It may not have been another no-hitter, but Jake Arrieta looked mighty on the mound once again.
The Chicago Cubs right-hander tossed eight innings of four-hit ball without allowing a run or a walk, striking out seven against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday in his team's 2-0 victory - his first start since throwing a no-no Sunday.
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
"It's as good as you're going to get on the major league level," Cubs manager Joe Maddon told reporters. "I thought in the beginning he wasn't as sharp, he kind of hit his stride in the third or fourth inning. Everything started to click and then he got really, really good after that. It's a tribute to his ability, the way he works and his mental preparation is outstanding."
Arrieta allowed two quick hits to Paul Goldschmidt and David Peralta in the first inning, but settled down and shut the door as the game progressed.
The 29-year-old, who became the first 18-game winner of the season, didn't need much run support as everything was working for him, but he received a home run courtesy of Dexter Fowler, who set a career high with his 16th of the season.
Fowler has set career highs in homers, runs, and walks this season.
Arrieta hasn't allowed an earned run in four consecutive starts.
| IP | H | ER | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 2.30 |
| 6 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 2.22 |
| 9 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2.11 |
| 8 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 2.03 |
With the win, Arrieta's ERA dropped to 2.03 as he sits behind only Zack Greinke of the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose 1.50 mark leads all of baseball.
Chicago will try for the series sweep of the Diamondbacks on Sunday.