Levine: Cubs Turn To Jon Lester In Hopes Of Evening NLCS
By Bruce Levine--
LOS ANGELES (CBS) -- Being down a game to the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series is nothing new to the Cubs, who trailed 2-1 when the teams squared off in 2016 with a trip to the World Series on the line.
This time, the Cubs face a deficit earlier in the series after falling 5-2 in the NLCS opener in Los Angeles on Saturday night. To even the series, the Cubs are looking for the resiliency they've displayed time and again and also a strong outing from left-hander Jon Lester, who will start Game 2 on Sunday evening. The Dodgers counter with left-hander Rich Hill, a former Cub.
Lester is 9-7 with a 2.57 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 24 career postseason appearances, and that wins mark is second-best among active pitchers. He threw 55 pitches in 3 2/3 innings of relief in Game 4 of the NL Division Series on Wednesday, but Lester isn't concerned about that workload having any tiring effects after getting three days off.
"I'm not worried about it," Lester said. "I mean, it was just like work in between. I just got to do it in a game instead of on the side. So I don't think it's a problem. This time of year, you have to adjust and figure it out. We'll do that."
Lester also hopes the Cubs' offense picks it up. Excluding their nine-run outburst in Game 5 of the NLDS, the Cubs have averaged just 2.0 runs in their other five playoff games.
Of course, his goal is to render the Dodgers scoreless.
"You have to try and hold back momentum the best you can," Lester said. "You can't let those guys string hits together. You have to limit long at-bats, foul balls, stuff like that. So you are going to try and control that. You see these guys feed off of that energy, especially here at Dodger Stadium. If you can keep that down as best you can, I think it gives you a chance."
Lester relishes the playoffs, where he has 20 career starts, second-most among active pitchers. Teammate John Lackey has 23 career postseason starts.
"The biggest thing for us is the experience," Lester said of the Cubs, who have been to the NLCS three straight times now. "We learned a lot last year. I think we were down last year when we came in here. We were also down in the World Series. So we know we can come back in big situations."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
