Lester gives his all as Sox eliminated: Boston SP Jon Lester gave all he had on Wednesday in the regular-season finale at Baltimore with the Red Sox needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Lester left the game after six innings with a 3-2 lead thanks to a rain delay in the top of the seventh. Lester, after throwing 93 pitches, could not come out after the delay. Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon blew the save and took the loss in the ninth inning, however, giving Lester the no-decision and eliminating the Red Sox from playoff contention with Tampa Bay winning against the Yankees. Lester's season finished at 15-9 as he finished up with a 3.47 ERA. Lester allowed two earned runs on four hits and four walks over his six innings. He struck out five and gave up a two-run homer to J.J. Hardy in the third inning. (Updated 09/29/2011)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 2/12/12).
Fantasy Analysis
Lester, who had allowed eight earned runs over 2 2/3 innings in a loss his last time out and had dropped three straight starts entering Wednesday, gave a gritty gutsy effort against the Orioles. Unfortunately, his closer couldn't get him his 16th win and ultimately got the Red Sox evicted from the playoffs. Lester finished his season with 15 wins and a solid ERA despite allowing four or more runs in three of his final four outings. Still, he rebounded Wednesday and will enter next season once again as a high-end Fantasy SP to be taken early in drafts. (Updated 09/29/2011).
02/10/2012 13:27 2012 Draft Prep: 12-team, mixed H2H draft
Which picks stood out in our initial 12-team Head-to-Head mock draft for 2012? Check out the results and read what Scott White has to say about some of the more interesting selections.
02/10/2012 09:03 2012 Fantasy outlooks: Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox didn't make much noise this winter after a disasterous end to their 2011 season. Our Al Melchior examines the revamped roster for owners in advance of Draft Day.
02/07/2012 09:19 2012 Draft Prep: Head-to-Head strategies
Understanding the subtle differences between Head-to-Head and Rotisserie formats leading up to Draft Day can make all the difference. Our Scott White shares some of his battle-tested draft strategies.
02/02/2012 12:21 2012 Draft Prep: Our 12-team, mixed Rotisserie draft
It's time for owners to start looking ahead to Draft Day. We get you off and running with our 12-team Rotisserie mock draft. Check out the results!
Little went right for the Red Sox last September, and Jon Lester did his part to contribute to Boston's late-season woes. Lester suffered from poor command over his last six starts, walking 16 batters in 31 2/3 innings, which helped to expand his ERA to 5.40 for the season's final month. Perhaps it was due to the constant juggling of an injury-bitten rotation, but Lester was not himself for the home stretch. However, he had been in prime form for the five preceding months, striking out nearly a batter per inning and handing out free passes at a reasonable rate. While Lester's late-year struggles may plant a seed of doubt in owners' minds on Draft Day, he has been a highly consistent producer over the last four seasons. That's what owners should keep in mind, and they can trust Lester as a No. 2 SP in mixed leagues. (Updated 1/27/12)
Actual 
AccuScore Projections) Note: Points are rounded down.
= probable start