Jon Lester finally accomplished the impossible — well, for him — on Tuesday.
In case you’ve been living under a rock, you know the Chicago Cubs pitcher has had serious troubles throwing over to first base. He hadn’t picked a runner off since 2011 entering Tuesday, and the last time he tried to nab someone, this happened.
But Lester got glorious redemption against Pittsburgh Pirates baserunner Starling Marte in the third inning.
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Of course, this isn’t your traditional “pickoff,” as Marte basically assumed Lester wouldn’t throw over and ran his way into the out.
But for a guy who’s allowed an MLB-high 42 stolen bases this season and essentially has avoided throwing to first for half a decade, getting the ball safely to Anthony Rizzo was a major accomplishment.
Lest we forget, the 31-year-old still is really good at throwing toward home plate. Lester allowed just one run and struck out nine while going the distance in the Cubs’ 2-1 win.
Thumbnail photo via Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports Images
