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Jun 10, 2010 - 4:41 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Boston (35-25) at Cleveland (21-36), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Coming off their most lopsided loss of the season, the Boston Red Sox have no pitcher they'd rather send to the mound Thursday night than Jon Lester.

The left-hander looks to win his eighth consecutive decision and remain unbeaten in seven career starts against the Cleveland Indians, who will try to salvage a split of the four-game series.

The Red Sox had beaten Cleveland seven straight times before Wednesday, when their bullpen crumbled late and their offense was blanked for the first time since April 22 in an 11-0 loss.

Boston (35-26) has still won 16 of 22 overall and nine of 11 on the road going into the finale of this seven-game trip, with Lester a big reason for its surge.

Lester (7-2, 2.73 ERA) has pitched like a Cy Young Award candidate since his last loss April 18 against Tampa Bay, going 7-0 with a 1.29 ERA in nine starts. Opponents are batting .157 against him in that stretch.

Despite pitching 6 1-3 scoreless innings in an 8-2 win at Baltimore on Saturday, Lester was not pleased because he walked three in the seventh inning before being removed.

"I've got to do a better job in the seventh inning. I got the first guy out, but it got away from me a little bit," said Lester, who has won his last four outings. "I walked three guys in a row, I'm not happy. It's obviously not what I wanted to do."

Boston has won all six of Lester's starts against the Indians as he's gone 3-0 with a 3.89 ERA, but he has a 6.06 ERA in three outings at Cleveland.

The Red Sox have won six of their last seven series against Cleveland - not including the 2007 AL championship series, which Boston won 4-3 - but they'll need a victory Thursday to take three of four.

The Indians (22-36) will be looking for their first back-to-back home wins since a four-game winning streak at Progressive Field from April 15-18. The team is 5-14 at home since.

Cleveland hopes Mitch Talbot (7-4, 3.54) can match what Justin Masterson did Wednesday. Masterson, the former Boston right-hander acquired in the Aug. 31 trade that sent Victor Martinez to the Red Sox, notched his first career shutout with a two-hitter in his first start against his old teammates.

That was the first loss for Martinez in seven games against Cleveland, but the catcher had one of Boston's hits and is 9 for 23 (.391) against the Indians.

He's never faced Talbot, who has accounted for nearly one-third of his team's wins. The right-hander beat the White Sox on Saturday, allowing one run and six hits in seven innings of a 3-1 victory.

"I think (seven) wins is pretty impressive for a starting pitcher, regardless of who you are," manager Manny Acta told the Indians' official website.

Talbot's only appearance against the Red Sox came in relief while with Tampa Bay, giving up four runs in three innings Sept. 15, 2008. Boston slugger Kevin Youkilis doubled and homered against him.

Youkilis is batting .429 (15 for 35) with 11 RBIs in nine June games, but Boston's other star infielder has been struggling. Dustin Pedroia is 0 for 12 in this series and batting .167 since May 20.