As Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta launched nearly unhittable pitches toward the next Cincinnati Reds batter, a man sat in the Cubs dugout who understood exactly what it took to hurl a no-hitter.
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Just 24 hours after 2015 NL CY Young victor Jake Arrieta pitched his second career no hitter the Cubs were back doing what they do best, win. After hitting five home runs the night before, including a grand slam by Kris Bryant, the Cubs played small-ball Friday, laying down two squeeze bunts in the fourth inning to increase their lead to 4-0.NOTES: The Cubs’ 12-4 start ranks second in franchise history behind only the 1907 club which began the season 13-3.
Arrieta allowed only six balls hit out of the infield on Thursday night while no-hitting the Cincinnati Reds 16-0.
Arrieta, whose first no-hitter came August 30 in Los Angeles against the Dodgers, had thrown 95 pitches through seven innings, but needed just eight pitches to get through the eighth inning. He’s trying to win his first four starts no Cubs pitcher has done that since Greg Maddux opened 5-0 in 2006.
Chicago Cubs’ Dexter Fowler smiles as he walks toward the dugout after scoring on Jason Heyward’s double off Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher J.J. Hoover in the ninth inning of a baseball game, Friday, April 22, 2016, in Cincinnati. He threw 119 pitches, retiring Eugenio Suarez on a routine fly to right field to end it.
The Reds hadn’t been held hitless in a regular-season game since 1971, when Rick Wise did it for Philadelphia at Riverfront Stadium.
After that, he dug in and made quick work of the Reds’ lineup.
Everybody knows that their best chance for a no-hitter comes any time Arrieta is on the mound.
“I think [Bosio] should be feeling pretty good about [his prediction]”, Arrieta said.
Yasmani Tomas hit a go-ahead home run in the fourth and Paul Goldschmidt drove in two runs for the Diamondbacks, who notched a fifth straight win and completed their first four-game sweep ever in the Giants’ 17th-year ballpark. A players’ strike delayed the start of the 1972 season, so this Sunday game, played in 40-degree temperatures with a steady drizzle, was the second game of the year.
A’s 8, Blue Jays 5 • Chris Coghlan hit a three-run home run, Stephen Vogt had three hits and Oakland won its sixth straight. Lackey looks to improve to a career best 4-0 to start a season; Lackey is 4-2 in 10 career starts against the Reds. The 37-year-old was dominant last time out, holding the Cardinals to four hits over seven scoreless innings and racking up 11 strikeouts. Since 1950, there are only 10 such winning streaks by a starter longer than Arrieta’s, according to Baseball-reference. Lester (2-1) limited the Reds to four singles and Zack Cozart’s solo homer.
Arrieta’s pitch count reached 85 through six innings.
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The Cubs ran over the Reds, handing them a 16-0 loss, and it wasn’t just a dominating game for the two franchises.
