Old friends face off as rivals

Lackey and Lester carried Red Sox to 2013 championship.

John Lackey has been a bargain for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Pitching for the major league minimum $507,500 salary due to a clause in his contract, Lackey went 13-10 for a team that lost its ace early. And when two longtime rivals face each other in a postseason series for the first time today, he’ll be pitching against an old buddy.

The 36-year-old Lackey will oppose the Chicago Cubs’ Jon Lester, a duo that formed a devastating one-two for the Red Sox in the 2013 World Series.

“I’d like to say I was surprised, but I’m not,” Lackey said Thursday. “He’s good. No accident people running into each other this time of year.”

Lackey had a careerbest 2.77 ERA and consistently went deep for the 100-win Cardinals, stepping up as the de facto ace after Adam Wainwright tore his left Achilles in late April.

He earned this slot, the crusty, bulldog demeanor reminding management of former star pitcher Chris Carpenter.

Lackey was paid $82.5 million the previous five years under a contract he signed with Boston, which included a conditional club option for 2015 at the minimum. That condition was met when he missed 2012 while recovering from reconstructive elbow surgery.

St. Louis acquired him from the Red Sox on July 31, 2014. Lackey can become a free agent again this fall.

Lester and Lackey had a combined three victories in a six-game 2013 Series triumph over the Cardinals. Lester was 2-0 with a 0.59 ERA and Lackey won the clincher.

“He was probably the best on the planet going through the playoffs that year,” Lackey said.