Cubs' Lester on confrontation with umpire: 'He went AWOL'

Whatever Chicago Cubs left-hander Jon Lester said on the mound Thursday, home-plate umpire Andy Fletcher took exception.

After Fletcher ruled a borderline pitch for ball four in the second inning, Lester appeared to shout something before walking off the mound displeased. Believing the pitcher was shouting at him, Fletcher began walking towards Lester to confront him before catcher David Ross and manager Joe Maddon intervened.

(Courtesy: MLB.com)

"I didn't say anything directed to him," Lester told reporters following the 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. "I don't know why (Fletcher) was so upset. I had my head down when I was yelling. Nothing was directed at him. He went AWOL. I don't know what was going on. It had nothing to do with umpire's strike zone."

Ross has dealt with his fair share of umpires across his 14-year career and did his best to downplay the exchange.

"I've never had to go out to step in front of an umpire, that I know of," Ross said. "You can make a lot out of it, but I don't think it's that big a deal. There's a lot of heated battles that go on a lot of the time. Sometimes it happens when a player's coming off, when a pitcher's coming off. …

"It happens more frequently, but there it happened to be in the middle of an inning so everybody sees and makes a big deal out of it."

It's unsurprising that Lester would want to voice his frustration as his first season in Chicago has gotten off to a rocky start. The three-time All-Star allowed four runs off four hits and four walks across, you guessed it, four innings Thursday to fall to 4-6 on the season.

"Everything this year has been an adjustment period," Lester said of pitching in the National League. "It's a different game over here. There's been times in my career where I've given up four in the first and gotten into the eighth. That just doesn't happen here. It's a different game."