Jake Arrieta pitched his second no-hitter in a span of just 11 regular-season starts as the Chicago Cubs shut down Cincinnati in a 16-0 rout on Thursday. He’s trying to win his first four starts no Cubs pitcher has done that since Greg Maddux opened 5-0 in 2006.
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On Thursday night, Chicago Cubs’ pitcher, Jake Arrieta, threw a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds.
“I had visualizations of throwing no-hitters or throwing shutouts”.
Kris Bryant hit two home runs, including a grand slam, the Cubs offense scored 16 runs, and Cub fans couldn’t care less.
Once a well-regarded prospect in the Orioles’ system, Arrieta struggled to get his footing in the big leagues. “I was able to keep them off balance later in the game”.
RF Jason Heyward got his first hit of the series with a one-out single in the first, finishing the day 1-for-3 with a walk and a run.
Arrieta entered Thursday’s start having thrown 23 consecutive quality starts.
Paul Goldschmidt had two hits and two RBIs, Yasmani Tomas hit his third home run of the season and reliever Tyler Wagner pitched five scoreless innings for his first career win as Arizona beat San Francisco. “As good as Arrieta was, nobody wants to get no-hit”.
Edinson Volquez and two relievers combined on a five-hit shutout as the Royals blanked the visiting Tigers in Kansas City last night, 4-0.
“In the sixth, I knew it was going to be a possibility for me”, Arrieta said.
Amid all of that, the Cubs moved to 12-4 on the season, the best record in baseball.
DODGERS 2, BRAVES 1 (10) Yasmani Grandal doubled in the go-ahead run in the 10th inning and visiting Los Angeles overcame a not-quite-overpowering performance by Clayton Kershaw, beating Atlanta. Sonny Gray (2-1, 2.33 ERA) takes the mound for Oakland, while Toronto send Aaron Sanchez (1-0, 1.35) out to continue his early-season success.
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Luckily for the Cubs, Jake Arrieta is starting the 2016 season right where he left off. That’s vital to what happens next because, had Ross not extinguished Suarez, then first baseman Anthony Rizzo would’ve been holding the runner on. One of those starts includes his second no-hitter as discussed in the first paragraph. He had a flawless game with two outs in the top of the ninth on September 2, 1972, but he issued a walk to Padres pinch-hitter Larry Stahl on a 3-2 count at Wrigley Field.
