Sox Pitching, Timely Hits Beat Bengals

Tonight's story came down to a very basic combo for winning baseball--good pitching backed by timely hitting.  After losing a well pitched effort from Lackey last night, the Hose threw their left handed ace, Lester, at the Tigers and the league winning leader, Scherzer, who came into tonight's game as just the third hurler in history to open a season 19-1. The prior two are the NY Giants' Marquard, and the Stripes Rocket, Roger Clemens. Only the Rocket advanced to 20-1. Scherzer began his evening as if he was going to be the second to accomplish that feat. After striking out the side in the 1st, he allowed a single hit in the 2d, and then threw a pair of perfect innings. During this time, the Motowners picked up what would be their only run for the evening, that coming on a two bagger by former Sox infielder Iglesias. 

However, other than that lapse, Lester was the master of the activity. He went seven strong innings, allowing just the single run on eight hits. Balancing his allowing not a single free pass, he picked up a season high nine K's. On three occasions during the time he was on the mound, he faced jams from combos of hits, with each situation threatening to put the Tigers in full command of the game. Yet, each time he pitched out of trouble and preserved the status quo. Regular followers of this site know what I mean by pitching in such situations. Anyone can throw a ball up there and dare a batter to hit it. Only someone who knows how to pitch, as opposed to throw, can do that and have a better than even expectation to get away with it. Lester has that quality. When he is on his game, he becomes very difficult at best to score on. Tonight's W, his 13th of the year, is the sixth consecutive gem of this type, a streak that has him pitching with an ERA of below 2.0 for the skein. In fact, this is becoming a happy stat for the starting rotation. In its last 14 games, Hub starters have given up three runs or less in 13 of those games.
After Lester headed to the showers, the Sox pen picked him up, making the sole run he'd allowed the only Detroit score on the evening. This was accomplished by four Sox relievers who, between them, allowed a single hit and no freebies at all. Other than the sole hit, the pen was perfect for the night, with Sox closer Uehara again putting the cherry on the top with a nine pitch, two strikeout effort to slam and lock the door. He was so good, in fact, that Eck, subbing for the regular Sox announcer, Remdog, couldn't stop raving about how great Uehara was, and "what a machine" the Sox closer was. Tonight was his 17th save, and had he been the anointed closer for the entire season, he'd surely be knocking on the door for his 40th.
Which brings us t the timely hitting by the Sox batsmen. You don't get to 19-1 being lucky. Scherzer is a damn good pitcher, and as things were going through the aforementioned first four frames, the Hose had to strike when they could and make it stand up. Trailing one zip after four and a half, they took their shot in the 5th.  With one already gone, Gomes got a hit and was moved along to 3d by Drew's ringing two bagger. Then, after Scherzer appeared to have again taken control with another K, Middlebrooks stroked a well placed single to center that plated both Sox runners.  After that, the Sox moundsmen limited the Bengals to a total of a well scattered three singles, with Uehara closing things out as already mentioned.
At this point, the Sox closer is sporting a near-Gibsonian 1.16 ERA and is allowing opposing hitters only a collective .136 BA for the season. He's not totally untouchable--no-one is. But he's as close to it as you're likely to see in the immediate future.