Game Twenty-Two: Cubs (13-8) vs. Brewers (5-18)
- Game Time – 1:20pm CDT
- Coverage – TV: Comcast SportsNet – Radio: WBBM 780, Cubs Radio Network, XM Radio Channels 184, 844
- Location – Wrigley Field, Chicago
Jake Arrieta (3-1, 2.03/0.94/2.59) vs. Mike Fiers (0-3, 5.79/1.93/4.91)
The Cubs get back to work this afternoon and turn to Jake Arrieta in game two of three with the Brewers.
The offense needs to pick it up today. Over the last two games, the Cubs have scored a grand total of two runs … a Miguel Montero RBI single on Wednesday and an Addison Russell homer on Friday. The Cubs will continue being aggressive on the bases and in all likelihood will lead the league by a wide margin in TOOTBLANs this season. Joe Maddon wants to force the other team to make plays, and the Brewers did Friday. The Cubs have to do a better job of cashing in the opportunities today against a pitcher that has owned the franchise over the course of his young career.
The Cubs must make Mike Fiers work this afternoon, more importantly make him throw strikes. Fiers is not as good as the Cubs have made him out to be.
A win this afternoon would guarantee the Cubs a winning homestand, a winning series and that Joe Maddon would at the very least have Meat Loaf on Sunday.
Today all starts with Jake Arrieta …
Jake Arrieta makes his fifth start of the season this afternoon. Arrieta is coming off a quality start in Cincinnati in an outing he labored through the middle innings. Arrieta wasn’t sharp after Todd Frazier took him deep but he still completed six innings and limited the Reds to two runs on four hits with three walks. The lack of command and the free passes almost cost him and his team, but Arrieta made the big pitches when he needed to get out of jams.
In four starts this season, Arrieta has allowed six runs on 18 hits with seven walks and 25 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings.
Today is Arrieta’s third start of the year at Wrigley Field. And the confines continue to be friendly to Arrieta. In two games, Arrieta is 1-1 with a 1.98 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. Since the trade from the Orioles, Arrieta is 10-3 in 20 starts at Wrigley with a 2.03 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP … 75 hits allowed in 128 1/3 innings with 38 walks and 115 strikeouts.
Jake Arrieta faces the Brewers for the sixth time this afternoon. In five career starts against the Brewers, Arrieta is 2-2 with a 2.59 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP. Last year, Arrieta was 1-1 in two starts with a 2.03 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP.
Brewers Career Numbers against Jake Arrieta
- Adam Lind: 4-for-11 with one double, one home run and four walks
- Aramis Ramirez: 2-for-10 with one walk
- Khris Davis: 2-for-9 with two doubles
- Logan Schafer: 2-for-6 with one double, one triple and one walk
- Ryan Braun: 2-for-5 with one walk
- Gerardo Parra: 0-for-6
- Jean Segura: 0-for-6
- Elian Herrera: 0-for-2
- Martin Maldonado: 0-for-2
Mike Fiers has struggled in his first four starts of the season and has not pitched to expectations. Fiers will look to get his season on track today against a team he has dominated at the big league level.
Fiers is coming off a four inning outing against the Cardinals. Fiers gave up two runs, one earned, on nine hits with two walks and six strikeouts. The Brewers won the game but Fiers did not figure into the decision.
Mike Fiers makes just his second start outside of Miller Park this year. And he put together his best outing in St. Louis on April 16. Fiers took the loss after allowing two runs on seven hits with a walk and four strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.
In four games, three starts, against the Cubs during his short career, Mike Fiers is 2-1 with a 1.77 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP. Fiers has allowed five runs, four earned, on 13 hits with five walks and 27 strikeouts. Arguably his best start in the big leagues came at the Cubs expense at Wrigley last year. Fiers tossed six innings of shutout ball on Aug. 14 and gave up three hits with one walk and a career-high 14 strikeouts. Fiers was 1-1 in two starts against the Cubs last season with a 2.25 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP … and at Wrigley, Fiers is 2-0 in three career games, two starts, with a 0.63 ERA and a 0.77 WHIP.
If the Cubs allow him to get comfortable and gain confidence, it is going to be another rough afternoon against Mike Fiers.
Cubs Career Numbers against Mike Fiers
- Starlin Castro: 2-for-6 with one double and one walk
- Anthony Rizzo: 5-for-7 with one double and one home run
- Chris Coghlan: 0-for-5 with one walk
- Welington Castillo: 1-for-4 with one double and one walk
- Miguel Montero: 1-for-4 with one double and one walk
- Dexter Fowler: 2-for-2 with one double and one walk
- Jorge Soler: 0-for-3
- Jonathan Herrera: 1-for-2
Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball …