Derek Lowe, who could barely pitch a solid inning in relief last year, threw a no-hitter today. And that’s after he threw seven shutout innings in his first start of the year. Now he’s 4-1 with a 2.04 ERA.

Add to that the good news that Pedro appears to be back for good after another sterling performance last time out and John Burkett‘s surprising performance so far, and we’re looking at a pitching staff that — while it doesn’t hold a candle to the Yankees, A’s or Mariners — is not the complete disaster many thought it would be.

So much is going right for the first-place Red Sox. Nomar is healthy and hitting, Shea Hillenbrand has learned how to take a pitch, Johnny Damon‘s showing last year was a fluke, and Tony Clark should come around eventually.

Boston has a nice little team, but I still doubt that they’ll be able to hold off the Yankees for an entire season. But they could give them a fight into September, and it should be fun to see how things go. Heartburn-inducing, yes, but fun nonetheless.