With The Wife away at a conference and the kiddos having all kinds of summer activities, I’m playing the role of part-time taxi service today. And, in between, writing …
With yesterday’s win, the Cubs are now a season-high 15 games over .500, a mark they did not reach last year until SEPTEMBER 2.
The Brewers keep winning – now at an even .600 clip, by far the best in the NL – and are 1.5 games ahead of the Cubs, who have the second best record in the National League by 2.0 games over the Phillies. We kept thinking the last year or so would be the time those two teams, in particular, could turn the corner, and here they are. Those were well-executed rebuilds.
Jon Lester may not be able to sustain a 2.45 ERA all season, but, in complimenting his big lefty on making his fifth All-Star Game, Joe Maddon touched on why you can bank on Lester having more success in the results column than you might expect by simply looking at the numbers underneath (Cubs.com): “He knows what he’s doing out there. He has this calm way. I think a big part of the ascendance has been based on his fielding and ability to control the running game better. I think that’s taken a little bit of a burden off him and he can just pitch now. He’s a pitch-maker. He’s old school. Jonny doesn’t have that mid-90s stuff that he used to have but he knows what he’s doing out there. I think that’s what you’re seeing is a guy who really understands his craft.”
It all matters. Executing to the scouting report. Making in-game adjustments. Subtly pitching to your defense. Committing fully to a given pitch. Focusing on the batter at the plate. Etc. That’s Jon Lester, and that’s a huge part of the reason he’s an All-Star. It’s also why he may very well go down as the Cubs’ best big-time free agent signing ever.
Lester also passes on the love:
Thrilled to get the nod for the @AllStarGame. To me, there's no greater honor than being recognized by your peers. What makes this one special is getting to share it with Killer and Javy. No doubt they'll be back for years to come! @WContreras40@javy23baez#EverybodyIn
Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here.
Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.
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NEWSLETTER
