Lester nets second career weekly honor
A's lefty dominant in earning pair of wins as division race heats up
After winning twice last week to help keep the A's in line for the American League's top Wild Card spot, Jon Lester has been named the AL Player of the Week.
The A's left-hander went 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA over two starts, striking out 15 in 14 innings. It's Lester's second career weekly honor and his first while with Oakland.
In his start on Tuesday, Lester threw eight innings in an 11-2 win over the White Sox. He gave up two runs on seven hits and struck out five, needing 107 pitches to win his first decision since Aug. 12 and his fourth since he joined Oakland via a July 31 trade.
Against the Mariners on Sunday, Lester threw six scoreless innings, striking out seven and allowing four hits. This year, Lester has 15 wins, a total he has reached six times in his nine-year career. He has also reached the 200-inning mark for the sixth time in his last seven seasons.
Lester is 15-10 with a 2.45 ERA and 206 strikeouts over 205 2/3 innings and 30 starts this year between Boston and Oakland. He ranks third in the AL in ERA, is tied for third in wins and is fifth in innings and strikeouts.