Lester Sets MLB Record for Most Plate Appearances Without a Hit

Chicago Cubs pitcher Jon Lester set a new record for hitting futility in his first at-bat of Wednesday's 7-3 loss to the Miami Marlins, becoming the first player in MLB history to go hitless through the first 67 plate appearances of his career, per Sportsnet Stats.

Lester already held the record for most at-bats without a hit, having set that mark in his previous start, last Wednesday against the Washington Nationals.

After failing to record a hit in his two at-bats Wednesday in Miami, Lester is now up to 61 at-bats for his career, while the previous record of 57 hitless at-bats was set by fellow pitcher Joey Hamilton in 1995.

Although he'd probably prefer not to hold these records, Lester is likely more troubled by his pitching performance in Wednesday's loss, as he surrendered six runs (all earned) on nine hits and a walk over five innings.

It marked just the second time all season that he's given up more than three earned runs in an outing, though he did give up exactly three earned runs in three of his four starts during a rough April.

Still, with a fantastic May to thank, Lester owns respectable numbers through 11 starts this season, sporting a 4-4 record, 3.86 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 65-to-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 67.2 innings.

His next outing is scheduled for Tuesday in Detroit, where he'll look for both his fifth win of the season and the first hit of his career.