Game One Hundred Fifty-One – Cubs 4, Brewers 0
WP – Jake Arrieta (20-6) LP – Tyler Cravy (0-8) Save – None
Jake Arrieta dominated the Brewers on Tuesday night and won his 20th game of the season. Arrieta finished what he started with his fourth complete game of the season. Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber drove in all four runs as Arrieta went the distance Tuesday for his third complete game shutout of the year.
Jake Arrieta is a 20-game winner.
Jake Arrieta allowed three hits, only one left the infield, and the Brewers did not square up Arrieta at all Tuesday night. Scooter Gennett led off the game with a double, made it to third base with one out. Arrieta struck out Adam Lind and retired Khris Davis on a fly out to center. The Brewers did not have a single baserunner advanced past second base the rest of the night.
Arrieta faced four over the minimum after giving up three hits and a walk over nine innings. Arrieta struck out 11 on a season-high 123 pitches, 85 for strikes. Arrieta is the first Cubs pitcher since Jon Lieber (2001) to win 20 games in a single season. The last four Cubs pitchers to win 20-plus games in a single season: Jon Lieber (2001), Greg Maddux (1992), Rick Reuschel (1977) and Ferguson Jenkins (1967-72).
A pair of two-out, bases empty walks led to the Cubs first three runs. Kyle Schwarber (2-for-3 with a double, a walk, a RBI and two runs scored) worked a two-out free pass in the third and was on board for Kris Bryant (2-for-4 with a double, a home run and three RBI) when he launched his 26th longball of the season. The Cubs took a 2-0 lead in the third on Bryant’s recording breaking blast.
Kris Bryant broke Billy Williams’ record for the most home runs in a single season by a rookie in franchise history. Mr. Williams hit 25 home runs in 1961. Bryant launched No. 26 on Tuesday night.
Dexter Fowler (1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored) took ball four from Kyle Lohse in the fifth. Kyle Schwarber lifted a routine fly to medium-depth right center. Fowler took off from first and scored when the ball fell in between three different Brewers’ defenders after it hit off Jean Segura’s glove.
Kyle Schwarber and Kris Bryant combined on an insurance run in the eighth. Schwarber singled to center off Corey Knebel and scored from first base when Bryant pulled a 1-1 pitch for a double into the gap in left center.
The Cubs scored four runs on seven hits with three walks. Tuesday night was all about Jake Arrieta and he collected a single in the seventh. Arrieta finished the game 1-for-3 at the plate.
With Tuesday’s win, the Cubs improved to a season-high 27 games over .500 with a 89-62 record
Kyle Hendricks takes on rookie right-hander Zack Davies on Wednesday night (7:05pm CDT) in the series finale with the Brewers.