No No No No!

"He's not just a good kid because he threw a no-hitter," Terry Francona said. "He's a good kid because he's a good kid."
(Reuters Photo)
Jon Lester pitched a no-hitter for the Red Sox tonight. Amazing. The miracle boy, 24-year-old cancer survivor, who already came back to win the last game of the 2007 World Series last year, with another career moment. The local TV news just reported that he had invited his girlfriend's parents to see him pitch tonight. I imagine they were suitably impressed!

He pitched really well, but an amazing diving catch in centerfield (video) by who else, wonder boy Jacoby Ellsbury, in the fourth made it possible.

Boston Herald: Photo by Matthew West
Boston Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury dove to catch Jose Guillen’s line drive to end the 4th inning.
Everyone is always excited when a pitcher throws a no-hitter but you could see all the emotion from the players and coaches who watched Lester battle and come back from his cancer diagnosis. If you didn't have a tear in your eye as the game ended you are one cold MF.

Another record-setter tonight is Jason Varitek who is now the only catcher in the modern era to catch four no-hitters (Hideo Nomo, Derek Lowe, Clay Buchholz, and now Lester). If Curt Schilling hadn't shaken him off with two outs in the ninth of his no-hitter last June and thrown the slider Varitek called for (instead of the fastball that got smoked) Varitek may have caught his fifth no-hitter tonight.

The last two no-hitters in the majors are now the Red Sox (Clay Buchholz's in September being the previous.)

ProJo Sports Blog: Here is the full list of no-hitters for the franchise:

May 19, 2008: Jon Lester, vs. Kansas City
Sept. 1, 2007: Clay Buchholz, vs. Baltimore
April 27, 2002: Derek Lowe, vs. Tampa Bay
April 4, 2001: Hideo Nomo, at Baltimore
Sept. 16, 1965: Dave Morehead, vs. Cleveland
Aug. 1, 1962: Bill Monbouquette, at Chicago
June 26, 1962: Earl Wilson, vs. Los Angeles
July 14, 1956: Mel Parnell, vs. Chicago
Sept. 7, 1923: Howard Ehmke, at Philadelphia
June 3, 1918: Hub Leonard, at Detroit
June 23, 1917: Babe Ruth and Ernie Shore, vs. Washington
Aug. 30, 1916: Hub Leonard, vs. St. Louis
June 16, 1916: Rube Foster, vs. New York
July 19, 1911: Smokey Joe Wood, vs. St. Louis
June 30, 1908: Cy Young, at New York
Sept. 27, 1905: Bill Dinneen, vs. Chicago
Aug. 17, 1904: Jesse Tannehill, vs. Chicago
May 5, 1904: Cy Young, vs. Philadelphia

Boston Herald: Jon Lester to Royals: No way
Sox lefty unhittable at Fenway

Boston Globe: Lester throws no-hitter against Royals

Joy of Sox: JON LESTER PITCHES A NO-HITTER!!!

AP: Cancer survivor Lester throws no-hitter vs Royals