Dragnet prep city: A’s at Sox

And then there were three.

Jon Lester has looked good in his past two outings. If he can keep it up for a third, he may warrant serious postseason consideration.

After last night’s Boston victory and simultaneous extra-inning Yankees loss in Tampa Bay, the Red Sox are within three game - be they wins or New York losses - of clinching their first AL East title in, well, almost forever. The Sox looked dynamic, pounding A’s starting pitcher Chad Gaudin and reliever - not to mention former Boston prospect - Lenny DiNardo. Curt Schilling was also effective in the best way possible. He got batters out, limited his patented SSS’s (Schilling Solo Shots) to one (in the first inning) and generally controlled the flow of the game. Needless to say, it was a huge confidence builder, the type of game that will only loom bigger if Boston takes care of business.

And the team will go a lot further toward determining if they will tonight. That’s when Sox twice rookie Jon Lester takes the hill to face off against a legitimate Oakland pitching stud, Joe Blanton. Blanton has been strong throughout the season, but particularly in the first half. He has a good fastball and terrific location, which has been just the kind of recipe to screw up the Sox bats this year.

Then again, Lester has surged at just the right time, and if his legs are now firmly under him, he could be the exact strong addition the Red Sox need to propel them in the postseason. He’s a long way from proving that his recent performances are for real, but each win takes a big step toward that conclusion.

Will he continue that tonight? And will Big Papi continue to crank out extra base hits at a rate closer to his past three years, which has been the most comforting side of the team’s recent mini-surge? Good questions all. Tonight would be an extremely good time for the Sox to answer in the affirmative on all thee above, putting them in a controlling position for an AL East title, even if it will still be a reach away.

Here comes a twilight start at the Fens. Time to crank up the wayback machine to 2004 and get this string cranking at breakaway speed.

– Cameron Smith