KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Red Sox lefty Jon Lester was named the American League pitcher of the month for July, during which he was 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA in four starts.

“It’s nice,” said Lester. “It’s something that we’ll — whatever it is — will probably go on the wall and it is something that will definitely be remembered for a long time.”

As nice as the award was to receive, Lester said it didn’t necessarily reinforce what he’s done this season.

“I don’t need to be recognized,” he said. “It’s something that’s nice. It’s something to be celebrated or whatever. But I don’t need that award to realize how far this year has come and how much I’ve progressed and how much more comfortable I’ve become on the mound.”

Lester is second on the staff in wins, and first among starters with a 3.14 ERA. Still, he doesn’t consider himself the stopper in the Boston rotation.

“I think you need more time than what I’ve had to prove I’m that guy,” he said. “I’m just a regular starter, going out and pitching every five days and hopefully I’ll get the team a quality start. You’ve got to have a track record like [ Josh Beckett] or [Curt Schiling] or [ Tim Wakefield] in order to become that guy. Hopefully I can build off this year and keep going and getting better, and hopefully down the road become that guy.”

Said manager Terry Francona: “That’s great. It gives you a chance to brag about him. Now, nationally, people will pick it up and take his story, which is really cool. We all like that. He’s just maturing into a really good major-league pitcher, and it’s kind of fun to watch.”

smcadam@projo.com