The endless references to the back of baseball cards is a frequent defense for veteran players who are struggling.
But in the case of Chicago Cubs pitcher Jon Lester, his track record goes a long way in considering who might start a third game of a best-of-three National League wild-card series.
“Definitely Jon’s experience goes a long way for me, and putting somebody out there that can handle the moment is very powerful,” Cubs manager David Ross said Tuesday in a conference call, one day after Lester pitched six scoreless innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates. “I’m going to bet on Jon Lester in a postseason environment before I would some kind of, maybe a rookie.
“That being said, you know Jon is still getting to a point where his caliber of pitching is up to the standards he expects to be.”
Lester, 36, has pitched six scoreless innings in two of his last three starts. That quieted some of the speculation that a spot in the playoff rotation might not be automatic after he allowed 23 earned runs in 23? innings over his previous five starts.
Lester is scheduled to make his final start of the regular season Saturday against the White Sox, who tagged him for eight runs, including four home runs, in 3? innings Aug. 22.
Lester raised questions about his future with the Cubs after a Sept. 16 start in which he was pulled after only five innings and 62 pitches.
But Ross viewed Lester’s performance Monday as step in the right direction, adding that Lester has risen to the occasion many times in the postseason, dating to his days with the Boston Red Sox, with whom he won two World Series (2007 and 2013).
“I don’t know that I can say that about a lot of people that have played within those environments,” Ross said. “He definitely takes it to the next level and is able to harness all the things that go with that and step out there and perform.
“So I don’t think the last start of the season is carrying the day for him, or for me, I should say. But I know he wants to be at his best and continue to work to be that guy that we can rely on.”
