Baseball is Life on the Road: Atlanta

Flashback: September 1, 2006, Red Sox rookie pitcher Jon Lester, 7-2 on the season, has been diagnosed with lymphoma and required to begin immediate treatment, ending his season. Lester is 22 years old.
How does a person deal with that news? By accepting the embrace of his family, counting on the resources of his faith, allowing his friends to be his friends and seeking the best medical assistance available.
And when those elements fall together, wonderful things can happen.
Flashback: July 23, 2007, Second year Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester made a triumphant return to the mound in Cleveland tonight, gaining a victory over the Indians. And on this one night, not even the losing team could be upset about the loss. Lester, diagnosed with lymphoma less than a year ago, overcame his nerves to demonstrate his return to the form that made Sox fans' hearts beat faster with each appearance last year. The lefthander is 23 years old.
What a night that was! With his parents in the stands, the kid came back and was awesome. The Sox brass was right on target in handling Lester, letting him stay at Pawtucket and make 3 more starts after everyone said he was ready for his return to the bigs. They made sure. The good baseball fans of Cleveland are also due a tip of the cap. They knew what was happening, and even if they wanted their club to win, they certainly weren't rooting against the Sox pitcher.
Flashback: May 19, 2008, Jon Lester pitched the 18th no hit, no run game in Red Sox history, throttling the Kansas City Royals. Lester, whose victory over cancer in 2006-2007 will always be the biggest victory of his life, was never in danger tonight. He got stronger as the game wore on, still throwing in the mid-90's in the ninth inning as he worked toward the 130th and final pitch of the game. The celebration was marked by a bearhug from catcher Jason Varitek. The Red Sox captain tied a Major League record courtesy of Lester's effectiveness: this was Varitek's fourth no hitter caught, tying him with Ray Schalk of the White Sox for most times behind the plate for a no-no. Another touching moment came with Terry Francona's embrace. The emotion was evident as the manager, often described by Lester as a second father from the growth of their relationship during Jon's illness. The pitcher told Joe Castiglione and Dave O'Brien during the post-game interview that there are few people, much less managers, like Tito.
Friends, there are few people so young who have lived the valleys and mountaintops of life that Jon Lester has. He is 24 years old, and his future has never been brighter. And baseball is going pretty well, too!