Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta works against the San Diego Padres during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2016, in San Diego.
Advertisement
Jake Arrieta threw eight scoreless innings of two-hit ball to become the NL’s first 16-game victor and Kris Bryant and Addison Russell homered to wreck the Padres’ night. Hendricks is 2-0 with one shutout, a 1.26 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP in four career starts against San Diego, including a no-decision May 11 in which he yielded three runs – two earned – and six hits over 6 2/3 innings.Clemens will be making his fifth consecutive start and sixth in 10 appearances since being acquired from Miami.
The Padres were hoping Kris Bryant’s trip back to his old stomping grounds wouldn’t be so comfortable, but after two games against the team with the best record in the league, it’s clear the Dollars star and the rest of the Chicago Cubs are thoroughly enjoying their time in America’s Finest City. He’s done it before. “That was really reminiscent of a year ago”.
Lester was lifted at 100 pitches after Alex Dickerson and Christian Bethancourt opened the seventh with singles. “So if he gets hot over these last couple of weeks you could see more of what you just saw tonight”.
The Padres rallied in the ninth inning to bring in three runs in a wild attempt to save this game.
“I don’t know how many guys are in the dugout or in the bullpen or wherever”, said Lester. “But at the same time he said, ‘remember last year?’ Let’s conserve some things for October and late September”.
“We didn’t really have that many quality at-bats”, Green said.
Chicago pulled away with a three-run fifth, which featured two home runs.
Lost in the final line of the Cubs’ 5-3 win at Petco Park was the brilliance of Arrieta over the first eight innings of the game. He held the Padres scoreless on three hits over six innings before giving up two straight hits opening the seventh that resulted in the Padres’ run. He has homered in each of his last three games, including a two-homer effort against the Rockies on Sunday. But Lester struck out Jankowski and Myers around a walk to Alexei Ramirez. Arrieta scored on Bryant’s sacrifice fly off reliever Brandon Morrow after Friedrich left the game. The Cubs defense turned three inning-ending double plays and catcher Willson Contreras picked a runner of third. He also hit two and finished with three RBI against the St. Louis Cardinals on July 4.
“I just try to go pitch and do a good job”, he said.
University of San Diego grad Bryant started the assault by lining a 1-and-two pitch 354 feet into the left-field stands with one out in the third.
The Cubs forged ahead 2-0 in the third as Jackson struggled with his command.
The season’s first meeting between the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in early May produced one of the biggest surprises of the season. The Padres will have at least five different starters.
Cubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks (11-7, 21.6) has 16 straight starts in which he’s allowed three runs or fewer, the longest streak in the majors this season.
Ben Zobrist will play left field, with Javier Baez playing second base against Padres starter and Loyola Academy graduate Christian Friedrich.
Advertisement
“Overall, game after game you know what to expect from Jon”, said Maddon.
