In a long-expected development, the Boston Red Sox announced Thursday that Jon Lester would start Opening Day.
The left-hander, who helped the Red Sox win the World Series last fall, will pitch Monday against the Orioles in Baltimore.
“I know, earth-shattering news, and the world is round. So he starts Monday,” manager John Farrell said Thursday in Fort Myers, Fla.
Lester, 30, will pitch the season opener for the fourth time. He is coming off a World Series in which he went 2-0 with a 0.59 ERA as the Red Sox topped the St. Louis Cardinals. In five postseason starts, Lester went 4-1 with a 1.56 ERA.
In the 2013 regular season, Lester finished 15-8 with a 3.75 ERA.
A two-time All-Star, Lester has a 100-56 career record and a 3.76 ERA in eight seasons with Boston.