LESTER FANS 13 IN SHUTOUT OF BRAVES

BoSox Now in 2nd Place in AL East

ATLANTA, May 27 (AP) - Jon Lester struck out 13 batters en route to a four-hit complete game shutout as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Atlanta Braves 3-0 at Turner Field.  Lester is the first major league pitcher this year to strike out more than 10 in a complete game effort.  Braves starter Aaron Harang absorbed the defeat despite allowing only one run in six innings of work.

The victory advances the Red Sox into second place in the American League East, percentage points ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays, 3 1/2 games behind the division leading Baltimore Orioles.  After a 12-21 start found the club in last place on May 6, Boston has won 15 of its last 18 games.

The game was scoreless through five innings when the Red Sox finally broke through with a two-out rally in the top of the sixth.  Harang retired Brock Holt and Xander Bogaerts to open the frame, but Dustin Pedroia grounded a double down the left field line.  Pitching carefully to David Ortiz, Harang fell behind and eventually walked the Boston slugger intentionally, putting runners no first and second.  Jonny Gomes then came through with a line drive single to center, scoring Pedroia to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead.

Boston added some insurance in the ninth inning off reliever Luis Avilan.  Daniel Nava led off with a double to left and was sacrificed to third by David Ross.  Jackie Bradley Jr. then doubled to the gap in right-center, scoring Nava to make the score 2-0.  Lester flied to right, with Bradley taking third and Holt doubled into the right field corner to Bradley with the third Red Sox run.

Lester was brilliant throughout, issuing no walks and retiring 12 of the first 13 Atlanta batters he faced.  The Braves never had more than one baserunner in any inning and only one man advanced beyond first base.  That took place in the bottom of the seventh when B.J. Upton led off with a double.  He took third when Freddie Freeman grounded to second, putting what was then the tying run just 90 feet from home plate with one out.  The Red Sox brought the infield in, but Lester made it irrelevant by striking out Justin Upton.  The infield moved back and, again, Lester made the move superfluous by fanning Chris Johnson.

Lester struck out at least one batter in every inning except the sixth and finished with a flourish, fanning six of the last nine hitters he faced.

The complete game is the first turned in by a Boston hurler in 51 starts thus far this season.

5/27/2014, Bos14-Atl14, Turner Field

                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP

2014 Red Sox           0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  2     3  6  0     8  1

2014 Braves            0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0     0  4  2     3  0

Red Sox              AB  R  H BI   AVG    Braves               AB  R  H BI   AVG

Holt,B            3b  5  0  1  1  .295    Heyward           rf  4  0  0  0  .268

Bogaerts          ss  5  0  0  0  .254    Upton,B           cf  4  0  2  0  .232

Pedroia           2b  3  1  1  0  .282    Freeman,F         1b  4  0  0  0  .302

Ortiz             1b  3  0  0  0  .228    Upton,J           lf  3  0  0  0  .242

 Lavarnway        1b  0  0  0  0  .000    Johnson,C         3b  3  0  2  0  .267

Gomes,J           rf  4  0  1  1  .260    Simmons,A         ss  3  0  0  0  .232

Sizemore,G        lf  3  0  1  0  .162    Laird             c   3  0  0  0  .145

 Nava             ph  1  1  1  0  .232    Pastornicky       2b  2  0  0  0  .125

Ross,D            c   3  0  0  0  .158     Wood,A           p   0  0  0  0  .200

Bradley           cf  3  1  1  1  .200     Carpenter,DD     p   0  0  0  0  .000

Lester            p   4  0  0  0  .000     Gattis           ph  1  0  0  0  .320

                     34  3  6  3           Avilan           p   0  0  0  0  .000

                                          Harang            p   1  0  0  0  .000

                                           Pena,R           ph  2  0  0  0  .247

                                                               30  0  4  0

Red Sox                          INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Lester           W 4-4           9.0  4  0  0  0 13  97  73  2.40

                                 9.0  4  0  0  0 13  97  73

Braves                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Harang           L 4-5           6.0  3  1  1  2  6  89  53  3.27

Wood,A                           1.2  0  0  0  1  4  29  21  3.30

Carpenter,DD                     0.1  0  0  0  0  1   5   3  2.89

Avilan                           1.0  3  2  2  0  0  25  15  6.23

                                 9.0  6  3  3  3 11 148  92

Bos: Lavarnway inserted at 1b in the 8th

     Nava batted for Sizemore,G in the 9th

     Nava moved to lf in the 9th

Atl: Pena,R batted for Harang in the 6th

     Pena,R moved to 2b in the 7th

     Gattis batted for Carpenter,DD in the 8th

E-Johnson,C, Simmons,A. 2B-Holt,B(4), Pedroia(16), Bradley(9), Nava(2),

Upton,B(8). RBI-Holt,B(6), Gomes,J(3), Bradley(9). SB-Sizemore,G(4).

K-Holt,B, Bogaerts 2, Ortiz, Gomes,J 2, Ross,D 2, Bradley, Lester 2,

Heyward 2, Upton,B, Freeman,F, Upton,J 3, Johnson,C, Laird, Pastornicky,

Harang, Pena,R, Gattis. BB-Pedroia, Ortiz, Bradley. SH-Ross,D.

GWRBI: Gomes,J

Temperature: 85, Sky: clear, Wind: right to left at 17 MPH.

Attendance: 25,152

Game Time: 2:34