Rookie Dylan Bundy (7-4) pitched six innings of three-hit ball for the Orioles, who had lost five of their previous six games – all at home. Bryant has been just as hot for the Cubs, going 13-for-27 on a six-game hitting streak during which he has collected five home runs and 13 RBIs.
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With similar designs on their organizational blueprint, the Padres are at the onset of a process that, for the Cubs, began with a.377 winning percentage during Epstein’s first year on the job.
San Diego is off Thursday and begins a 9-game road trip Friday in Miami.
San Diego’s only other threat was in the sixth, as Brett Wallace advanced to third on a one-out single and two-base error by Heyward in right when he overran the ball. He’s done it before.
The Padres’ first hit was a clean single to right by left fielder Alex Dickerson leading off the second. In fact, Kyle Hendricks is hard at work crafting a Cy Young-worthy campaign.
“Clemens was as good as he’s been after three hitters”, said Green. “He just nailed it”.
“The first inning has been the story of my last two outings”, said Clemens.
“I was mad at Joe for taking me out”, Arrieta said.
The way Arrieta did with that August 30 no-hitter past year at Dodger Stadium on national TV, walking into the press conference in a moustache-covered onesie, Maddon going with the pajama theme again for the flight home after this weekend’s series in Los Angeles.
“That’s our game plan”.
“We didn’t really have that many quality at-bats”, Green said.
“Could I have finished the game? Yes”. Arrieta asked. “Yes. But does it play in our favor to maybe conserve that for later?”
Kris Bryant, a former University of San Diego standout, hit his NL tying 32nd home run.
The Cubs caught a break that helped produce their next two runs. The Cubs outscored the Padres 16-7 in the three games and their pitchers held the San Diego hitters to 16 hits.Hendricks (12-7) allowed two runs on four hits and struck out eight in the win. They’ve won 10 of their last 12 games against Cincinnati.
Carpenter set the tone, hitting a leadoff home run in the first inning. He walked four and struck out two. Soler added a sacrifice fly to open up a 3-0 lead before Clemens retired the second out of the game, the start of a stretch in which he retired 14 of 16.
In the Cubs’ three-run fifth, Ben Zobrist stroked a run-scoring double which preceded Russell’s long fly. He was only challenged by Marwin Gonzalez, who recorded three hits.
“Today I had some bad at the beginning and some good at the end”, he said. “It kind of got away from me”. Catcher Christian Bethancourt doubled with two out in the eighth after Arrieta had retired 10 straight Padres.
The Padres blew several chances early.
Wil Myers has struggled against the Cubs in his career.
“That was the one that really hurt, that two-run homer”, Jackson said.
Cubs: RHP John Lackey (right shoulder strain) is progressing with his throwing program and will have a bullpen session this weekend in Los Angeles.
Hendricks, the major league ERA leader, pitched six effective innings to pace the Cubs.
For all the questions about Arrieta’s fastball control and mechanical tweaks – and times where he’s admitted he’s felt a click off – this is still a top-of-the-rotation guy who leads the league with 16 wins and has a 2.62 ERA.
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And with the win, the Cubs move to 36 games over.500.
