Game Seven: Cubs (4-2) vs. Reds (4-3)
- Game Time – 7:05pm CDT
- Coverage – TV: Comcast SportsNet – Radio: WBBM 780, Cubs Radio Network, XM Radio Channels 183, 844
- Location – Wrigley Field, Chicago
Jake Arrieta (1-0, 0.00/0.86/2.26) vs. Anthony DeSclafani (0-0, 3.00/1.00/4.14)
After back-to-back victories in their final at bat, the Cubs will shoot for four wins in a row behind Jake Arrieta.
The Cubs enter play tonight two games over .500 for the first time under Ricketts family ownership. Joe Maddon has his players believing and playing together as a team. It was a rather wild, up and down first six games of the season. The Cubs have shown both how good and how not-so-good they can be. And while it’s not been pretty at times, the Cubs have been anything but boring over the last six games.
Look for Joe Maddon to load his lineup with as many lefties as possible tonight. Left handed batters (.347/.372/.560) have hit significantly better than right handers (.241/.284/.354) over the course of Anthony DeSclafani’s first 14 big league starts.
Tonight all starts with Jake Arrieta …
After a rather shaky first inning, Jake Arrieta settled in against the Cardinals and looked a lot like the Jake Arrieta from a year ago. Arrieta kept the Redbirds off balance throughout his seven innings of work. Arrieta had good command and excellent movement on his pitches. Arrieta issued three walks, but two of those came in the first inning. Arrieta left the game after seven shutout innings with three hits allowed and seven strikeouts.
Jake Arrieta has been very good at Wrigley since he was acquired from the Orioles. Arrieta 10-2 in 19 starts at Wrigley with a 1.92 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP.
The Reds were one of the teams that had their way with Arrieta last season. Arrieta could not keep the Reds from stealing and circling the bases and the end result was one of his worst outings of the season. The Reds tagged Arrieta for six runs on six hits in four innings in Cincinnati on August 28. Arrieta walked four and struck out eight batters in the Cubs 7-2 loss.
Even with the bad start in the Queen City, Arrieta was 2-1 in his first three career starts against the Reds last season with a 3.60 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP.
Reds Career Numbers against the Reds
- Todd Frazier: 2-for-9
- Billy Hamilton: 2-for-6 with one double and three walks
- Jay Bruce: 1-for-8 with one double
- Brennan Boesch: 1-for-6 with one double
- Zack Cozart: 2-for-6
- Devin Mesoraco: 1-for-5 with one walk
- Brandon Phillips: 2-for-6 with two doubles
- Skip Schumaker: 1-for-5 with one walk
- Brayan Pena: 0-for-5
- Marlon Byrd: 1-for-3
- Joey Votto: 0-for-3
- Kris Negron: 0-for-1 with one walk
The Cubs get their first look at Anthony DeSclafani in a Reds’ uniform tonight. Cincinnati acquired the 24-year old right hander from the Marlins in the deal that sent Mat Latos to Miami. The Reds did a good job maximizing the value for Latos.
DeSclafani made his Reds debut in Cincinnati against the Pirates the last time out. DeSclafani gave up two runs on five hits with a walk and six strikeouts in six innings. The Reds won the game 3-2 when Gregory Polanco dropped Marlon Byrd’s liner in the bottom of the ninth.
Anthony DeSclafani broke in with the Marlins last season. In 13 starts he was 5-2 with a 6.27 ERA, a 1.36 WHIP and a 3.77 FIP … and he received a non-decision in the start he made against the Cubs on June 17 in Miami.
The Cubs scored four runs on six hits with a walk and five strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. Tonight is DeSclafani’s second of what should be many starts against the Cubs.
Starlin Castro (1-for-3 with one double), Anthony Rizzo (0-for-3) and Chris Coghlan (1-for-1) are the only players on the Cubs’ active roster that have faced Anthony DeSclafani in a regular season game.
Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball …