Levine: Max Scherzer Outduels Jon Lester
By Bruce Levine--
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The two men who signed the biggest pitching contracts of the 2014 off season had their first show down Wednesday evening.
Max Scherzer broke the bank to sign a $210-million mega deal with the Nationals, while Jon Lester Lester inked a $155 million contract with the Cubs last December. When they met at Wrigley Field on Wednesday night, it was Scherzer and Washington prevailing 3-0.
The Nationals drew first blood with an unearned run in the fourth. Scherzer had everything else in control, throwing seven shutout innings and striking out 13 on way to his fifth consecutive victory. He allowed just five hits and one walk.
"He was pretty good," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said with a resigning chuckle. "He did not lose anything, game in progress. His stuff maintained. There was no let up in his stuff, location, movement, those type of things. I have seen it before, way too often."
As advertised, the two pitchers were stingy with runs and pitched their best with men on base. Major league home run leader Bryce Harper hit his 18th long ball of the season leading off the sixth inning to give the Nationals a 2-0 lead. Harper took an outside fastball from Lester and deposited it in the left-field bleachers.
after allowing two runs, one earned, on seven hits in seven innings while striking out 10,Lester was removed for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the seventh.
"You make one mistake and that happens," Lester said of his fastball away to Harper. "That's what makes good hitters -- they don't miss them. I learned that from playing with Manny (Ramirez), David (Ortiz) and Mike Lowell. He (Harper) has power to all fields, and that is what makes him so dangerous. I elevated it a bit, and he put a good swing on it."
It was the first loss for Lester (4-3) sine April 19. He had made five other starts in May, winning four of the five with one no -decision.
Scherzer has been on a roll as well of late, having won four straight while giving up just two earned runs total in his last four outings, including Wednesday's game. He has a 1.51 ERA, fourth-best in the majors.
Lester saw the positives in his outing.
"I have to take (the same approach) against whoever, the same way I do facing Max," Lester said. "I can't do the roller-coaster ride. That doesn't work for me. I have to prepare the same way against anyone. I can't let down. I can 't let my guard down if I am facing somebody's No. 5 (starter). Obviously going into the game, you know runs are going to be at a premium. One mistake ends up doing us in tonight."
Despite losing two of three to the Nationals (28-19), the Cubs (25-21) may have proved they belong with the elite teams in the National League. There were a total of 11 runs scored over the three games combined.
"Overall, I would say it was a well-played, hard-fought series," Maddon said. "What we take away is we can play with these guys. I feel confident about that moving forward as we continue to get better. It was entertaining baseball at Wrigley Field the last three days."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.