Sox finish off sweep with win over Rays

Lester and Youkilis lead the way in victory

MLB. In a matchup of young left-handers, a visibly confident Jon Lester decisively won the mound battle over Sox-killer Scott Kazmir yesterday afternoon.

The 24-year-old Lester, working with good tempo and effectively mixing all his pitches, shook aside temporary struggles during the first two innings and led his Sox to a 7-3 win over the Rays at Fenway Park.

The win completed the three-game sweep for the Sox and gave the suddenly streaking Olde Towne Team their desired revenge after the Rays swept Boston in St. Pete a week ago.

Lester dropped his ERA to 3.94, while limiting the Rays offense to four hits and a single earned run in six innings of work, and he became the third consecutive Sox starting pitcher to earn a win this weekend. The Sox southpaw was obviously feeling his way through the first two frames and moving at a glacial pace, but the youngster quickened things up in the third inning and allowed only four baserunners after that point.

“[Lester] is taking steps,” Sox catcher Jason Varitek said of the young lefty. “He’s continuing to do that. We even added some stuff today to his repertoire, and we’re really expanding what he can do.”

Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis was the offensive star of the day, collecting three hits and knocking in four runs as a sub for David Ortiz in the batting order’s No. 3 spot. Big Papi was a last minute scratch from the lineup due to “tightness” in his surgically repaired right knee, and Youk filled Ortiz’s Papi-sized shoes quite nicely.

“He’s a solid bat,” said Sox third baseman Mike Lowell of Youkilis. “He’s the kind of guy that’s not going to change his approach whether he’s batting first, second or third.”

A Youkilis sacrifice fly started things off in the first inning and a Manny Ramirez RBI double off the left field wall made it a 3-0 Sox lead after three innings.

The Rays touched up embattled reliever Manny Delcarmen for two runs in the seventh inning to get back in the ballgame, but the Papajima show slammed the door on Tampa Bay over the final 2 2/3 innings.