Lester faces Padres looking to keep Cubs in first

SAN DIEGO -- The mythical first half of the season ends at Petco Park Sunday afternoon with the hottest pitcher in the National League facing the coldest team.

Left-hander Jon Lester will take the mound for the Chicago Cubs against the San Diego Padres trying to keep his team atop the National League Central going into the All-Star break.

Lester (11-2, 2.45 ERA) will be paired against left-handed Padres rookie Eric Lauer (5-5, 4.40).

The Cubs (54-38) Saturday night moved into sole possession of their division lead with a second straight win over the Padres (40-58) while the Milwaukee Brewers were losing a second straight game in Pittsburgh. Sunday will mark only the third time this season that a day has dawned with the Cubs in sole possession of the NL Central lead.

Lester has the responsibility of keeping them there when he makes his 19th start of the season.

Not only is Lester 11-2, the Cubs are 15-3 when he starts a game.

Lester goes into Sunday tied for third in the National League in wins and second in winning percentage. He is fifth in earned run average, ninth in opponents' batting average (.221), fourth in home ERA (1.98) and first in ERA while pitching in day games (1.90).

On top of that, Lester is 10-2 with a 2.15 ERA over his last 15 starts. He was the National League Pitcher of the Month for June for going 5-0 with a 1.13 ERA and last week was named to play in the All-Star Game for the fifth time, and the second time on the National League side.

Lester is 2-1 with a 2.97 in his first five starts against them. This will be just his second start at Petco Park. On Aug. 22, 2016, he allowed the Padres one run on five hits over six innings at Petco. Additionally, his last three outings against the Padres have all been rated quality starts.

The 23-year-old Lauer will be facing the Cubs for the first time in his career. His record is a bit deceiving. Lauer has come on strong over his last eight starts since posting a 7.67 ERA in his first seven Major League outings.

Since the start of June, Lauer is 4-2 with a 2.33 ERA. He has allowed one run or fewer in six of his last eight starts -- his line for his last eight starts being 16 runs allowed (12 earned) on 47 hits and 16 walks with 36 strikeouts in 46 1/3 innings.

Last Tuesday, Lauer held the Dodgers to one run on four hits and two walks over 8 2/3 innings. He was one out away from a complete-game shutout when Max Muncey homered. He set career-highs in distance and with eight strikeouts.

"There's some value," manager Andy Green told the San Diego Union Tribune, "to letting him experience the emotion of letting him go back out in the ninth inning and feeling what it's like to strive for a complete game."

But Lauer's second straight win was the only game the Padres have won so far in the seven-game homestand that takes them into the All-Star break.

The Padres have lost four in a row. They are 3-10 in July and are 6-20 since pulling to 34-38 on June 15.