Watch: Cubs' Jon Lester forced to throw glove at first base
A lot's been made of Jon Lester's problems throwing over to first base this season. The Cubs' new ace isn't particularly adept or practiced at making the toss to first, and in his last start on April 13 against the Reds, he botched a pickoff attempt so badly it sailed into rightfield. Making his third start of the year on Sunday, Lester once again faced the weirdly daunting task of flipping a ball to his first baseman after the Padres' Clint Barmes tapped a ground ball his way with one on and one out in the second inning. But an equipment malfunction (so to speak) forced the lefthander to get creative.
Granted, it's a little harder to throw over when the ball is stuck in the webbing of your glove, but kudos to Lester for keeping his cool and not flinging it 10 rows back of first base. And who knows: Maybe he can solve his pickoff woes by tossing the ball over inside of the glove. It's hard to imagine that going any worse than what he's been trying, at least.