"Actually I told Boz (pitching coach Chris Bosio) after that sixth I had been kind of grinding for the last couple innings," Lester said. "So just from pitch one, knowing kind of the circumstances and what was going on, I had to be perfect from pitch one. I had to execute. I couldn't make mistakes. Really the homer I gave up (to Jose Ramirez in the second) was a really good pitch that the guy put a really good swing on.



"So it had been a grind the two previous innings leading up to the sixth, and I told them."