Chicago Cubs: Takeaways from the team’s Opening Night loss
By Jake Misener
Expect more fluidity between Lester, Contreras
Make no mistake, Jon Lester didn’t pitch poorly on Sunday night.
His line tells you that much.
More from Cubbies Crib
- Cubs should keep close eye on non-tender candidate Cody Bellinger
- Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
- Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
- Cubs are giving pitcher Javier Assad a deserved shot
- Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups
He allowed just one earned run (that wouldn’t have scored had Javier Baez not lost a ball in signage behind home plate) and struck out seven over five-plus frames. Granted, a high pitch count forced him from the game earlier than he probably had hoped for, but, while he was on the mound, he gave his team a chance to win.
Lester was visibly frustrated at multiple times last night. As I pointed out in the recap of the game, it’s hard to tell whether he was mad at himself or at pitch-calling. But that’s exactly the point.
David Ross knew exactly when and how to calm down Lester. It’s a tall task for Contreras, entering his first full big-league campaign. Still, for the Cubs to have success in 2017, they’ll need to get on the same page – and quickly.
If they don’t, you could see a worn-down Lester come postseason time.