Rumors of Cubs veteran Jon Lester’s demise apparently have been exaggerated, at least when it came to watching him during a five-inning, no-hit season debut against the Reds on Monday night.
A strict pitch count on a muggy night in Cincinnati was the only thing that kept Lester from pitching deeper into an 8-7 victory — after he was pushed back in the rotation because he was behind the other starters when the coronavirus shutdown ended.
Lester, who earned his 191st career victory, allowed one walk, hit a batter and had two other batters reach base on errors during a 76-pitch effort.
The victory wasn't nailed down until a 34-pitch meltdown by Craig Kimbrel, who was yanked in the ninth before he could finish blowing a three-run lead.
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Other quick takes from the Cubs’ third victory in four games:
Kimbrel problems
Kimbrel, the $43 million closer who struggled down the stretch last year after being acquired midseason, struggled mightily in his season debut — getting only one out in a four-walk, 34-pitch outing that also included a hit batter. It forced home two runs to trim a three-run lead to one and left the bases loaded for Jeremy Jeffress.
Jeffress got the hot save, striking out Phillip Ervin swinging and getting Joey Votto to line out to center on a 3-2 pitch.
Strap it on
After Monday’s news of the Marlins' coronavirus outbreak, the Cubs talked about ramping up safety precautions during games — and wasted no time doing it.
After reaching base when hit by a pitch leading off the game, Kris Bryant immediately donned a mask to run the bases (and did it again after reaching on a walk in the second).
“Everybody has a different sense on life issues and this issue,” manager David Ross said before the game. “I think some guys will feel more safe with a mask on. That’s there prerogative. …If they feel safer with the mask and that’s a mental hurdle that helps them overcome something that could be a distraction, more power to them.”
Rotation recognition
So what happened to all those questions everybody had about the Cubs’ rotation? If four games mean anything, at least a few of them have been answered.
Lester’s performance meant the depth-challenged group is 3-1 with a 1.50 ERA through four starts (24 innings), with 23 strikeouts, three walks and a complete game (Kyle Hendricks).
Let’s see what you’ve got, Alec Mills.
What back issue?
Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who missed a significant chunk of training camp with lower back pain, slugged his team-leading third homer of the season in the sixth — after having returned to the field just three days before the season opened.
“I was sore a couple days ago for a few days,” he said. “But it feels good. I feel like I’m on a really good routine with it.”
The homers are Rizzo’s only hits, but he has reached eight more times in those games on four walks and four HBPs.
Happy returns
Steven Souza Jr. played his first game since Sept. 30, 2018 and quickly responded with a two-run double down the left-field line during the Cubs’ big first inning.
Souza, who started in right field Monday, suffered a season-ending knee injury at the end of spring training last year and might have benefitted physically from the coronavirus shutdown after testing the knee vigorously for a month during spring training in February and March.
Bedeviling debuts
After teeing off on left-handed starter Wade Miley for six runs in less than two innings, the Cubs were all but stymied by hard-throwing rookie Teejay Antone over the next 4 1/3 innings in the right-hander’s big-league debut.
Antone struck out five and shut down the Cubs from the end of the second until Rizzo’s two-out homer in the sixth.
Another Red making his major-league debut off the bench, catcher Tyler Stephenson, hit a home run in his first at-bat in the seventh inning off Duane Underwood Jr., then added an eighth-inning single off Ryan Tepera. He also walked to force home a run against Kimbrel in the ninth.
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