Game Seventy-Seven – Cubs 6, Mets 1
WP – Jake Arrieta (8-5) LP – Jacob deGrom (8-6) Save – None
Anthony Rizzo singled in Starlin Castro and broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth. Jonathan Herrera drove in three runs with a safety squeeze and a two-run homer. Miguel Montero added a two-run homer in the ninth and Jake Arrieta dominated for eight innings as the Cubs completed the three-game and season-series sweep over the New York Mets.
Jake Arrieta was at the top of his game once again. Arrieta made only one mistake in eight sensational innings. Arrieta kept the Mets off balance and gave up very little hard contact. There was not a putout recorded by a Cubs’ outfielder in the first seven innings.
The Mets lone run of the series scored in the third inning and tied the game at one. Curtis Granderson hit a ground rule double with two outs that plated Jacob deGrom.
Jake Arrieta allowed one run on five hits with no walks, a HBP and seven strikeouts. Arrieta made 98 pitches, 67 for strikes, in eight innings. And Arrieta picked up his eighth win of the season on the two year anniversary of the Cubs acquiring him and Pedro Strop from the Orioles for Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger.
The Cubs’ makeshift lineup did an excellent job of wearing down Jacob deGrom and the approach paid off in the sixth inning. The Cubs scored four runs, three earned, on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings against deGrom on Thursday afternoon.
Jonathan Herrera (1-for-2 with a home run, three RBI and a walk) had a career day. Herrera, subbing for Kris Bryant, drove in half of the Cubs’ runs. Herrera executed a safety squeeze in the second inning that allowed Chris Coghlan (0-for-2 with three walks and a run scored) to score and give the Cubs an early lead.
Jonathan Herrera pulled a 3-2 pitch from deGrom just over the right field wall in the sixth inning. Herrera’s first home run since July 7, 2013 with the Rockies in Arizona gave the Cubs a 4-1 lead. Herrera tied a career-high with three RBI and he hit the Cubs’ first home run in nine games.
Miguel Montero (2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI) launched a two-run homer off lefty Alex Torres in the ninth that put the exclamation point on the sweep over the Mets.
Anthony Rizzo (1-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and a RBI) and Starlin Castro (2-for-5 with a run scored) combined on the Cubs’ second run in the fifth inning. Rizzo blooped a single into left center with one out that Castro read perfectly and scored the winning run.
The Cubs seven-game season series sweep over the Mets is only the second time in the last 130 years the Cubs won every game of a season series of five games or more. The Cubs won all six games against the Braves in 2008.
With Thursday’s win, the Cubs ended the road trip with a 3-3 record, a difficult 10-game stretch against the Dodgers, Cardinals and Mets with a 5-5 mark and improved to 42-35 on the season.
The Cubs did nothing against Jacob deGrom in the first inning … three up, three down on 13 pitches, 10 for strikes.
Jake Arrieta struck out Curtis Granderson and Darrell Ceciliani to start his afternoon. Daniel Murphy singled to center. On a 1-0 inside pitch to Lucas Duda, Montero threw behind Murphy to first base. Murphy was called safe, but on further review, Murphy touched Rizzo’s cleat not the base. The call was overturned, inning over. Arrieta made 14 pitches in the first, 11 for strikes.
After one complete, zilch to nada.
Chris Coghlan led off the second and worked a walk (3-2 pitch). Maddon called for a hit and run on a 2-1 pitch to Baxter. Coghlan retreated to first when Mike Baxter popped out to third. Maddon put Coghlan in motion again and Chris Denorfia delivered. A single to right center put runners on the corners with one out for Herrera. Maddon pushed more buttons. Jonathan Herrera drag-bunted deGrom’s first pitch up the first baseline. deGrom fielded the ball as Coghlan came down the line and scored, 1-0 Cubs. Herrera was thrown out at first. With Denorfia at second, Arrieta struck out swinging to end the inning … 31 pitches for deGrom after two, 19 for strikes.
Jake Arrieta struck out two of the three batters he faced in the second (29 pitches for Arrieta after two, 21 for strikes).
After two innings, the Cubs led 1-0.
Starlin Castro ripped a single into left with one out in the third. After Rizzo lined out to left center (2-2 pitch), Miguel Montero singled to right. Castro hustled to third with two down. deGrom pitched around Coghlan and walked him on four pitches. With the bases loaded, Baxter popped out to third to end the inning. deGrom made 51 pitches, 32 for strikes, in three innings.
Jake Arrieta struck out Johnny Monell swinging for the first out in the third. Jacob deGrom lifted a 2-0 pitch to left. Chris Coghlan misplayed the ball and appeared to give up on it. The ball hit near the wall and deGrom ended up at second with a double. Tejada grounded out to short for the second out. Arrieta fell behind Granderson 3-1. Instead of just putting Granderson on, he threw a hittable slider that Granderson smoked over Baxter’s head in right. The ball hit and jumped into the stands. And Granderson’s ground rule double tied the game at one. Arrieta retired Ceciliani on a grounder to short for the third out … 46 pitches after three for Arrieta, 32 for strikes.
The game was tied at one after three.
The Cubs went down in order in the fourth. And Jake Arrieta worked around a hit by pitch (Duda) in the bottom of the fourth with help from Addison Russell. The Cubs’ second baseman made a sensational diving catch on a ball hit in the hole by Wilmer Flores for the second out. And Russell made a leaping catch on a soft liner by Eric Campbell to end the inning. Arrieta made 59 pitches, 41 for strikes, in four innings.
The Cubs and Mets were still tied at one after four.
After Russell led off the fifth by flying out to left, Starlin Castro rolled a 3-2 pitch toward the hole at short. Murphy fielded the ball, spun all the way around and threw to first. Lucas Duda could not scoop the low throw. Castro reached on an infield single and went to second on E5.
Anthony Rizzo put together an impressive at bat. Rizzo fouled off four 0-2 pitches before blooping the seventh pitch of the at bat into left center. Castro read the play perfectly and scored from second, 2-1 Cubs. Montero flied out to the track in center and Coghlan popped out to right for the third out. The Cubs made deGrom throw 95 pitches, 62 for strikes, in five innings.
Johnny Monell greeted Arrieta with a single to center to start the fifth. A wild pitch allowed Monell to move up 90 feet. deGrom lined a 2-0 pitch back up the middle. Arrieta snagged the liner before the ball took him out (self-defense). Arrieta turned and threw high to second. Castro made an excellent adjustment, kept his toe on the bag just long enough to double off Monell. Tejada hit a soft liner to Russell to end the inning … 65 pitches for Arrieta after five innings, 44 for strikes.
The Cubs led 2-1 after five innings.
Mike Baxter led off the sixth with a single to center (2-2 pitch). Denorfia flied out to right (2-2 pitch).
Jonathan Herrera worked a full count before he pulled the eighth pitch of the at bat over the wall in right. The ball hit off the top of the wall and bounced over. Herrera’s first homer, a two-run shot, since July 2013 put the Cubs up 4-1 and sent an angry Jacob deGrom to the bench.
Terry Collins replaced deGrom with Logan Verrett. Arrieta grounded out to second and Russell struck out swinging to end the inning.
Addison Russell recorded all three outs in the sixth as Jake Arrieta retired the Mets in order. Arrieta made 76 pitches, 51 for strikes, in six innings.
The Cubs had a 4-1 lead after six innings.
The Cubs did nothing against Verrett in the seventh and Arrieta worked around a one-out double by Wilmer Flores in the seventh. Arrieta threw 87 pitches in seven innings, 60 for strikes.
The Cubs led the Mets by a 4-1 score after seven innings.
Chris Coghlan walked to start the eighth. Verrett retired Baxter on a fly out to right. Coghlan swiped second with Denorfia at the plate. Denorfia flied out to center. The Mets intentionally walked Herrera to face Arrieta with two on and two down. Arrieta struck out swinging (2-2 pitch) to end the inning.
Jake Arrieta pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning. And the game went to the ninth with the Cubs leading 4-1.
Lefty Alex Torres started the ninth for the Mets. Russell flied out to right and Castro grounded out to second base. Rizzo worked a two-out walk.
Miguel Montero pulled a 0-1 pitch to deep right center … and the Cubs’ second home run of the day, a two-run shot, gave them a 6-1 lead. Coghlan grounded out to second to end the inning.
Travis Wood started the ninth with the Cubs leading by five runs. Wood retired all three batters he faced on seven pitches to end the game.
The Cubs completed the sweep and season-series sweep over the Mets. And Ron Santo is smiling.
The Cubs open a 10-game homestand on Friday afternoon (1:20pm CDT) with the first of three against the Marlins. Jason Hammel is scheduled to face Tom Koehler in game one.