Oct. 24 Jon Lester workout day interview

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Updated: October 24, 2016

Q. Jon, you’ve had some insane numbers like with men on base and even if guys steal, you’ve been able to get out of jams most of the season, second half especially. Anything account for that? Is that just good fortune? Are you elevating your pitch, making better pitches? What do you think with guys on base?

JON LESTER: I don’t know. I mean, I guess it could be testament to our defense. I feel like our whole staff has done a really good job with runners on base, not just myself. So really our bullpen as well. So I think it’s a testament to our guys making quality pitches and then at the same time, our defense has played really well behind us.

• World Series Game 1: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. ET air time | 8 ET game time on FOX

So we’re not afraid of contact and letting these guys do their job as well. So it’s been, I think, a culmination of all of us just kind of bearing down.

Q. It’s often said that familiarity works against a starting pitcher this time of the year; the more times a hitter gets a look at you, the better they usually do. What do you account for the fact you obviously had two very good starts at the Dodgers in the postseason. All these scouts looking at you and you’re still pitching well. What about your repertoire lets you continue that success?

JON LESTER: I don’t know. I think I probably really can speak just from this series or this last series. But I had a really good fastball command. It wasn’t erratic. It was missing to the side of the plate that I wanted to be on. I think when I’m able to do that, it makes the other pitches better.

Game Date Time (air time/game time) Matchup TV Gm 1 Oct. 25 7:30 p.m./8 p.m. CHC @ CLE FOX Gm 2 Oct. 26 7:30 p.m./8 p.m. CHC @ CLE FOX Gm 3 Oct. 28 7:30 p.m./8 p.m. CLE @ CHC FOX Gm 4 Oct. 29 7:30 p.m./8 p.m. CLE @ CHC FOX *Gm 5 Oct. 30 8 p.m. CLE @ CHC FOX *Gm 6 Nov. 1 7:30 p.m./8 p.m. CHC @ CLE FOX *Gm 7 Nov. 2 7:30 p.m./8 p.m. CHC @ CLE FOX * If necessary | All times listed ET • World Series coverageShop for postseason gear: Cubs | Indians

I guess that’s kind of like your cookie-cutter answer, but I mean, that’s for me what it comes down to. Because then I can get guys to swing at my curveball under, and I can get the cutter to play off the fastball, and everything just works in sync together.

I think that’s the big thing. The well-executed fastball in October is just the same as it is in June. So just keep working on that and keep focusing on that, and obviously you don’t want any free passes with guys on base and walks. You want to make them earn it and hit the ball.

Q. We always hear from you guys you have to enjoy this moment because you never know when you’re going to get back to this level. You are back to this level. What does this mean to you and how much fun is this going to be for you?

JON LESTER: Oh, man, it’s awesome, especially to be a part of this organization with all the history and all that fun stuff that we keep being a part of and talking about and this group of guys and all that stuff. Joe talks about staying in the moment, that’s kind of his big thing. Always stay in the moment, stay relevant to what we’re doing now. And I think this group has done a really good job of that. I think we feed off each other with that saying. We don’t look ahead of anything. We stay where we’re at.

And we’ll enjoy this for the next however many days and see where we’re at the at the end. One of us has to win, right?

Q. Yeah, but you personally being on a World Series stage, does it give you any kind of really good feeling?

JON LESTER: Yeah, obviously, we’re the last two teams. So obviously this is one of the goals that you set, for me at least, the individual, and as far as team goal you want to make it to this point. You want to be the last team standing and jumping in that dog pile and having fun afterwards.

So, yeah, it’s very rewarding to get to this point, but we still have this week to go. Like I said, we’ll see what happens.

Q. Anthony Rizzo was talking today about what an inspiration you have been to him having fought through cancer as well. Can you talk about the bond you two have formed and maybe what you remember about the first time you were introduced to Anthony.

JON LESTER: Yeah, I mean, I think we have a unique bond just with everything in our past and what we’ve been through. I think that makes coming to a team like this as a new guy, last year, it made our relationship a little bit easier. You already had something that joined you. So that was good.

First time I met Anthony, five minutes after I met him, he fainted. So there were some interesting moments early on. But just talking …

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