Bucholz, Lester impressive in sweep of Jays

-- As April comes to a close the Sox starting pitching rotation appears to be just getting fired up.

Clay Bucholz (2-2) pitched an impressive 1-run, 8-inning outing Tuesday, throwing 80 strikes out of a career-high 117 pitches in the 2-1 win over Toronto. The youngster's accurate and masterful performance was exactly what the doc ordered considering the Sox pen was worked heavily the night before.

Reliever Ramon Ramirez then stepped up big for a 1-2-3 9th inning when he was tapped to come in for a rare save situation.

The Sox took another game-winning lead change off a walked-in run Tuesday (the second in a week's time) as Mike Lowell pinch-hit with the bases loaded and 2 outs in the 8th, collecting a crucial walk in that at-bat for a 2-1 lead.

Then Wednesday Jon Lester had a much needed jolt of adrenaline to his season with a rock-solid 11 strikeout performance over 7 innings of 1-hit, shutout baseball. His effort led the Sox to a 2-0 win and a completed sweep of the Blue Jays.

The lefty was dominant for the first time in 2010, as his first 4 starts were nearly embarassing.

Darnell McDonald has continued to play amazingly huge for Boston, as he was responsible, in-part, for both Sox runs Wednesday. D-Mac fired up the 6th with an RBI-double and then advanced to 3rd base before scoring on a Pedroia sac fly.

As expected, the Sox have begun their ascent back to form and being the contenders everyone knows they can and will be. With the Jays sweep the Sox are now back to .500 at 11-11.

Boston heads to Baltmore for a series with the O's starting Friday, looking for another potential road sweep to put them right back in the thick of things with division rivals the Yankees and Rays up 2.5 and 5.5 games on the Sox respectively.
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