Jon Lester’s last few starts left a lot to be desired and the Cubs as a whole have been in a funk, save for Anthony Rizzo’s hot hitting.  More losses than wins; a slumpy road trip from your All-Stars; zero clutch hits and a Cardinals sweep.  Everything sucked recently.  But today, the Cubs returned home.  Never mind that they were facing a generational talent in Mike Trout as the Angels flew into town for a make-up game from a April snow day –  Wrigley was packed on a Monday late afternoon game – an unusual 3:05pm start.  For Cubs players, it felt good to be home.  It all started with the ace; Jon Lester.  The lefty stopper brought his good stuff to the ballpark and held Los Angeles in check for 7 rock solid innings.  New Cubs outfielder Carlos Gonzalez(how cool is that CarGo is a Cub?  Great move, Theo & Jed!) walked during the big 5-run 6th inning and also made a highlight-reel catch in right field.  Trout scored on the sac fly after Gonzalez laid out on the warning track, but with the bases loaded, it preserved the big lead.  During that big inning, Javy drove in his 2nd of 3 runs in the game with a double down the left field line.  Jason Heyward knocked in two with a double down the right field line.  Baez and Willson Contreras added solo home runs in the 7th – wonderful sign to see those two key weapons recharged.  Kris Bryant wanted to get this offense rolling so badly that he bunted for a hit in the 1st.  It helped manufacture a run, as Kyle Schwarber scored on a Baez forceout to put the Cubs on the board.

Next up, the Cubs look to exact revenge on the Colorado Rockies, who visit Wrigley tomorrow night for the first time since eliminating the Cubbies in the 2018 NL Wild Card Game.  When Lester is on his game, it tends to have a positive influence on the rest of the starting staff. The Professor will be on the mound, looking to keep rotational momentum moving.  Let’s get one.