Chicago Cubs: Jon Lester’s five best starts as a Cub

Chicago Cubs: Lester shut down the Dodgers to set up the pennant clincher at Wrigley Field

NLCS game five was a huge swing game in the series. Tied 2-2, the winner was going to come within one win of the World Series. Pitching in a hostile environment at Dodger Stadium, Lester reminded everyone he thrives in postseason pressure when the stakes are high.

Lester shut down the Dodgers with seven dominant innings of one-run ball, giving up only five hits and walking one. He threw 67 strikes on 108 pitches. This was the famous, “I think we got him” game when Javier Baez made an amazing bare-handed play on an Adrian Gonzalez bunt towards second that had to be reviewed.

Lester’s pitching efforts were big through seven innings as the game was still close until the eighth inning when the Cubs scored five runs. The final score looked more like a blowout, but every out recorded by Lester was needed before the Cubs broke it open. His efforts in that game and in that series helped earn him NLCS Co-MVP.

Final Line: 7.0 IP / 1 R / 1 ER / 5 H / 1 BB / 6 K