It was Social Media Night at Wrigley Field, and the Cubs came away with a clean victory against the Reds behind another gem from Jon Lester. The lefty shined, the Cubs came through with timely hits against what amounted to the lion’s share of the Reds bullpen, and one of BP Wrigleyville’s own made known his desperation to all those who watched the broadcast. It was an unabashed success.
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Top Play: The man of the night was Lester, through and through. All night, he mixed his pitches well and hit his spots precisely, keeping Reds hitters cool. It was in another facet of his game, however, that Lester instigated the ballgame’s most impactful play.
After a first inning in which Dexter Fowler worked an eight-pitch at-bat and the rest of the Cubs tired out Reds spot start Josh Smith (who had thrown 62 pitches in relief on Saturday), Smith managed to get Jason Heyward and Javier Baez to fly out quickly to begin the second. David Ross managed a two-out, two-strike single, and Lester confidently strode to the plate.
The lefty jumped on the first pitch. Josh Smith apparently did not expect the pitcher with eight career hits to pounce, but Lester punished the offering. A beautiful swing (seriously, the slow-motion replay was great) produced a hard struck line drive all the way to the wall in right-center field, and David Ross raced around the bags from first, scoring the game’s first run (+.125). It was Lester’s third double of the year, and it was also the first time that Ross had scored from first on a double in six years.
Bottom Play: Lester again, with feeling. It’s rare that the Cubs’ “worst” play of the game gives a window into a player’s standout performance, but here we are. In the third, Lester battled Tyler Holt deep into the count before plunking him on the right big toe with a slider. A fly out brought Reds pitcher Smith to the plate.
The Cubs deployed a defensive scheme against the prospective bunt that they have a handful of times in the past: Anthony Rizzo came in far from first, prepared to field the bunt with the skittish-fielding Lester on the mound, and Ben Zobrist moved to hold the runner at first. Addison Russell remained to the left of second base, at the natural shortstop position, leaving a chasm between first and second, taunting a hitter like an open net beckons a skater to take rink-long shots in hockey.
Smith failed to bunt his first attempt, and a Lester pitchout failed to catch Holt running. Smith then squared again, but pulled the bat back early and slashed at Lester’s pitch. The ball found the gap where Zobrist used to be, and Holt advanced to third (-.077). It’s a testament to Lester that it was the most negatively impactful play on the Cubs’ chances of winning.
Key Moment: The Cubs harbored a 1-0 lead into the fourth, their first inning versus new reliever Wandy Peralta. The lefty Peralta walked Jason Heyward to lead off the inning, but found two outs on the ground in the form of Baez and Ross. Lester stepped to the plate with two outs again, at the risk of stranding Heyward on second and clinging to a mere one-run lead. Peralta forgot how to throw strikes, though, perhaps scared of the mighty Lester’s hitting prowess. Three straight balls preceded two strikes, but Peralta missed inside to walk Lester and roll the Cubs’ lineup over to the top. Dexter Fowler promptly singled to center, scoring Heyward. Kris Bryant blooped a double to right, misplayed by Joey Votto (who, er, did not have a great game), and Anthony Rizzo singled, bringing the lead to 5-0.
Trend to Watch: In 19 starts this season, Lester has allowed one or zero runs. This recap has been effusive, so I won’t linger, but he’s built an impressive sophomore season in Chicago. He leads the NL in wins, ranks second to Kyle Hendricks in MLB in ERA, and is at the height of his powers heading into the most important part of the year: October. His quiet excellence is always a trend to watch.
Carl Edwards, Jr., also posted a good eighth inning, despite allowing two baserunners. He made Joey Votto look the fool at the plate—a noteworthy feat to tell one’s grandchildren—and escaped a first-and-third jam with a strikeout to end the inning. He touched 98 on the gun, and will factor heavily into the Cubs’ postseason bullpen plans.
After scuffling for the first three weeks of September, Kris Bryant quietly put up a three-hit night on Tuesday. His double was flukey, but he added two singles, and brought his month’s average above .200. Possibly the Cubs’ biggest key to postseason success is having Bryant and Rizzo hitting well, so Bryant rousing from his September slumber would be welcome.
Coming Next: With the magic number to clinch home-field advantage at four, the Cubs look to sweep Cincinnati and leave the Nationals in their rearview. John Lackey (3.83 DRA, 3.42 ERA) faces the righty Robert Stephenson (5.84 DRA, 4.97 ERA in five starts). The Reds hope to kidnap a victory before heading to Milwaukee, while the Cubs will remain in Wrigley to face St. Louis. The 8:05 CDT game will be on WGN for those of you with fancy televisions, 670 WSCR for those looking to gather ’round the family radio.
Lead photo courtesy Caylor Arnold—USA Today Sports