CINCINNATI -- OK, that’s a little more like it.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Jon Lester started to show why the organization signed him to the biggest free agent contract in team history as he threw his first quality start of the season in Friday’s 7-3, 11-inning victory over the Cincinnati Reds. It was far from a masterpiece, but it was closer to one than any of his previous three starts in a Cubs uniform.

“After the second inning, I got in a better rhythm,” Lester said. “Kept some guys off the bases. It’s kind of been the thing that’s plaguing me, just the continued baserunner. It was a lot better. I had a better feel for my cutter tonight. I’m learning.”

The baserunner he couldn’t keep off for a while Friday happened to be the fastest man in the game, Billy Hamilton. Twice Hamilton led off innings with singles and twice he stole bases -- three in total -- and twice he scored runs. But a great play by young Addison Russell at second base kept Hamilton off the basepaths in the fifth, allowing Lester to sail through his final two innings. He struck out 10, his most since last July.

“It tells me I’m executing,” Lester said. “We got some awkward swings. As far as stuff-wise, obviously we did something right tonight with the 10 punchouts.”

Here’s what pitching coach Chris Bosio said before Lester’s outing on Friday: “This guy is a thoroughbred, he’s a horse. Sometimes you can’t find it if you’re throwing 80 pitches. Last year he averaged 106 pitches.”

Lester threw 104 pitches against the Reds. Bosio was right. And Lester was right about his cutter. According to ESPN Stats and Information, he got a season-high four strikeouts off the cutter and gave up a season-low two hits. He started to find the feel as his pitch count became extended.

Six innings, five hits, one walk and 10 strikeouts. Yes, he gave up three runs but as much as everyone wants him to flip a switch and be a $155 million pitcher that’s not necessarily realistic.

And by the way, Lester’s career ERA in April and May is over 4.00. In the final four months of the season, it’s in the low 3.00s. He’s a feel pitcher and he’s just starting to get it. New team, new opponents, a shortened spring training. They’re not excuses -- there are no excuses when you’re making that kind of money -- they’re reasons.

But it’s starting to come around. When Lester was struggling, there were two schools of thought: Either this was going to be one of those signings that would haunt the Cubs or maybe he just needed time. After Friday’s performance, the latter looks to be true.

“It’s a work in progress,” Lester said. “It’s a constant adjustment for me right now. We’ll take what I did five days ago into today and today into the next one. We’ll just keep building. There’s still room for improvement tonight. The strikeouts stand out, that gives it a little better result than what the outing actually was, so there’s room for improvement. I’m going to keep learning.”

And history says he’ll keep getting better.