Chicago Cubs: Takeaways from the team’s Opening Night loss

Expect more fluidity between Lester, Contreras

Make no mistake, Jon Lester didn’t pitch poorly on Sunday night.

His line tells you that much.

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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.

Next: Talking Cubs-Cardinals with ESPN's Aaron Boone