Jon Lester thinks the Cubs’ previous postseason experience has been a critical component this October.
The veteran left-hander doesn’t know if they’d be here without it.
Lester, the Cubs’ starting pitcher for Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Saturday, said he isn’t sure that last year’s Cubs squad could have rallied to beat the San Francisco Giants in the National League Divisional Series. A day after they lost in 13 innings, the Cubs overcame a three-run deficit in the ninth inning on Tuesday to eliminate the Giants and avoid a winner-take-all Game 5. Lester attributes much of the team’s attitude to the 2015 postseason, when it was swept out of the NLCS by the New York Mets.