Jon Lester Named Game 1 Starter for Cubs

The Chicago Cubs still don’t know who they will be facing in the first round of the postseason, but they do know who will be on the mound at Wrigley Field Friday, as Jon Lester has been named the team’s Game 1 starter.

Lester, who finished the season with a 19-5 record and a 2.44 ERA this season for the Cubs, has extensive experience in the postseason, and thanks to that experience and his strong campaign he was widely assumed to be the favorite to get the ball to open the playoffs at Wrigley.

Another pitcher who had a strong 2016 season will take the hill in Game 2, as Kyle Hendricks will start that contest. Hendricks led all of baseball with a 2.13 ERA and posted a 16-8 record for the Cubs this season. Considered to be a contender for the Cy Young Award, Hendricks has been especially dominant at Wrigley Field, posting a blistering 1.32 ERA and holding opponents to a paltry .201 batting average at the Friendly Confines.

When the series shifts to either San Francisco or New York for Game 3 on Monday, Jake Arrieta will take the mound for the Cubs. After an astounding 2015 season, Arrieta has come back to Earth in 2016, but he still managed to win 18 games and posted a respectable 3.10 ERA for the Cubs this season.

In Game 4, veteran hurler John Lackey will round out the Cubs’ rotation as he gets the start in the second road contest of the series. In 23 career appearances (including 20 starts) in postseason play, Lackey has a 3.11 ERA and an 8-5 record, and he will be looking to put that experience to good use during the playoffs for the Cubs.

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