Jon Lester sharp in his debut, but Cubs fall to Reds, 5-2

The long-awaited debut of

for the Chicago Cubs is in the books, and the lefty ace did not disappoint. Lester worked two innings, striking out three, while allowing one hit. He was long gone before things fell apart for the Cubs in the seventh, as they fell to the Cincinnati Reds, 5-2.

The Cubs (0-2) took an early lead on a Jonathan Herrera single of Pedro Villarreal, scoring Matt Szczur to give them a 1-0 lead. Cubs pitching held the Reds (2-2) scoreless through six, including an inning from another Cubs debut by Jason Motte–who pitched a scoreless inning in the third.

The wheels came off for Brian Schlitter however in the seventh. Jesse Winker grounded out to Herrera at short, allowing Jason Duran to score to tie the game at 1-1. Kyle Skipworth singled up the middle to score Donald Lutz, and the Reds were up 2-1.

Brennan Boesch then launched a three-run shot over the head of Albert Almora in center, posting the Reds to a 5-1 lead. The outing for Schlitter was disappointing, as his struggles that he suffered with the second half of last year appear to still be present.

Cubs prospect Christian Villanueva knocked in their only other run in the eighth with a sacrifice fly, scoring Adron Chambers.

What Stood Out:

Lester had the kind of debut we all hoped, looking sharp from the start, using his breaking ball effectively while at one point striking out three in a row. Much of the hope for success starts with him anchoring the Cubs rotation.

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Schlitter’s struggles are concerning. Last season he was a key part of the bullpen in the first half, but it seemed he seemed to wear out, and was never the same after a short-stint on the DL. The Cubs have more than enough arms to fill the bullpen, but the performance today will hinder his chances this spring of being one of them.

What’s Next:

The Cubs will head to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick to face the Colorado Rockies (0-3).

Jason Hammel will make his first start since returning to the Cubs after being traded last season to Oakland. Jorge De La Rosa is expected to start for the Rockies.

Next: What role will Ross play with the Cubs?