[Zen653]

Bedir, if you get a chance to watch a rebroadcast of this game, I highly recommend it. While you usually have to be very good to get a no-hitter, some no-hitters are less impressive than others (A.J Burnett's 9 walk no-no comes to mind, as well as Hideo Nomo's sloppy no-hitter in 2001.) But this was one was a real beauty. Lester didn't simply pound the zone with fastballs, he executed his off-speed pitches with precision and purpose. He pitched like a real ace tonight, getting tremendous late movement on the ball. And other than the great Ellsbury catch, Lester didn't need much help from the defense. He had things in control all on his own.

It's also interesting to note that former Seattle farmhand Jason Varitek tied a major league record tonight by catching his fourth career no-hitter (Hideo Nomo, Derek Lowe, Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester.) He was also an out away from a fifth no-hitter when Schilling no-hit the Oakland A's for 8 2/3 innings. In that game, Schilling shook off Varitek's final call and threw a meatball down the plate that Shannon Stewart hit solidly to right.

Terry Francona and J.D Drew should also be congratulated - Francona for doing everything he could to preserve the no-hitter for Lester (subbing Crisp for Ramirez in the outfield, and switching the groundball butcher Lugo for the sure-handed Cora) and Drew for striking out intentionally in the bottom of the 8th to get Lester back out on the mound.