On Saturday, Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jon Lester never gave in, despite finding himself in multiple jams.
On Saturday, Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jon Lester never gave in, despite finding himself in multiple jams.

WATCH: Jon Lester talks about escaping jams in his winning performance


by - Senior Writer -

PITTSBURGH — Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jon Lester displayed plenty of poise on Saturday afternoon, with the veteran left-hander escaping jam after jam en route to pitching six scoreless innings. The Pittsburgh Pirates loaded the bases multiple times against Lester but failed to score, leading to a 2-0 shutout win for the Cubs at PNC Park.

"I knew that, regardless of the baserunners, I just couldn't give in and throw a heater," Lester said when talking with reporters about relying on breaking balls to get out of sticky situations. "I knew I had to make really precise pitches today."

Cubs manager Joe Maddon affectionately referred to Lester as "Jonny" when praising the hurler's performance in his postgame media session. Maddon was complimentary of Lester's ability to work his way out of difficult spots, and he credited Lester for coming out on top in a hard-fought pitching duel with Pirates starter Steven Brault.

"Jonny, typically, is able to pitch out of some really horrible jams, and he did," Maddon said of Lester. "Jonny, after some tough moments, showed what he's made of."

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