No shock here.
The Chicago Cubs announced Monday that Jon Lester will start Game 1 of the World Series against the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night. Lester will face Indians ace Corey Kluber.
Neither the Cubs nor the Indians had announced the rest of their World Series rotation as of Monday afternoon. But the Lester-Kluber Game 1 showdown at Progressive Field in Cleveland has the potential to be a doozy, especially given Lester’s playoff track record.
Lester, who earned co-MVP honors in the National League Championship Series, is 8-6 with a 2.50 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 19 career postseason appearances (17 starts). The left-hander is 3-0 with a 0.43 ERA and 0.76 WHIP in three career World Series starts.
Lester won both of his starts for the Boston Red Sox in the 2013 World Series.
UPDATE (6:25 P.M. ET): The Cubs announced Jake Arrieta will start Game 2 of the World Series on Wednesday in Cleveland. The 2015 Cy Young Award winner went 18-8 with a 3.10 ERA for Chicago this season, though he’s struggled a bit this postseason with a 4.91 ERA.
The move slightly affects the team’s batting order, too: Since Game 2 is in Cleveland, Arrieta won’t have a chance to bat under American League rules. He hit two home runs in the regular season and added a third during the National League Divisional Series.
Thumbnail photo via Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports Images
