LHP Jon Lester (1-2, 3.45 ERA) makes his ninth start and is 3-1 all-time against Cincinnati with a 3.72 ERA. Lester has five no-decisions this season and is coming off a May 13 loss in St. Louis, as he allowed four runs on six hits, walked four and matched a season high as he struck out nine over 5 2/3 innings.

LHP Jon Lester fell to 1-2 with the loss Saturday. He allowed six hit and four runs (three earned) in 5 2/3 innings. He walked four and struck out nine. He also drove in the first Cubs run with his fourth career double in the second. He is 4-of-15 lifetime against Carlos Martinez and just 8-of-157 against every other pitcher he has faced.

LHP Jon Lester gets the start Saturday when Chicago continues its weekend series in St. Louis. Lester last pitched Sunday night in the Cubs' 5-4, 18-inning loss to the New York Yankees, fanning a season-high nine and allowing two runs in seven innings, which was also a season best. Lester is 3-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 10 career starts against the Cardinals, including a five-inning outing on Opening Night that saw him give up only one run in a no-decision.

LHP Jon Lester threw seven innings Sunday night, the first time a Cubs starter went that distance since Lester pitched seven innings April 16 against Pittsburgh. Cubs starters have worked seven innings three times this season with Jake Arrieta going that distance April 9 at Milwaukee.

LHP Jon Lester (1-1) compensated for a tight strike zone to finally get his first victory while the bottom and top of the Cubs order provided the big guns on Tuesday. Lester, making his 70th regular-season Cubs appearance, worked five innings for his first win after four no-decisions and a loss. "There wasn't a strike zone tonight, it was a ball zone," said Cubs manager Joe Maddon. "The calls appeared to be the same on both sides (so) that's why I wasn't arguing. (But) it was frustrating for both teams." Lester, now 7-0 all time against Philadelphia, allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits, walked five and struck out five.

LHP Jon Lester (0-1, 3.68 ERA) makes his sixth start of the season and this at home on Tuesday. He's 6-0 with a 1.46 ERA in eight career starts against the Phillies, his most wins against any opponent without a loss. It is also his best ERA against any opponent. Lester was 2-0 with a 0.63 ERA in his two starts against the Phillies in 2016. In his last start on April 26 at Pittsburgh, he allowed a season high in hits (10) and run (six) as he took the loss.

LHP Jon Lester finally got his first decision in his fifth start, but it wasn't the one he would have wanted. He is 0-1 after allowing six runs, five of them earned, over 5 2/3 innings, with five strikeouts and two walks. Entering the game, he had the best ERA among Chicago's starters, 2.66, but that rose to 3.68. "It's probably the best I threw the ball all year," Lester said. "That's baseball."

LHP Jon Lester needed 108 pitches to get through 5 2/3 innings. He allowed five earned runs and nine hits, including a two-run double by Reds pitcher Tim Adleman which followed an intentional walk with two outs. Lester had no regrets. "I'm not going to mess around with the pitcher with two outs," he said. "I went right after him and said 'here's my best."

LHP Jon Lester (0-0, 1.00 ERA) makes his fourth start still in search of an elusive first win as the Cubs open a three-game series at Cincinnati's Great American Ballpark on Friday. In his last outing, April 7 against Pittsburgh, he threw seven scoreless innings but had no decision in the Cubs' 6-1 loss. He has allowed one run or fewer in each of his starts for the first time in his career. Lester is 3-1 with a 3.32 ERA in nine starts against the Reds. He has allowed just one run in five of his starts.

LHP Jon Lester drew a no-decision for his third consecutive start. He tossed seven scoreless innings, his first without allowing a run this season. He has allowed one or no runs in each of his first three starts, the first time in his career. Lester lowered his ERA for the season to 1.00 and has a 1.02 ERA in his last nine starts at Wrigley Field.

LHP Jon Lester (0-0, 1.64 ERA) will make his third start of the season Sunday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Lester has limited opposing teams to one earned run in each of his first two starts. The 33-year-old is 4-3 with a 2.68 ERA in eight career starts against the Pirates.

LHP Jon Lester (0-0) had no decision Monday as he struck out seven, allowed just one run on four hits over six innings and even drove in a run. "I thought he was really good," said Cubs manager Joe Maddon. "A lot of the pitches that were called balls were really close too. I thought he was really sharp. A hundred pitches after six, so we had to get him out of there." Lester is only the fourth pitcher in Cubs history to start the team's road and home season openers. The Cubs have won Lester's last 11 regular season home starts dating to May 27, 2016.

LHP Jon Lester lasted just five-plus innings Sunday night, his pitch count driven up to 102 by several jams and St. Louis' ability to work deep counts. Lester gave up seven hits and two walks but just one run, as he was able to fan seven and not allow a hit in seven at-bats with men in scoring position. Lester was able to make good pitches with men on base, forcing hitters to chase his pitch and use their eagerness to swing to his advantage to minimize damage.

LHP Jon Lester (19-5) had a rocky 2015 -- his first Cubs season -- but was superlative in 2016, going 19-5 for the most wins since 2010 with the Boston Red Sox and a career-best 2.44 ERA. Both were second in the big leagues. He'll enter the 2017 season with a streak of 15 straight quality starts.

The World Series champion Chicago Cubs return their core but didn't rest on any laurels as they open a new season with a title to defend for the first time since 1909.Chicago not only has the ingredients for a second straight 100-plus victory season and National League Central title but enough to possibly make it back-to-back World Series appearances for the first time the opening decade of the 20th century.These 21st century Cubs start with the reigning NL Most Valuable Player (third baseman Kris Bryant), a World Series MVP (second baseman-outfielder Ben Zobrist) and not one but three Cy-Young caliber starting pitchers and four hurlers with 15 wins or more.Chicago also had one of baseball's best defensive groups with five Gold Glove finalists, a plus-282 run differential that was by far the best in the majors, and was tough to beat at home, going 57-24 at Wrigley Field for a franchise record for wins there.While the Cubs rate the early edge, manager Joe Maddon recognizes the road back... [More]

LHP Jon Lester, an NL Cy Young Award candidate, rebounded from a so-so 2015 season to enjoy a spectacular 2016. He went 19-5, and his 2.44 ERA was the second lowest in the big leagues behind Cubs RHP Kyle Hendricks' 2.13 mark. Lester had quality stats in all 15 home appearances this season. He was 3-1 with a 2.02 ERA in six postseason games (five starts).

CHICAGO -- The 2016 World Series champions are favorites to do it again in 2017.The Chicago Cubs, who captured their first title since 1908 in a roller coaster seven-game World Series victory over the Cleveland Indians, are also in a good spot to remain contenders for the foreseeable future.Cubs fans who endured numerous losing seasons, several near-misses and a perceived curse on their team were finally rewarded.However, manager Joe Maddon was never one to also shoulder that century-plus burden. From the start, he embraced the present."I love tradition, I think tradition is worth time mentally, and tradition is worth being upheld," he said during the World Series, "but curses and superstitions are not. So it's really great for our entire Cub-dom to get beyond that moment and continue to move forward, because now based on the young players we have in this organization, we have an opportunity to be good for a long time, and without any constraints, without any of the negative dialogue."This... [More]

LHP Jon Lester, who was the winning pitcher in Game 5 of the World Series, came out of the bullpen in Game 7 and pitched three innings, giving up two runs on four hits with four strikeouts and one walk. It was the fourth career relief appearance by Lester. "I thought Jonny Lester was fantastic," manager Joe Maddon said.

LHP Jon Lester, the Cubs' Sunday starter, improved to 3-1 in the postseason (1-1 in the World Series) after allowing two runs over six innings while striking out five. Lester said he was starting to struggle late in his outing and had no issue with being pulled. "It had been a grind the previous two innings leading up to the sixth," Lester said, "so I left it up to Joe (Maddon). Joe made a decision, and that was the decision. I'm happy it worked out for us."

LHP Jon Lester (2-1, 1.69 ERA postseason) makes his fifth postseason start of 2016 in Sunday's Game 5. He took the loss in last Tuesday's Game 1 at Cleveland, allowing three runs a 5 2/3 innings in the Cubs' 6-0 loss. Lester was 19-5 with a 2.44 ERA in 32 regular-season starts has a career 7-1 record in 15 regular season meetings with the Indians. "To have a guy that's been-there-done-that kind of guy -- been a World Series champion -- he knows what the feeling's like," said Cubs manager Joe Maddon. "He knows what it takes."