Aug 3, 2021; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) throws against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-USA TODAY Sports
Longtime Chicago Cubs starter Jon Lester made his St. Louis Cardinals debut on Tuesday night, and it didn’t go as planned to say the least.
Lester had a rough first inning, as the Braves scored five runs and tabbed the 37-year-old for five hits. He had a 45.00 ERA in just one inning of work as a Cardinal, and it didn’t get much better from there.
The Cards acquired Lester from the Nationals for outfielder Lane Thomas. Despite struggling for much of the season, St. Louis was desperate for pitching, hence taking a shot on a starter of Lester’s caliber. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, it would appear Lester’s best days are behind him.
Lester is a five-inning pitcher at best at this point of his career. MLB Trade Rumors summed it up best:
“He’s recorded an out in the sixth inning or later in just five of his 16 trips to the mound this season and has been rocked at a .333/.386/.627 clip on the rare occasions he’s been asked to turn a lineup over for a third time.”
St. Louis Cardinals: Fans unhappy with Jon Lester’s performance in his debut
Lester was acquired alongside lefty J.A. Happ at the trade deadline. For the Cardinals’ sake, we hope Happ has better luck.
Cardinals fans are among some of the most impatient in baseball. Sitting as a longshot in the NL Wild Card race, they don’t have much time to waste, and Lester’s outing won’t help matters.
There were many more.
St. Louis’ rotation has been in shambles since a season-altering injury to ace Jack Flaherty. Since then, their depth has been tested, and the Cardinals have failed.