Jon Lester won for the eighth time in nine starts, Jason Heyward drove in two runs and the Cubs beat the sloppy San Diego Padres 7-4 on Sunday for a three-game series sweep. Chicago closed out a 4-2 West Coast trip. With All-Star second baseman Javier Baez putting together a big first half, the Cubs (55-38) lead Milwaukee by 2 ½ games in the NL Central. The Cubs jumped to a 5-0 lead after two innings against rookie left-hander Eric Lauer, who came within one out of his first complete game in a 4-1 victory over the Dodgers in his previous start. It was more than enough for Lester (12-2), who struck out seven in 5 1/3 innings. The All-Star lefty allowed three runs and six hits while improving to 10-1 in his last 12 starts. Lester was selected for Tuesday’s showcase in Washington by the players’ vote, but he won’t be on the active roster due to Sunday’s outing.
