VIDEO: Jon Lester Gives Joe Maddon Death Stare After Being Pulled From Cubs Game
By Scott Rogust
The Chicago Cubs are in the midst of a tight NL Wild Card race, as they entered Wednesday night tied for the second spot with the rival Milwaukee Brewers. The wins matter for the Cubs and pitcher Jon Lester, as he had a decent pitching performance against the Cincinnati Reds. In the sixth inning, Lester walked Joey Votto and surrendered a single to Eugenio Suarez. That's when manager Joe Maddon pulled him out of the game, and Lester was not happy about it.
Lester with the “how dare you Joe” stare pic.twitter.com/7BBA1AN2GU
— BleedCubbieBlue (@CubbieBlue2016) September 19, 2019
Lester's night ended with five innings pitched, allowing just one earned run on six hits, along with five strikeouts. He was still under 80 pitches at the time Maddon came to fetch him, so you can understand the veteran's displeasure with his skipper.
Managers should put on full catcher’s gear when walking to the mound to tell Jon Lester his day is done.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) September 19, 2019
With fall baseball on the line, Jon Lester obviously wanted to pitch his way out of the jam, but Maddon had other plans, calling the bullpen early and putting an end to the 35-year-old's night.