Sports Redux: Pitchers' Duel

Pitchers' Duel: A dramatic event with little scoring and no margin for error. Jon Lester and Brian Bannister demonstrated what the term meant last night as each man carried a shutout into the eighth inning in a 1-0 Red Sox win over Kansas City.

Lester (8-6) lost his bid for his second no-hitter versus Kansas City in the second inning. Admit it, you thought he'd do it again. Lester pitched eight innings, struck out eight and allowed four hits and no runs on 115 pitches. According to NESN, Lester's ERA is now under 4.00.

Bannnister allowed the first hit to the Sox in the fifth inning. He left with two outs in the seventh after allowing one run on three hits. Jacoby Ellsbury's single was Boston''s first hit in the fifth. He was called out at home, but appeared safe, after his attempted steal and was ejected after slamming his helmet to the ground

American League MVP Dustin Pedroia doubled in the eighth to score Aaron Bates with the winning run. Bates enterred the game as a pinch runner for Mark Kotsay, who led off the inning with a single. Jonathan Paplebon needed just 11 pitches to secure his 23rd save in 25 chances.

With all your questions answered, Bostonist asks another: Who should play Kevin Youkilis in the potential Moneyball movie? It's based on the book of the same name that details Oakland As G.M. Billy Beane's approach to scouting/drafting players and his affinity for Youkilis as a player. So, readers, we await your suggestions.

With summer finally here and baseball's All-Star Game looming, today was the day the Globe decided to publish the Bruins preseason schedule for 2009-10. If you want some hockey talk, consider that someone named Yuri Alexandrov is apparently doing well at development camp.

Signing Rasheed Wallace will have to be it for Celtics fans for now as Grant Hill is staying in Phoenix. Bostonist wonders if this might extend the Big Baby era for the Green.