spells gives him the most satisfaction?Broad on

CINCINNATI -- Jon Lesters late-summer surge put him in position to get 20 wins for the first time in his career. The left-hander let his one chance slip away with an uncharacteristically poor performance.No time to fume over it, though. He might be starting the Cubs first playoff game in a few days.Lester struggled for the first time since mid-July as the Cincinnati Reds pulled away to a 7-4 victory on Saturday against what is likely to be Chicagos lineup for its opening game of the playoffs.Asked before the game if hell open the playoffs with the same lineup -- including Lester on the mound -- manager Joe Maddon said, Theres a shot. The Cubs will host the NL wild-card playoff winner on Friday at Wrigley Field.For now, its more about staying ready and accomplishing a few personal goals, like a 20-win season. Lester (19-5) found himself rushing on the mound Saturday as he gave up five runs in only five innings, including Eugenio Suarezs two-run homer and a pair of RBI by Joey Votto. The left-hander hadnt allowed five runs in a start since July 9.I dont know if I was rushing, just trying to get through the game or what, said Lester, who threw 111 pitches. Im more or less bummed about that more than the other stuff.Maddon has been getting players some rest heading into the postseason. Even so, the Cubs have won eight of 12, finishing one of their best regular seasons with a flourish. Chicagos 102 victories are its most since 1910.I think weve been doing a nice job, Maddon said. Im happy with what were doing now. Its not about this. Its about four days off (before the first playoff game) -- thats the bigger concern.Tim Adleman (4-4) gave up three runs in five innings as part of a rare Reds victory over Chicago. The Cubs are 14-4 against Cincinnati this season. Ben Zobrist hit his third homer in two games.The overwhelming majority of the 30,970 fans were wearing Cubs blue and cheering for Lester to get that milestone victory.You know everybody in that clubhouse wanted to get him his 20th win, Adleman said. This didnt feel at all like home. The place was flooded with Cubs fans. It was sweet to get the win today.Nobodys been better lately than Lester. Since the All-Star break, hed won a career-high 10 straight decisions. In September, he allowed a total of two runs while winning all five starts. Lester had allowed one run or none in a club-record eight straight starts heading into Saturday.The Reds strung together several well-placed hits while sending him to his first loss since July 3. Lester was hoping to become the first Cubs left-hander to win 20 games since Dick Ellsworth in 1963.Jake Arrieta won 22 games last season to help the Cubs reach the playoffs.STATSThe Cubs have hit 40 homers against the Reds this season, the most ever by an opposing team against Cincinnati. ... Dexter Fowler singled for his 1,000th career hit. ... Suarez snapped an 0-for-12 slump with his first homer since Aug. 30. ... Votto had three hits and drove in three runs overall. Hes batting .412 since the All-Star break. Hes trying to become the first player in the majors to hit .400 after the All-Star break since Ichiro Suzuki hit .429 in 2004. ... Aroldis Chapman fanned Votto on three pitches in the eighth clocked at 101, 102 and 101 mph.TRAINERS ROOMCubs: OF Jorge Soler took batting practice on Saturday and appeared to have no problems with his sore right side that has sidelined him for a week. Maddon said he would likely play on Sunday if there was no lingering soreness.Reds: 2B Brandon Phillips had an MRI on his sore left hand that found a deep bruise. He missed a fourth straight game.UP NEXTCubs: Kyle Hendricks (16-8) is expected to go no more than five innings as the Cubs keep him fresh for the postseason. Hendricks has allowed three or fewer runs in each of his last 22 starts since May 22, the longest such streak in the majors this season. His 1.99 ERA is the lowest in the majors.Reds: Robert Stephenson (2-3) makes his sixth start since he was promoted in September. He gave up four runs in 3 2/3 innings of a 9-2 loss at Wrigley Field on Sept. 21.---Follow Joe Kay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/apjoekay Cheap Air Max 90 White . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. Wholesale Air Max 90 Mens . Louis Blues absence from top spot in the TSN. http://www.outletairmax90cheap.com/outlet-air-max-90-black-royal-blue-cheap.html . -- Three close looks at the bucket, three misses. Fake Air Max 90 Black . Brandon Morrow allowed five runs on six hits over three innings. He struck out two, walked one and hit a batter. Edwin Encarnacion had a two-out, bases loaded two-RBI double in the third inning. Cheap Air Max 90 White China . Booth picked up 65 caps after making her national team debut in 2002 at the age of 17. She most recently played for Sky Blue FC of the National Womens Soccer League. "It just felt like it was my time to move on," she said in a phone interview from her hometown of Burlington, Ont.Whats it like to play alongside Stuart Broad for England? Thats what we asked the four players who have played the most Tests with Broad ahead of the 30-year-olds 100th Test cap - Alastair Cook (all 99), James Anderson (89), Ian Bell (74) and Matt Prior (60).His career stats tell their own story but heres what Broads team-mates think of him… and his response. India vs England November 9, 2016, 3:30am Live on Get Sky Sports Get a Sky Sports pass James Anderson: Our partnership has blossomed over the last four or five years. We have a good relationship on and off the field. We know each others game inside out which helps us work together more effectively.Broad: The communication part of our partnership is the thing thats grown over the last four or five years. Its something that I never really paid a huge amount of attention to and I cant believe how much it has helped me as a bowler because just being able to talk about whats working [helps]. Our job is to get the opening batsmen out as soon as we possibly can, so can we react to conditions quicker than them? The best way to do that is to share information. Growing up I always heard about batting partnerships - no-one ever talked about bowling in partnerships and if I could pass any information onto anyone it would be work with the guy at the other end. Watch some of the most memorable moments from Stuart Broad so far... Ian Bell, speaking about Broads 5-37 against Australia at the Oval in 2009: When Broady gets on a roll and his tail is up it doesnt matter who the batter is or how good the other team is, he blows them away. It was great to be there alongside him and witness those spells.Broad: Id sort of been the fourth seamer behind Fred (Andrew Flintoff) so opportunities hadnt really arisen for me to take responsibility, and they dont as a young kid. In one of those Ashes Tests I came on to bowl in the 59th over! This was similar. I think Australia were 100-0. We went off at lunch and it was all a bit quiet and Andrew Strauss came over and said were going to start with you after lunch; we need some wickets, just give it a go. I got a touch lucky as there was a touch of rain before we went out and it just seemed to kiss through quite nicely. Watch NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for only ￡6.99. No contract. Matt Prior, speaking about Broads spell of 6-20 against Australia at Durham in 2013: The slips and I would stand and talk and say right, here we go - hes into one of these Stuart Broad rhythms; anything could happen here.Broad: With experience Ive got to realise when Im in that sort of rhythm. My knees pick up really nicely and I feel light in my run up. I feel like Im snapping through my action without forcing anything - I dont feel like Im trying to bowl quickly. Most importantly, actually, Im not thinking inswing, outswing, what am I doing? I actually simplify a lot and almost just try to hit the top of off-stump and if one nips back, it nips back. I think Im a better bowler when Im not thinking too much about different skills - I justt let my instincts take over.dddddddddddd. Matt has been incredibly influential in my career. I started in the National Academy with him and, as a wicketkeeper, he was a very influential man in the field - hed always rev the guys up at the right moments. He had a way of talking to me that would get me going. Hed encourage me but also challenge me a little bit. Nasser Hussain has labelled Stuart Broad an England great Prior on Broads impact: His standout characteristic for England is how many times hes single-handedly changed a game or turned a game on its head. I was watching that first day at Trent Bridge in 2015 when he took his eight-for and to watch someone run through the Australians like that was incredible and hes done it time and time again for England.Broad: In the past year Ive not had that standout five-for spell - I have been a little bit more consistent in my two and three-fors - but they are great fun when you get into those spells. I absolutely love that feeling when you feel like you are in control of the game and you almost need wickets to get the team back into the game.Alastair Cook, reflecting on Broads 8-15 in 2015: He still told me that we should have batted at lunch after it - which shows that after Graeme Swann he is the most stubborn man in cricket. But it was an amazing spell of bowling.Broad: I am stubborn but surely Im behind Alastair Cook! Stuart Broad says hes excited at earning his 100th England Test cap Lets leave the final word to Broad. Which of his many fine spells gives him the most satisfaction?Broad on his 6-17 against South Africa in 2016: The Wanderers is quite an intimidating place to play. I felt like that pitch suited me a little bit. I wasnt very well in the first innings and didnt bowl well but then I got in one of those rhythms and the ball was bouncing. The crowd are hostile towards the England side, in a good way, but bowling out South Africa on that day probably gave me the most amount of pleasure. I dont feel like I gave many freebies away. I had a lot of luck in it too, as you do - James Taylor took some brilliant catches - but that spell probably behind the 8-15 gave me the most satisfaction in terms of the areas I bowled because in that 8-15 not one of the balls that I bowled would probably have hit the stumps.England take on India in the first Test of their five-match tour, in Rajkot, from 3.30am this Wednesday on Sky Sports 2. Watch the complete Test for £10.99 with no contract, with a Week Pass from NOW TV. Also See: Broads 99 in stats Sky Cricket Podcast Cooks captaincy journey Live cricket on Sky ' ' '