Rizzo dons Lester Cubs jersey before faceoff

Anthony Rizzo was Cubs teammates with Jon Lester for six seasons, which included Chicago’s long-awaited 2016 championship. So when Lester returned to Wrigley Field to start against his former club on Monday night as a member of the Nationals, Rizzo paid homage to the veteran left-hander.

As Rizzo arrived at Wrigley on Monday, a photographer captured a shot of the first baseman wearing Lester’s No. 34 Cubs jersey.

“That’s Riz,” Lester said with a smile. “He actually texted me last night -- we were on the plane -- and said that he was going to do it. I called him on his bluff. I said, ‘You won’t,’ and he did.”

With Rizzo in the starting lineup and batting third, he and Lester squared off for the first time in their careers. But as that photo shows, there is sure to be a great deal of respect between the two, even as they are now head-to-head competitors.

The Cubs prevailed in the matchup, 7-3, with Lester allowing five runs off eight hits across 5 1/3 innings.