	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: CUBS VS DODGERS

October 14, 2017

Jon Lester

Los Angeles, California - pregame 1

Q. So short rest, 51 pitches, but that's really kind of like a side session. How ready do you think you'll be, and is there a different mentality, of course, because it's the playoffs and you're that type of competitor?
JON LESTER: I'm not worried about it. I mean, like you said, it's kind of just work in between. Just got to do it in the game as opposed to on the side.

So I don't think it's a problem. This time of year you have to adjust and figure it out. We'll do that tomorrow.

Q. Nothing but good lineups obviously at this time of the year. How would you characterize the Dodgers' lineup that you might face tomorrow night?
JON LESTER: Yeah, obviously pretty dangerous. You lose -- you just saw today they lost a big bat at shortstop. You don't ever want to see anybody go down, but that definitely helps us on the pitching side. He's a huge presence in their lineup.

I think it's just like anything this time of year, you have to try to hold back momentum as best you can. You can't let those guys string hits together, long at-bats, foul balls, stuff like that. So if you're able to kind of control that, you see these guys feed off the energy, especially here at Dodgers Stadium. So if you can kind of keep that down as best you can, I think it gives you a chance.

Q. Just to follow up on Seager for a second. Given the defensive position he plays as well as the prominence in his lineup, is there somebody that would be kind of an equivalent to if the Cubs lost this guy it would be similar, or is it two totally different things?
JON LESTER: I don't know. I think probably like a K.B. or Rizzo on the offensive side. I think K.B. more so just because he plays third than first than Riz.

So, yeah, I think the biggest thing is just that presence, you have that name. And that whatever hole he hits, you have that name that's there and you have to be prepared for and make quality pitches to. You know, obviously you have the defensive side, that's a tough position for just anybody to fill in.

Q. Obviously we don't know what's going to happen tonight, but no matter what happens, I assume if anybody's going with the story line, oh, they're tired after what just went on with the plane and long series, you're not going to buy into that at all, I would assume.
JON LESTER: No. We've all had travel issues before. It's not the first time we've had long nights. So it is what it is. We had yesterday off. Everybody got caught up on everything. I think everybody's excited to get this thing going. Like I said, it will be a fun atmosphere here at Dodgers Stadium. I know it will be packed, so it will be fun. I think once you get out there, you forget about everything and you just try to do your job.

Q. Last year at this time there was certainly a lot of talk, at least among us, about the history and the pressure on your team to win. How much more relaxed are you this year?
JON LESTER: Yeah, I think anytime you win, it makes everything at ease. I think the biggest thing for us is just experience. We learned a lot last year. We went through a lot last year in the postseason. I think we were down last year when we came in here. We were down in the World Series. So we know that we can come back in big situations.

So I think guys are just more prepared. They're just more relaxed. When you've done something, you can just go out there and let it be as opposed to figuring out, okay, I've got to handle not only the emotions of being here, I've got to handle the atmosphere, I've got to handle actually playing. So I think guys are now just more prepared, more relaxed, and we just go out and play baseball.

Q. Looking at your postseason track record, it's excellent. What was the time in your life or career where you really were able to find yourself locked in and also relaxed in the biggest games you've pitched, even maybe going back to youth baseball?
JON LESTER: I wouldn't go back that far (laughter). Those games don't really matter in the grand scheme of things. I think just being on kind of an older team when I was younger, and my first experience was I got thrown into Game 4 of the World Series, so it was kind of like, you know, at that particular time we had Josh Beckett, who was the best pitcher on the planet going the next day. So it was like, hey, kid, don't screw it up, don't screw up our bullpen too much. Kind of one of those deals.

So I think that helped. I got thrown in that spotlight without any expectations, so I think that makes it a lot easier. And then just being there. I think it's nine times, nine postseasons for me. So the more you get to playing, the more you experience, the more different atmospheres you get to be in, travel, all that stuff, you just kind of get used to it and figure it out.

Like I said earlier, you get out there in these games and the adrenaline and excitement kind of take over. So you don't really worry about how tired you are. You just try to play baseball.

Q. You guys talked about Jose Quintana before his first playoff start about a week ago. You had all the confidence in the world. Is there something that gets easier for him now that he's done it and the first time is out of the way?
JON LESTER: Yeah, I think just doing it. As we go, obviously he's going to have his first NLCS start, and then hopefully has his first World Series start. So anytime you have first, it's always a little more difficult. But I think it's kind of the same thing. He's around a bunch of guys that have been here. We've had the experiences together, and I think that maybe puts him in a little bit of ease. Anytime you have a catcher, too, that's been through it like Willy, that helps.

So I think Q's done such a good job coming over here and just being prepared. I love watching this guy work. I love seeing him go about his business. He's kind of a guy I don't really worry about even though he hasn't been here. I feel like he's handled himself really well. I know he's excited to get out there tonight.

Q. Kyle Schwarber's in the lineup tonight against Kershaw. I don't know if he's surprised by that. Do you sense any antsyness on his part to get in there and do stuff because he's had a great playoff history? I'm sure he wants to hit a few 450-footers. What's he like in the dugout and everything.
JON LESTER: I don't think -- that's kind of really another person I don't think really guys worry about. He's always prepared. He's ready to go. I'm sure he's hit home runs off lefties before, so I'm not too worried about him. He's going to have a good at-bat.

Like I said, he's not really a guy that I worry about. Even you look at his season, I'm sure it's not up to par with what he wanted, but we all go through ups and downs in this game. If you play long enough, you're going to have, hopefully for him, a lot more ups than downs.

Hopefully this is just an anomaly and he moves on. But he's been such a big part of our team the last two years or three years that he's definitely -- you talk about presence, he's a presence in that lineup. And the more presence you have, I think it's harder on the pitcher to get through the lineup.

Q. You talked about just a second ago about Willson being a stabilizing presence for Quintana in the postseason. Last year at this time Willson was just getting his feet wet and hadn't really experienced catching everybody, including yourself. What kind of growth have you seen from him this year? How different is he now versus this time last year?
JON LESTER: I think he's just more under control of the situation. He's an emotional guy. He gets fired up in the game. He wants everybody to do well, especially our pitching staff. So I think for him, just playing every day, he's grown up. I think you get worn down. You don't have that energy that he had last year when he only played maybe once, two, three times a week kind of depending on what was going on.

So I feel like he's just -- he's let his emotions kind of calm down a little bit, and he's gone out there and done a really good job behind the plate. Obviously, his offensive numbers speak for themselves. But I care about what he does back there, and he's done a great job leading his staff from top to bottom. So it's been fun to see him grow. And he's only going to get better, which is kind of the fun part to watch as we go along.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297