Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester takes ribbing in stride

ST. LOUIS — Boston Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester said he has received some good-natured ribbing from his friends and his wife about his penchant for sweating profusely.

But Lester is more prepared for the scrutiny he will face Monday night in his first start since he was alleged to have a foreign substance on his glove when he pitched 72/3 scoreless innings Wednesday to beat the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 1 of the World Series.

“I’m sure there’s going to be focus on my glove and focus on my hands and what I’m doing,” Lester said Sunday. “But I’ve got to worry about the Cardinals. If I’m worried about what people are looking at, I’m worried about the wrong things.”

Lester said he had rosin in his glove to help him grip the baseball. The allegations were made on Twitter by a Cardinals minor league pitcher.

Enjoying the ride

Left-hander Matt Thornton isn’t discouraged about being left off Boston’s Series roster after reaching the postseason for the first time since 2008 with the Chicago White Sox.

“I just never found consistency,” said Thornton, who had a 3.52 earned-run average in 20 appearances with the Red Sox..”

Dazed and confused

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright said he didn’t see the errant throw or the obstruction call on third baseman Will Middlebrooks that enabled Allen Craig to score the winning run in Game 3.

“I got out about halfway out there [on the field] and saw Craig out by a couple feet, and started tiptoeing backward into the dugout and saw they called him safe,” Wainwright said. “I thought, wow, I think I’ve just witnessed the worst call in the history of the game at home plate, only to find out there was obstruction.

“So there were four of five times I didn’t know what the heck was going on.”

mgonzales@tribune.com