Will we see vintage Jon Lester lead the Chicago Cubs to a win on Saturday?

Chicago Cubs left-hander Jon Lester looks to buck some troubling home-road splits on Saturday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field against the White Sox.

It hasn’t been the best of first halves for the Chicago Cubs. The club barely fought off a four-game sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this week, feeding off Joe Maddon‘s fiery ejection in the finale and turning it into a win.

Maddon’s club enters Saturday’s series opener on the South Side just one-half game out of first in the National League Central, despite putting up a dismal 3-7 record over their last 10 games. With just two games left in the first half, the team is still very much in the hunt in the postseason picture – but three more months of play like we’ve seen of late won’t get the job done.

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Saturday showcases a pair of ace hurlers at very different stages in their career. The White Sox send All-Star hurler Lucas Giolito to the bump in search of his 12th win of the season – while the Cubs counter with gritty veteran Jon Lester, who’s experienced his share of ups and downs already this year.

His last three times out, Lester has shown signs of getting back on track. He’s pitched to a 3.12 ERA across that trio of starts, spanning 17 innings. Chicago won two of those three outings – and the lefty did not allow more than three earned in any of those contests.

Still, he’s had his share of struggles – on the road this year, he’s put up a disappointing 5.67 ERA away from the Friendly Confines. At home, he’s been his usual dominant self, twirling to the tune of a 2.42 mark. 

While a matchup with the crosstown rival White Sox doesn’t decide much in terms of the division race, given the team’s recent play, this series feels much bigger than it would otherwise. Rick Renteria‘s club has been a surprise in the American League Central, carrying a 41-43 mark with a very real chance of heading into the All-Star Break at the .500 mark – something the Sox haven’t managed since 2016, when they turned in a 45-36 mark in the first half.

With a young core on the rise, featuring the likes of former Cubs prospects Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease, the Sox are no longer a noncompetitive punching bag for the rest of the league. The power landscape in the city could be changing – and that’s something that doesn’t escape anyone – on either side of the rivalry.

On Saturday, the Cubs turn to one of the game’s best big game pitchers in Lester. When the stakes are high – and make no mistake, they’re high this weekend – this guy shows up. If the five-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion helps set the tone in the opener, we just might head into the break feeling a bit better about what the rest of the season may hold.