Jon Lester's Bounceback Performance is Exactly What Cubs Needed From Their Ace

The Cubs were reeling, coming off of a three-game sweep at the hands of the Cardinals. They were in desperate need of a strong start.

Enter Jon Lester.

The Cubs ace, stuck in a rough stretch of his own, turned in a stellar performance to guide the team to an 8-1 victory over the Angels, putting a temporary end to both Chicago's and his own woes.

Lester went seven innings allowing just one run on four hits on a walk while striking out six. The win pulled the Cubs within one game of the Milwaukee Brewers for the division lead in the NL Central.

The 35-year-old Lester is the man the team looks to for guidance. He's the longest-tenured member of the team and has a stellar resume that only a veteran of his talent could amass.

His quality start gave the bullpen a rest and the offense an easy job for the day, just what the doctor ordered.

On top of it all, though, Lester reaffirmed his role as the ace of the staff. After a three-start stretch in which he registered a 10.28 ERA, Lester is back to normal, or so it would seem. His start on Monday was a statement that he's going to be just fine.

With Lester in top form, the Cubs pose a big threat to any team trying to take them down.