Jon Lester earns National League Player of the Week Award
Major League Baseball announced its Players of the Week (June 6-12) on Monday. And the Cubs’ Jon Lester took home the award for the top player in the Senior Circuit. The Orioles Chris Davis was the player of the week in the American League.
Jon Lester put together two excellent outings. Lester shut out the Phillies for eight innings on June 6. Anyone that watched the game knows Lester had enough left in the tank to finish what he started. Lester allowed four runs without a walk and he struck out nine batters.
Lester completed seven innings in the heat Sunday in Atlanta and was charged with one unearned run. Lester pitched around early mistakes by the defense and kept the Cubs in what was a tight game for six innings. Lester gave up five hits to the Braves and did not walk a batter while striking out seven.
Jon Lester was 2-0 in two starts with a 0.00 ERA and 0.60 WHIP. Over his last 15 innings, Lester has allowed nine hits with no walks and 16 strikeouts.
After not pitching to his own expectations last season in his first year with the Cubs, Lester has been excellent this year in 12 of his 13 starts.
Lester has allowed one earned run or less in 10 of 13 starts and has turned in at least a quality start in all but one of the times he’s taken the ball.
In 13 starts this season, Jon Lester is 8-3 with a 1.89 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. Lester has allowed 20 runs, 18 earned, on 20 hits with 17 walks and 85 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings.
This is Jon Lester’s first NL Player of the Week Award and third weekly honor of his career.