one run. Against one of the best young hitters in the game (Wright), he throws a 3-2 breaking ball. Any pitcher, let alone one with only three major-league starts, would try to be fastball-dominant, and he didn't do that."

Francona noted that a lot of the credit for that goes to Varitek.

"All of our pitchers, not just the young guys, know the preparation Tek puts in. So when he puts a finger down, they know there's a reason for it," he said.

The Boston hitters got to New York starter Alay Soler early. He threw 42 pitches in the first inning alone, when the Sox got things going with a two-run single by Varitek to score Kevin Youkilis and Manny Ramirez. Boston cobbled together a run in the second, but effectively put the game out of reach with five total runs in the fourth and fifth. Ramirez had a towering shot drop just in front of the wall to score two runs in the fourth, while in the next inning Mike Lowell had a solo home run and Alex Gonzalez clubbed a two-run homer over the Green Monster.

The Mets had solo homers in the seventh (Beltran) and eighth (pinch-hitter Eli Marrero), coming off Julian Tavarez and Craig Hansen, respectively.

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