Lester 2, Cancer 0

How does a man match a World Series clinching win?

By throwing a no-hitter, of course.

Jon Lester threw the Major's first no-hitter of 2008 and, in the process, showed Red Sox fans a glimpse of what kept him from becoming a Minnesota Twin. 130 pitches, 8 strikeouts and two walks later, Lester was being picked up by his catcher and celebrating like an eight-year-old girl who just got Hannah Montana tickets.

"It's something I'll remember forever," said Lester, who became the first Red Sox lefty to no-hit a team since Mel Parnell (you remember him, right?) did it on July 14, 1956. "A lot of excitement.

"I think I had more adrenaline going in the ninth inning than I had in the first inning, which I guess is normal for that situation," Lester said after throwing 130 pitches.

The thing that was most impressive about Lester's no-no, other than the fact that he didn't give up a hit, was his velocity, especially in the later innings. Lester topped out at 96 miles an hour on the last pitch of the game, striking out Alberto Callaspo swinging to finish the magic at Fenway. He finally showed us all a glimpse of what made him the Red Sox' most prized prospect.

In his return from cancer last season, Lester topped out at a modest 91-92 mph, not showing the mid-90's fastball that had Red Sox scouts and management drooling when they drafted him 57th overall in the 2002 draft. Things have changed this season though, as Lester has improved his velocity, finding the 92-94 range regularly and being able to dial it up a few extra notches when need be.

This can go one of two ways for Lester now: This can be another building block for him, another step towards becoming a top-of-the-rotation starter for the Red Sox for years to come.

Or (hopefully not) Lester can go the way of another former Sox prospect, Anibal Sanchez, and throw a no-hitter, followed up with almost nothing and being just another pitcher who got lucky one night.

I don't see the latter happening.