Game 1 starter?

Maybe I'm overreacting to Josh Beckett's embarrassing outing on Sunday, but if the Red Sox make the playoffs, should Jon Lester be considered for Game 1 honors?

He won again tonight (12-4) as the Red Sox beat the Orioles 6-3, keeping pace with the red-hot Rays. The White Sox are winning; Twins are losing.

But the story is Lester. A day after Beckett couldn't come through, Lester put up his predictably fine line: one run on four hits and a walk with five strikeouts over seven innings. He's just money. Manny Delcarmen tried to blow it for him, but Jonathan Papelbon bailed him out with a four-out save.

NL: The Phillies and Marlins were off; the Mets lost, so the Phils gained ground. They're just 1.5 games out. Yea!