When Lester finally blew a fastball past Sizemore for strike three to end the threat, his father, John, and Kathie jumped up and pumped their fists in celebration. However, she quickly sat back down and resumed her doubled-up position, seemingly afraid to watch anymore.

Lester said having his parents on hand made his return more special.

“It meant a lot,” he said. “They’ve been through a lot. It was a long offseason, so it was good to have them here to enjoy the moment.”

At a time when sports headlines were dominated by an NBA betting scandal, Michael Vick’s alleged dogfighting involvement and an ongoing steroid investigation that has tainted Barry Bonds’ chase of Henry Aaron’s home run record, along came Lester.

“Wow, it’s a great story,” knuckleballer Tim Wakefield said. “It’s been a long road for him.”

Lester’s comeback has inspired the Red Sox, who were marveling at his composure and maturity long before he began chemotherapy.

Lester, who became the first Red Sox rookie lefty to win his first five decisions, had eased into Boston’s rotation when cancer imperiled his young life. But by December, he was throwing again and he showed up at training camp two weeks before pitchers and catchers were due.

Although he appeared ready, the Red Sox decided to bring Lester along slowly, allowing him to pitch in the minors for more than three months before recalling him Monday from Triple-A Pawtucket.

Lester’s return figured to be an emotional one for his immediate family and those who love him for the beloved “B” on his cap.

“This isn’t even about baseball,” Curt Schilling said. “It just doesn’t get any better the way a guy like that comes back to us. It’s about family. The big thing is he’s a great human being and that makes it an even better story. That wasn’t your run-of-the-mill DL stint.”

Notes: Red Sox DH David Ortiz missed his third straight game after injuring his left shoulder on a slide Friday. Ortiz hit off a tee before the game and plans to take batting practice on Tuesday. “Every day it feels better,” he said. Ortiz noted that he got hurt trying to stretch a single by challenging the arm of Chicago right fielder Jermaine Dye. “I’ve run on him two times and both times I was out, and both times I got hurt,” he said. ... Garko extended his hitting streak to 16 games. He’s batting .463 over the span. ... Manny Delcarmen pitched three innings for his first career save. ... The Red Sox stopped a six-game road losing streak.

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