“It’s my right hand, ” Lester said. “I don’t need it”, the Cubs’ big-money left-hander deadpanned after earning his ninth consecutive victory.
Advertisement
Lester (18-4) took over the National League lead in victories, lowered his second-in-MLB ERA to 2.36 and might have settled into the driver’s seat of the league’s Cy Young race on a night he pitched seven impressive innings without a walk despite admittedly not having his best command.
When he gave up a two-out run on a single and triple in the fifth Tuesday, it snapped a 21-inning scoreless streak dating to September 2. Lester, who reached on a walk and advanced to second Fowler’s hit, made it 3-0 when he scored on a Bryant double that started as a pop up to short right and dropped in for a hit. Lester is 8-0 with a 1.47 ERA in his last 11 starts.
“Coming out of the pen, it matters right now”, Maddon said.
Rizzo had a two-run single in a four-run fourth and a run-scoring single in the sixth to give him 104 RBI.
Jason Heyward hit a home run in the eighth inning on Monday night off Blake Wood, the 242nd long ball the Reds have given up this season.
After convincing manager Joe Maddon he was OK, Lester went on to complete his seven-inning outing and give the Cubs (96-55) more momentum heading toward the end of the regular season.
“Like I said, not unlike a spring training situation, while within the context we’re just going out there playing the same game, we’re trying to win this game”. The right-hander retired his last 14 batters and finished with just 87 pitches. RHP Jason Hammel’s 15th victory on Monday made him the fourth Cub with 15 or more wins, the first time Chicago has had that many since 1935 (Larry French, Bill Lee, Charlie Root and Lon Warneke).
His competition includes teammate Kyle Hendricks.
Then again, the Cubs could also get to see the Mets and Giants burn Noah Syndergaard and Madison Bumgarner in a wild-card game, or if the St. Louis rotation will again be running on fumes by October 7, creating flashbacks to last year’s playoffs.
“It’s a good opportunity”, said Smith, who threw 62 pitches Saturday.
“All things being equal, I would rather clinch early and have the ability to rest guys. I’ll be there. I’ll be ready”.
Ross singled to right with two out in the second and rounded the bases to score on Lester’s double to deep right center. Since the Reds still have 12 (!) games remaining this season, including nine against the homer happy Cubs and Cardinals, they’re poised to climb well over 250 homers allowed, maybe even 260.
Chicago Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo watches his RBI single off Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Abel De Lo … “It’s hard to go through but the only way these guys are going to learn how to pitch up here is to pitch”.
Right-hander Homer Bailey reportedly continues to deal with a sore right biceps and skipped a scheduled bullpen late last week. Manager Bryan Price said the game would have a “bullpen flavor” to it.
Hector Rondon got two outs and Mike Montgomery pitched a scoreless inning before Maddon went to Joe Smith for a game-ending strikeout of Steve Selsky. “We know there’s a pitcher hitting and the Cubs’ pitchers will be aggressive on a first-pitch fastball”.
“It’ll definitely be a huge honor”, he said, dismissing both as secondary issues.
Advertisement
The Reds look to shake out of their slump and get back in the win column on Wednesday night as they face off against the Major League Baseball leading Cubs at Wrigley Field as they will send Robert Stephenson to the mound to face off against John Lackey.
