Cubs left-hander Jon Lester may have made his last start at Wrigley Field on Wednesday night in Chicago's 3-2 win against Cleveland in 10 innings.
Afterward, it hit home for Lester, who pitched without fans in attendance.
"I didn't think six years would go this fast," an emotional Lester said after throwing five innings of two-run ball.
Lester signed a six-year, $155-million deal with the Cubs ahead of the 2015 season and has lived up to the lofty expectations that came with it. He has been a rock in the Cubs' rotation, making 31 or 32 starts each year between 2015 and 2019.
Lester finished second in the National League Cy Young race in 2016, when he was instrumental in leading the Cubs to a World Series title. He has a 3.61 ERA across 169 starts in Chicago and has made two All-Star appearances since the Cubs signed him.
Now, the 36-year-old Lester could be done pitching at Wrigley Field. He won't pitch as the Cubs host the Twins in a three-game series beginning Friday. It's their last home series of the regular season. The NL Central-leading Cubs are in line to host a best-of-three wild-card round series at Wrigley Field to open the playoffs, but Chicago projects to start right-hander Yu Darvish and right-hander Kyle Hendricks in some order in the first two games. After that, the playoffs will be held at neutral sites.
This situation without fans reminded Lester of his final days with the Red Sox. He didn't get a true farewell moment with the Red Sox fans at Fenway Park before Boston traded him to Oakland in July 2014.
"That's the most frustrating part," Lester said. "Going back to 2014, I didn't get to walk off the field like I wanted to at Fenway. Having an empty stadium (is) not how I envisioned my last start here."
Lester is in the final season of his contract, with a $25-million team option for 2021 and a $10-million buyout. What lies ahead for his future is uncertain.
"A lot of things on my mind," Lester said. "This year hasn't been easy for a lot of reasons. I'm not sitting here saying 'woe is me' because there's a lot of people worse off than me. A lot of emotions coming into this. Don't really know what to say, how to take it. A lot of uncertainties going forward."