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 Wholesale Soccer Jerseys . Ouellette, from Montreal, already has three Olympic gold medals since joining the team in 1999. Soccer Jerseys . From filmmaker Nanette Burstein (On the Ropes), The Price of Gold revisits the saga that rocked the figure skating world ahead of the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games: the assault on Nancy Kerrigan, and the plot that led its way back to her rival Tonya Harding. https://www.cheapsoccerjerseysjustwholesale.com/ . The 17-year-old native of Marystown, N.L., pulled out of Skate Canada International last month in Saint John, N.B., with the same problem. Soccer Jerseys From China . And when it opened, every player was at his stall. Thats a sure sign that a team is in a slump and is searching for answers. "Its embarrassing to be at home and play the way we did," said defenceman Josh Gorges. Cheap Soccer Jerseys . Pence singled in the winning run with no outs in the ninth inning to give the Giants a 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. DENVER --?Paxton Lynch fought off nerves Sunday in his first NFL start as the Denver Broncos quarterback.But he couldnt overcome the Atlanta Falcons.Atlanta sacked Lynch six times as he finished 23-of-35 for 223 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the Broncos 23-16 loss, their first of the season.Lynch looked unsettled in the pocket at times against a Falcons defense that entered the game 30th in the league in total defense, 31st in pass defense and with just four sacks.Obviously you have some butterflies in your first NFL start, Lynch said. Its not a preseason game and your team is 4-0. You are excited about that, but you have to focus on the team and winning the ballgame. After that first drive, I was ready to go and ready to play with those guys.Lynch, the Broncos first-round draft pick in April, started while Trevor Siemian recovers from a left shoulder injury. Siemian, who had practiced on a limited basis this past week, was ruled out after a brief throwing session Saturday.Lynch fumbled twice -- the Broncos recovered both -- and before a surge in the fourth quarter, which the Falcons entered leading by 17, he had just 101 yards passing.?I am upset, obviously, because we lost, Lynch said. I am kind of happy that I got the first one under my belt. My first start with these guys and having a chance to play with them. If I get put in that situation again, I will know how to handle it a little bit better than I did the first time. I am glad I got the experience, but I am also upset that we didnt come out with the win.The Broncos also didnt provide Lynch the best of support, rushing foor 85 yards in their third consecutive game with less than 100 yards rushing.ddddddddddddThe Broncos pass protection was spotty at times, as well, with right tackle Ty Sambrailo being replaced in the fourth quarter.We have to help him better, us as coaches, Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said. We got down early in the game. We were committed to running the ball [Sunday] and tried to do that early. We did not run the ball well. We get down by 13, something like that, and were struggling to protect him. We put him in a really tough situation. Thats not the type of game you want to put him in.It was uncertain whether Lynch would start the Broncos Thursday night game at San Diego, which stands as the shortest turnaround between games they face this season.Siemian said after Sundays game that he had thrown a little bit at the teams practice Saturday when it was determined he would not play against the Falcons. Siemian also said he still believed he was close to returning to the lineup but would see how he felt this week and what the teams medical staff said in the coming days.Well see. ... Ill take it one day at a time and get right [Monday], Siemian said.Said Lynch: Im just going to keep approaching it like I have been approaching it. I am going to take it day by day, and if my number gets called again, then I am going to make sure I am ready to go out there and play. If my number isnt called, I am going to make sure to be ready to play if I have to go back in the game again. ' ' '