In 2007, for whatever reason (inexperience, recovering from cancer, etc.) Jon Lester struggled to get through the 6th inning.  He admitted later that he was thinking too much and his pace was too slow...the result was a 4-0 record, but with 8 NDs.

In 2008, with a few added pounds of muscle and a full spring training under his belt, Lester pitched with confidence and purpose and the result was a Cy Young caliber season: 16-6 with a 3.21 ERA.

Some would argue that batters simply struggled against Lester due to lack of scouting on the young lefty, but Lester's goal in 2008 was to trust his abilities and pick up the pace.  He did... and the it made a world of difference.

In 2008 Lester averaged 5.7 innings per start and made it into the 6th inning just four times in 11 starts (36%).  In 2008, he went 6+ in 20 of his 33 starts (60%) and averaged 6.36 IP/GS... enabling him to win 16 games on the season.

For good reason Red Sox Nation expected another, if not better, performance from Lester in 2009, but so far he has looked more like the 2007 version.  Though eight starts, Lester has averaged 5.8 innings and has only reached the 6th inning twice... not coincidentally, his two wins in 2009 came from those two games.

Lester spent the spring working on a new pitch to help keep batter on their toes - knowing that he was no longer an "unknown" in the league.  Maybe he's trying to hard to mix up his pitches... or maybe the hitters have found a weakness or a tell in his delivery... or maybe he's simply overthinking things again.

Bottom Line: The strikeouts are still there (6.75 per GS) but he's already given up 10 homers (4 shy of his season total for '08 and he fallen into a bad habit of imploding in the 5th or 6th inning... just like he did in 2007.

I watch all the games, but I'm not John Farrell... I'd love to hear what you guys think the problem is... or maybe you don't think there is one. Looking forward to your comments.

Rob - www.bottomlinesox.com

Wake has looked better lately and Penny looked sharp in his first spring start... but there are still concerns with both pitchers. Meanwhile, Clay Buchholz has also been pitching well, but he may be forced to wait his turn in Pawtucket.

That said, it's a long season and anything can happen... so I ask you Red Sox fans:

Who will win more games in 2009: Wake, Penny or Bucky?

Discuss here at OTM and cast your vote at The Bottom Line blog!

Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis took some time out of his holiday schedule to answer questions from the readers of The Bottom Line blog. Here's a peek:

This past season was full of career bests for you: .312 BA, 29 HR, 115 RBI... but your numbers have typically faded in the second half. Did you do something different in the pre-season or during the season this year to make sure you didn't "burn out."

I didn't do anything different, but just didn't have any of the little, nagging injuries that I'd had to play through in the past. I work hard every off-season to be in the best possible shape, and just was able to carry it through the season a little better last year. Plus, I was a little more aggressive in certain counts and game situations, and that helped my power and productivity numbers.

Youk also discussed finding his used undies on ebay, his funky batting stance and his favorite moments as a Red Sox... clikc over and read more at The Bottom Line.