• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Lester sharp as Red Sox continue to roll

Sep 8, 2007 - 3:53 AM By Rich Dubroff PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BALTIMORE (Ticker) - The Baltimore Orioles have had no answer this week for the Boston Red Sox's young pitchers.

Jon Lester and two relievers combined to limit the Orioles to four hits as the Red Sox pulled out a 4-0 victory on Friday night.

Kevin Youkilis and Coco Crisp each drove in a run and scored a run for Boston, which has won six of its last seven games. The Red Sox are now 86-56 - the first time they have been 30 games over .500 since the end of the 2004 season.

Friday marked just the second time this season that Baltimore has been shut out this season, with both times coming in the last week to the Boston. Last Saturday, 23-year-old Clay Buchholz pitched a no-hitter in just his second career start and followed that outing up with three scoreless frames in Thursday's series-opening 7-6 victory.

The 23-year-old Lester (4-0) worked seven innings on Friday, allowing four hits - all singles - while striking out four and walking two. It was his second win in a row against the Orioles after yielding two runs and three hits last Sunday at Fenway Park.

"Today was probably the best I've felt mechanically all year," Lester said. "I had a clue as to where the ball was going."

Javier Lopez worked a perfect eighth and Manny Delcarmen turned in a scoreless ninth to seal the shutout.

The Red Sox scored their first run in the second when Youkilis led off with a walk. J.D. Drew hit a ground-rule double and Jason Varitek followed with a single to right, scoring Youkilis. Drew scored on Crisp's sacrifice fly.

Boston scored a run in the fourth when Crisp led off with a single. He moved to third on consecutive infield outs and scored when Baltimore starter Daniel Cabrera (9-15) balked. Crisp made a move home and Cabrera did not take his foot off the rubber when he faked a pickoff throw to third.

"I wasn't just faking right there," Crisp said. "I was going to steal. He wasn't looking at me."

On the next pitch, Cabrera fired the ball over the head of Boston's Dustin Pedroia. He was warned by home plate umpire Mike DiMuro, and both teams' benches and bullpens emptied. Cabrera had words with the Red Sox before being ejected.

"I think he lost his cool," Baltimore manager Dave Trembley said about Cabrera. "It's going to be addressed. ... "I'm just glad Pedroia didn't get hurt."

Umpire crew chief Wally Bell explained to a pool reporter the reason they ran Cabrera.

"The ejection occurred for what Cabrera did during the incident after the pitch," Bell said.

"Dave (Trembley) was fighting for his team. He was fighting for his pitcher to stay in the game. We explained to Dave why his pitcher was ejected. Dave was just protecting his team, which is what he should do as a manager."

In 3 2/3 innings, his shortest stint of the year, Cabrera was charged with three runs and six hits.

"I didn't lose my temper. I didn't lose nothing. The ball slipped out of my hand," Cabrera said.

"(Boston) talked (junk) from the other side. That's something I don't like."

Boston manager Terry Francona defended his team.

"I don't think we escalated anything. I have my hands full trying to de-escalate things," Francona said. "I mean we're in the middle of a pennant race. We have more important things to worry about. Our focal point was to win."

Cabrera was replaced by Brian Burres, who did not allow a hit until rookie Jacoby Ellsbury led off the seventh with a single. After he stole second, David Ortiz drew a one-out walk.

Fernando Cabrera relieved Burres and struck out Mike Lowell, but Youkilis singled to score Ellsbury with the fourth Boston run.

Youkilis set an American League record in the game by playing in his 179th errorless game at first base. The previous record was held by Mike Hegan from September 1970 to May 1973 with Milwaukee and Oakland.

Baltimore has lost 15 of its last 17 and tied a franchise record by dropping its 11th straight at home.