(670 The Score) In his 15th MLB season, Cubs left-hander Jon Lester is enjoying a spectacular start.
Lester is 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA and 0.65 WHIP in three starts. He's a key reason the Cubs are off to a strong 11-3 start, and he produced six innings of one-run ball in Chicago's 7-1 win at Cleveland on Tuesday night.
So in a unique 60-game season that's been marked by uncertainty and day-to-day chaos at times, what's the key to success for the 36-year-old Lester? In the mind of pitching coach Tommy Hottovy, it has to do with simplicity and not trying to evolve into a pitcher he has never been.
"As the game has evolved, it's easy for pitchers to kind of want to do more, kind of want to move the ball around more and do different things," Hottovy said 670 The Score with David Haugh and Leila Rahimi on Wednesday morning. "And sometimes that works out and you match up to the right teams and that works. But it's really important in this game to focus on what's given you success in the past too. And sometimes you have to hit that reset button to get back to it. And one thing I give credit to Jon for is he really, really has worked hard at getting his angle back, recreating some of that angle in Jon Lester drive down in the strike zone that he had earlier in his career. What you're starting to see is those early weak swings of the pulled foul balls by righties, the choppers into the ground, those types of things. When you see that, that angle he's creating, it really, really makes a big difference for him. And then you add in the fact that he's also mixing in his changeup more and being able to pitch backward a little more and do those things.
"It's fun to watch a veteran guy who's been in some of the biggest games around and when he's on a roll like this, he's obviously a guy you want on the bump in big spots."
Listen to Hottovy's full interview below.
