Stats of the Day: 2nd Lest on Cubs still great

Here are three interesting items from around the big leagues on Wednesday …

• Jon Lester hurled eight scoreless frames and Anthony Rizzo popped a pair of home runs as the Cubs took a 7-0 win over the Cardinals. Lester, who lowered his ERA to 2.40, owns the second-best ERA+ on the staff: a 167 mark that trails only Kyle Hendricks’ 197. The last season to see a Cubs left-hander qualify for the ERA title and finish the season with an ERA+ of at least 160 was 1963, when Dick Ellsworth paced the National League with a 167.

With his two homers, Rizzo reached 30 for the third straight year. Among first basemen, Rizzo is the ninth to have at least three straight 30-homer seasons through an age-26 campaign. Jimmie Foxx had six (1929-34); Mark McGwire (1987-90) and …

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