Cubs Keep Cruising, Lester Smooth and Steady

Seven innings, five hits, one run, one walk and four strikeouts. I’ll take that every time, especially following a no-hitter. Jon Lester was smooth and steady tonight. He threw exactly one hundred pitches and he was as good as ever. And, as Cubs pitchers do, he drove in a run with a perfectly executed sacrifice, safety squeeze bunt. The Cubs win this one 8-1 (Box Score). They improve to 13-4 on the season and, once again, become the first team to win as many games.

.@JLester34 takes care of business and leaves with a 4-1 lead in the 8th. #LetsGo pic.twitter.com/cycvj1lCHR

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 23, 2016

We’re going streakin’

The Reds can’t possibly like playing the Cubs this year. The Cubs have won 5 out of 5 games against them. Oh, and outscored them 46-7!

Hitting their stride

The Cubs continue to hit the long ball in this series and they had two home runs tonight, one from Anthony Rizzo and one from Javier Baez. Baez was great tonight going 2-for-4 with three runs, an RBI and a stolen base. That also included a solo home run he hit in the top of the ninth inning off Reds pitcher,  JJ Hoover.

But let’s go back to Rizzo, who in three days has hit three home runs. Anthony now has six home runs on the year which is two behind leader Bryce Harper. Here is his latest shot du jour:

Every Cubs’ batter had a hit tonight, except David Ross. And even he drove in two runs with a sacrifice fly and a suicide squeeze bunt, although he ended up safe at second base on the bunt due to an errant throw to first by Reds pitcher, Jon Moscot.

The Cubs look like a team that is just out there having fun, playing baseball, because baseball is fun. They are acting just like grown-ups should while they’re in a major league ball park playing the game, the same way kids are – happy, care-free, just having plain old fun. Winning makes doing that a lot easier.

Next up

The Cubs play the Reds tomorrow at 6:10 PM CDT and go for at least a series win if they pull off another victory in Ohio. John Lackey, who completed owned the Cardinals in his last outing, will take the mound for the Cubs.