[Zen653]

Jon Lester of the Boston Red Sox pitched a no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals tonight. He threw 130 pitches, struck out 9, and walked 2. Jacoby Ellsbury made a sensational diving catch in the 2nd inning to prevent extra bases. Other than that, no outstanding defensive plays were required to preserve the no-no.

Offensively, the Red Sox won the game 7-0, in part thanks to a costly 2-out, 2-run error by Mark Grudzilanek. The one-time All-Star and Gold Glove second baseman dropped an infield pop-up. Kevin Youkilis then tacked on a third run when he drove Manny Ramirez in from third base.

While any no-hitter is special and worthy of discussion, the Lester no-hitter holds a special significance because of what the Washington native endured to get to this point. Less than two years ago, he underwent chemotherapy to fight off life-threatening cancer. No one knew for sure whether he'd live a quality life, let alone recover to play professional baseball.

The road to recovery was arduous. Lester did not re-join the Red Sox for good until last August. Pitching-wise, there were some highs and lows, but mostly lows. His poor K/BB ratio compelled the Red Sox to relegate him to bullpen duty for the playoffs. An injury to Tim Wakefield opened up an opportunity for Lester, and he seized it by becoming the winning pitcher in the championship-clinching Game 4 of the 2007 World Series.

Now he can add a no-hitter to his resume.

Congratulations to Jon Lester, a truly inspirational story.