Game Seventy: Cubs 6, Marlins 1
WP – Jake Arrieta (3-1) LP – Nathan Eovaldi (4-3) Save – None
Jake Arrieta tossed a gem and set a career-high with 11 strikeouts, Starlin Castro drove in two runs with a pair of doubles and Nate Schierholtz hit a three-run shot in the sixth inning that broke the game open as the Cubs beat the Marlins on Wednesday afternoon.
Jake Arrieta was locked in again Wednesday and did not allow his own mistake or missed calls by the homeplate umpire rattle him early in the game. The Marlins managed only one run off Arrieta Wednesday and that was a solo home run to right center by Giancarlo Stanton in the first inning. Arrieta kept the Fish off the board as the offense tried to string together hits against Nathan Eovaldi. Arrieta pitched out of jams in the second, third and fourth innings without allowing the Marlins to push across a run.
Jake Arrieta pounded the strike zone all afternoon and only 35 of the 105 pitches (70 strikes) were out of the zone. Arrieta struck out a career-high 11 batters Wednesday and scattered five hits while issuing just one walk in seven innings.
Pedro Strop pitched a scoreless eighth with a walk and James Russell set down the Marlins 1-2-3 in the ninth to end the game.
Starlin Castro (3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored) had another huge game at the plate. Castro doubled in Chris Coghlan (1-for-3 with a double and a run scored) with the Cubs first run and doubled in Anthony Rizzo (3-for-5 with a double and a run scored) with the go ahead run in the sixth inning. Castro scored a pair of runs as well … one on the Schierholtz three-run homer and the other in the eighth on an infield single by Darwin Barney (1-for-4 with a RBI).
Nate Schierholtz (1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI) gave Arrieta a lot of breathing room in the sixth with his first longball since May 30. Schierholtz launched a three-shot to the upper deck and turned a one-run advantage into a four-run lead.
The offense had a good day. The Cubs pounded out 13 hits with six going for extra bases. Ryan Sweeney (2-for-4 with a run scored) collected two hits, Jake Arrieta (1-for-2 with sac bunt and a double) doubled and John Baker (1-for-4) added a single. Luis Valbuena (0-for-5) was the only starter that did not record a hit Wednesday.
After a rough start to the road trip, the Cubs finished the 10-game, three-city trip with a 5-5 record and for the first time since last June won back-to-back series on the road.
With Wednesday’s victory, the Cubs improved to 30-40 on the season.
The Cubs jumped out to an early lead. After Luis Valbuena popped out to McGehee in foul ground to start the game, Chris Coghlan pulled a 2-1 pitch to deep right. Giancarlo Stanton went back on the ball and nearly made the catch at the wall. The ball hit off his glove and Coghlan ended up at second with a double. Rizzo flied out to center and Coghlan advanced to third with two outs. Starlin Castro pulled Nathan Eovaldi’s first pitch into left past a diving Casey McGehee. Coghlan scored easily on Castro’s 21st double of the season … 1-0 Cubs. Adeiny Hechavarria made a diving stop on a ball ticketed for centerfield and threw out Ryan Sweeney at first to end the inning.
Jake Arrieta took the hill in the bottom of the first with a 1-0 lead. Arrieta retired Furcal (grounder to short) and Hechavarria (grounder to second) for the first two outs. Giancarlo Stanton hit another line drive homer to the opposite field. Stanton drove a 2-1 pitch over the wall in right center and tied the game at one. McGehee grounded out to third to end the inning.
The game was tied at one after one.
The Cubs did nothing against Eovaldi in the second. And Arrieta walked Garrett Jones on four pitches to start the second. Marcell Ozuna looked at a 2-2 pitch for the second out. Arrieta did not get the call on two pitches to Marisnick and the Marlins’ centerfielder blooped a single in right center on a 3-2 pitch. With the runners on the corners and one down, Arrieta refocused after a visit from John Baker. Arrieta did not let the missed calls get to him and struck out Jeff Mathis and Nathan Eovaldi swinging to end the inning. Arrieta kept the Marlins from taking the lead … and after two innings, the Cubs and Marlins were knotted up at one.
Jake Arrieta worked out of small jams in the third and fourth innings and the game remained tied at one until the sixth inning.
Chris Coghlan led off the sixth and tapped back to Eovaldi for the first out. Anthony Rizzo followed and pulled a 2-2 pitch into right. Starlin Castro drove a 2-1 pitch into the gap in right center. The ball one-hopped the wall and Rizzo scored from first. The Cubs took a 2-1 lead on Castro’s second RBI double of the game. Ryan Sweeney followed with a single to left. Castro advanced to third and put runners on the corners with one down for Nate Schierholtz … and Schierholtz pulled a 2-1 pitch into the upper deck beyond the right field wall. Schierholtz’s third longball of the year put the Cubs up 5-1. Baker lined out to left and Barney flied out to right to end the inning.
Jake Arrieta retired the Marlins in order in the sixth … 94 pitches for Arrieta after six, 63 for strikes.
After six complete, the Cubs led 5-1.
The offense could not cash in a leadoff double by Jake Arrieta in the seventh and Arrieta retired the Fish in order in the home half.
The Cubs led 5-1 after seven innings.
Starlin Castro led off the eighth with an infield single off Jacob Turner’s glove that rolled behind the mound. Ryan Sweeney followed with his second hit of the game, a single to left. Schierholtz flied out to right and Baker grounded into a 4-6 fielder’s choice. With runners on the corners and two down, Darwin Barney pulled a 1-0 pitch to the hole at short. Hechavarria stopped the ball and kept it from leaving the infield. Castro scored and the Cubs took a 6-1 lead. Mike Olt hit for Arrieta and grounded out to short to end the inning.
Pedro Strop threw a zero on the board in the eighth and James Russell retired the side in order in the ninth inning … game over, and the Cubs won their second straight series on the road.
Thursday is an off day and the Cubs open a 10-game homestand Friday afternoon (3:05pm CDT) with the first of three against the Pirates. Edwin Jackson is scheduled to face Charlie Morton in the opener.