From a ten-pitch first to a six-run second, Jon Lester's start today is a microcosm of Boston's season.
The first inning perhaps provided signs of Lester's impending demise, with Jeter lining out to start the game and Mark Teixeira putting a decent charge in a ball that died in center field before it reached the track, but it would have been hard to imagine a collapse so sudden and violent had Sox fans not been living it for the past month.
After getting a ground out to start the second, Lester would allow six straight batters to reach base, completely losing control of his fastball in the process. While Lester did have one runner reach on an infield single when Mike Aviles' absence at third forced a late throw to second, and anothe on a soft line drive that Carl Crawford couldn't pick off his shoetops, there's no real way to excuse Lester's terrible frame, which was capped off by a three-run shot off the bat of Derek Jeter.
With another pair of runs scoring in the third inning, Lester has already been lifted from the game. While the move comes with a view to possibly start Lester on Wednesday should the Sox find themselves in desperate need of a win, it's hard to put any faith in Lester with his last three starts having gone the way they have.