Jon Lester got off to an incredible start in Game 1 of the ALDS, but a bad call behind the plate cost him a second inning strikeout, and the very next pitch gave the Rays a 1-0 lead.
With the shadows in at Fenway Park, Lester came out throwing fire against the top half of Tampa's lineup. Hitting 97 miles per hour on the radar gun, Lester sat down Desmond Jennings, Ben Zobrist, and Wil Myers, all three swinging at strike three. And after the Red Sox came up scoreless in the bottom half of the first, leaving Shane Victorino on second base after being hit in the foot, he came right back up and struck out Evan Longoria to make it four straight swinging strikeouts to start the game.
The streak wouldn't run to five, but Delmon Young could only hit a flare to second base, allowing Dustin Pedroia to make the grab for the first out from Boston's defense. Then this happened:
(Via Brooksbaseball.net)
That's strikeout number five at the bottom of the zone there. A strikeout, clear as can be. Except called a ball. Then that next pitch, right down the middle, is Sean Rodriguez' Monster shot. See both ends here in GIF form:
Yes, the Rays are on top, and in the most frustrating fashion possible.