For as much as Chicago Cubs left-hander Jon Lester has accomplished throughout his career, one deficiency he’s never overcome is throwing over to first base when a runner is on. Lester’s unwillingness, or inability to do so, isn’t lost on the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“I do think that there’s something to trying to challenge Lester and get him a little uncomfortable,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said prior to Game 1 of the National League Championship Series.
“Lester, he’s an elite pitcher and he’s certainly dominated us this season. So, to the question about offensive, on the baserunning kind of thought, it’s more of you got to be committed and, obviously, he doesn’t feel comfortable throwing to bases, and everyone knows that. He knows that.
“But he’s got a very good catcher in David Ross, but there’s something to trying to get in the psyche a little bit.”
The Dodgers’ first baserunner came on a Corey Seager single with two outs in the first inning. He didn’t attempt to steal a base nor make any overt attempts to make Lester uncomfortable. However, Lester’s former teammate and savvy veteran Adrian Gonzalez took a different approach.
After reaching on a leadoff single in the second inning, Gonzalez took an aggressive lead at first base. At point he jumped out to his lead, shuffled his feet, and made jabs toward second base. When a Kiké Hernandez walk advanced Gonzalez 90 feet, he continued with the same activity.
Lester at one point stepped off the mound and walked toward second base to force Gonzalez back to the bag.
Fox Sports 1 cameras and microphones caught Dodgers first base coach George Lombard whistling and imploring baserunners to take aggressive leads. Dodgers hitters regularly stepped in and out of the batter’s box, and squared around to show bunt throughout Lester’s six innings of work.
“It is what it is. I haven’t run from anything. I’ve been honest with everybody about it, so it is what it is,” Lester said of the Dodgers’ attempts to disrupt him.
“I mean, I know Adrian pretty well, I know won’t take offense to this, but he’s really slow. I mean, he really is. He’s not the fastest guy in the world. I knew what they were trying to do. They were trying to mess with me and trying to get me off my game.”
As for the Dodgers squaring around, with Joc Pederson going so far as to attempt to bunt his way on base, Lester was more than happy to see that. “Pederson bunts a ball directly back to Kris Bryant, which I’m like: Thank you,” he said.
“I would rather him try to bunt than swing. So, we got Adrian Gonzalez up there trying to bunt, you got all that’s other guys. So it is what it is. We have really good defense. And you know what? I mean, if they bunt it, then I would rather those guys bunt it than try to hit it over the fence.”
