The Cubs beat Jon Lester and the Nationals 7-3 Monday night, improving to 20-20 on the season.
Here’s 10 observations from the game.
1. Lester wasn’t the only former Cub in the Nationals lineup on Monday. Kyle Schwarber started in left field and Starlin Castro at third base.
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2. David Ross played it coy pregame when asked if the Cubs or Lester would have an advantage over the other due to their familiarity. Advantage to be had or not, the Cubs offense squared up Lester for five runs on eight hits — three home runs — in 5 1/3 innings.
Entering the game, Lester had allowed just four earned runs through three starts (16 innings).
3. At the least, Willson Contreras’ familiarity with Lester appeared to be beneficial. Contreras, Lester’s personal catcher from 2017-20, went 2-for-3 with one of the homers, and a well-struck single and well-struck ground out off the lefty.
Jason Heyward and Javy Báez each hit opposite field long balls off Lester.
MLB
4. Lester grew emotional last September after pitching in front of a fan-less crowd in his final home start. There were only 11,144 fans at Monday’s game. You wouldn’t know it based on the loud standing ovation Lester got from the Wrigley Field faithful when exiting in the sixth.
5. Schwarber hit plenty of big-time home runs as a Cub. Monday was his first at Wrigley where Cubs fans booed him. His two-run blast off Adbert Alzolay in the fourth cut the Cubs’ lead to 4-3.
6. Alzolay pitched five innings and also gave up a solo home run to Trea Turner but limited the overall damage to three runs. It's his sixth straight start allowing three or less tallies.
7. Anthony Rizzo almost won his wager with Lester. Pregame, Rizzo said the two had a deal going to see if he could hit a home run, without divulging specifics. Rizzo squared up a Lester four-seam fastball in the first but Wrigley held it in for a sac fly.
8. Ian Happ has had some rotten BABIP luck this season, so he was due for Monday’s bloop down the right field line that dropped in for a ground rule double. Happ registered a 74.9 mph exit velocity on the fifth-inning hit.
9. Nico Hoerner was a Gold Glove finalist last season, remember? If you didn't, he reminded everyone with a sweet sliding play in shallow right field to throw out Starlin Castro in eighth, getting Andrew Chafin out of a bases loaded jam.
10. Monday's win gets the Cubs back to .500 for the eighth time this season. Previously, they were 1-1, 3-3, 4-4, 9-9, 10-10, 16-16 and 17-17.
Bonus: Monday was the first of four games with the upper level of the center field bleachers designated for vaccinated fans only, with no social distancing. The 11,144 total fans in attendance is a season-high.
On deck: The Nationals and Cubs play the second of four games Tuesday. Patrick Corbin (2-3, 6.19 ERA) and Zach Davies (2-2, 5.60 ERA) are the probable starters.