If given chance, Tribe to run wild vs. Lester

CLEVELAND — Jon Lester’s glare at the Dodgers’ dugout said it all. When Joc Pederson bunted a two-out pitch back to the Cubs lefty, leading Lester to one-hop a throw to first baseman Anthony Rizzo for an out in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series, the pitcher was far from thrilled.

Whether Lester likes it or not — and his laser-beam stare indicated that he does not — the book has been out on him for quite some time. Lester’s trouble throwing to bases is no secret — he went the entire 2014 season without a pickoff attempt to first — and does not require an in-depth advanced scouting meeting to discover. So, as the Indians, one of baseball’s elite running teams, prep for facing Lester in Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday night, it absolutely is part of Cleveland’s game plan.

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

The Indians led the American League with 134 stolen bases, including a league-high 43 from the seemingly ageless Rajai Davis. The Tribe also has a pair of plus runners in Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor. Jason Kipnis, who is dealing with an ankle issue, may not factor into the equation as much as he normally would, but the whole lineup knows that an extra base is there for the taking against Lester.

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During the regular season, on plays with a runner only on first base, the average primary lead against a lefty was 10.9 feet and the average secondary lead was 22 feet, per Statcast™. Against Lester, those averages jumped to 14.1 and 23.4, respectively. On successful steals, the averages were 11.1 and 23.1, respectively. So, on average, the runner has three more feet on a primary lead against Lester than typically needed to steal.

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

This season, Lester allowed 28 stolen bases, marking the third-highest total in the Majors, and it was actually a big drop-off from 2015, when he allowed 44 …

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