Lester right on course

Lefthander Jon Lester took another significant step toward a return to Boston, allowing just one run on five hits in five innings in Pawtucket last night.

Lester retired the first 11 batters of the game and left with the score tied at 1. He walked one and struck out one while throwing 65 pitches, 39 for strikes. The PawSox defeated Ottawa, 3-2.

It was Lester's second start in a second 30-day rehab assignment. The Sox have the option of recalling him at any time in that period, but are expected to use the full 30 days to let him build arm strength. The team's intention at the end of his last rehab stint, before he sustained cramping in his forearm, was to option him to Pawtucket. In four starts for Pawtucket, two in each rehab assignment, Lester has a 1.62 ERA, having allowed just three earned runs in 16 2/3 innings.

First baseman Kevin Youkilis goes into Texas with a career-best 16-game hitting streak, the second-longest active streak in the majors behind Derek Jeter's 18-game streak. Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners also has a 16-game hitting streak.

Youkilis is ranked fourth in the American League in hitting with a .347 average, behind two Yankees, Jorge Posada and Jeter, who are tied for the league lead at .367, and Detroit's Magglio Ordonez (.361) . Youkilis has hit in 19 of 20 games he has played this month, the only exception being an 0 for 4 in Minnesota May 4.

During his streak, Youkilis is batting .443 (31 for 70), with 10 doubles, 4 home runs, 13 runs, and 16 RBIs.

Baseball Prospectus researched how many teams have rebounded from a 10-game deficit in the standings to qualify for the playoffs. Although only three teams -- the '95 Mariners, the '02 Athletics, and '06 Twins -- have come back from 10-game deficits to win a division title, 11 of 24 wild-card teams have come back to make the playoffs. Five of those teams had fallen to 10 back by the 41-game mark, including the 1995 Yankees, who predated Joe Torre. So did the '02 Angels and '03 Marlins, both World Series winners.

Two Red Sox teams made the list. The Sons of Jimy Williams were 10 1/2 games back of the Yankees after 59 games on June 6, 1998, and won the wild card. Terry Francona's first team, the 2004 edition, trailed the Yankees by 10 1/2 games after 107 games Aug. 6, '04, won the wild card, the ALCS, and the World Series.

The Yankees -- 9 1/2 games behind the Red Sox -- are seven games behind the Indians in the wild-card race, but have four teams in front of them: the White Sox, Athletics, Mariners, and Twins.

Curt Schilling stretched the language in his 38pitches.com blog when he said his 8-3 loss to the Yankees Wednesday night was "a craptastic finish to what could have been a nice series." Added Schilling: "We ended up getting through six but I struggled to do it. 24 base runners in the past 12 innings means there isn't just one problem here. From lack of command to horrible execution, the problems run the gamut. This game always is and always will be about making adjustments and right now there is a plethora of adjustments that need to be made."

Schilling also reminded that the annual 100-innings marathon game to raise money for ALS is scheduled for tomorrow and Sunday at Adams Field in Quincy. Go to www.100innings.com for more details.

Gordon Edes can be reached at edes@globe.com.