Martinez, Lester Lead Sox Past Rays

Victor Martinez tags out BJ Upton on a play at home plate in the 6th inning.

Nobody has forgotten to mention that this series with the Tampa Bay Rays just might be the most important set of the season for the Boston Red Sox. In a matchup of lefty aces tonight, the Price was not right for Tampa -- Jon Lester was able to out-duel David Price to pick up his 14th win of the season. Boston 3, Tampa Bay 1.

Jon Lester allowed just 2 hits in 7 IP.

Lester was brilliant in most areas for the Sox, hurling 7 strong innings and fanning 10 batters. The Sox lefty allowed just 2 hits and 1 run (unearned) despite walking 5 and hitting a batter. He was carrying a no-hitter into the fourth inning before Carlos Pena beat the shift and drove a single into left-center field. The win bumps Lester to 14-8 on the season with an ERA of 3.12.

Offensively, Victor Martinez rose to the task for Boston tonight. Martinez got the Sox on the board in the first inning with a solo blast to left field, and he put on the duplication act with his seventh-inning blast to the same area of the ballpark. The long balls were the 11th and 12th homers of the season for Martinez. Jed Lowrie picked up the other RBI on his bloop single in the fourth frame. Everyone in the Red Sox order with the exception of the #9 slot -- occupied by Bill Hall and then Ryan Kalish -- recorded at least one hit in the game.

With Lester's 7 strong frames, he was able to build the bridge himself to Daniel Bard for the eighth inning. Bard was lights-out as usual, setting the table for closer Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth. As we have grown accustomed to with Pap, he gave us quite a heart-attack -- the winning run came to the plate with two outs -- but he managed to survive and pick up his 33rd save of the season. Through his recently improved performances, Papelbon has lowered his ERA to a respectable 2.91.

The Sox pick up one game on Tampa with the win, moving to within 4.5 of the Rays for the Wild Card. They might move within that same distance of the Yankees for the division lead, as well -- New York is losing 9-2 in the fifth as I write this. Their work is very, very far from being done, but tonight's win was a huge stepping stone in the right direction down the road of what could be a very special late season run.