Lester struggles as Red Sox lose Game 3 (AP)

Lester struggles as Red Sox lose Game 3 (AP)
Jon Lester sped through his perfect first inning with just four pitches. Then he gave up four runs in the third. The ace-in-the-making was the ace in a hole. Lester and the Boston Red Sox never climbed out of it Monday against Matt Garza, who had gotten second billing in the matchup of emerging pitching stars but earned postgame plaudits for his six-plus innings.

Phillies take pride in dangerous bench (AP)
Whenever the Philadelphia Phillies need a boost, their backups on the bench are ready to provide it. Part-time third baseman Greg Dobbs is 6-for-11 (.545) in the playoffs, including 3-for-6 with a double, a walk and two runs scored in the NL championship series. Matt Stairs, another left-handed batter, came through with a pinch-hit homer that broke an eighth-inning tie Monday night in Game 4.

Popularity: 2% [?]