Game One Hundred Three – Cubs 1, Mariners 4
WP – Wade Miley (7-8) LP – Jake Arrieta (12-5) Save – Steve Cishek (25)
Jake Arrieta and Wade Miley went toe-to-toe on a pitcher’s day at Wrigley Field. The Cubs broke up Miley’s no-hit bid in the seventh inning and scratched out a run to take a 1-0 lead into the eighth. Arrieta walked the first two hitters he faced in the eighth before turning the game over to the bullpen.
Hector Rondon was called on with two on and no outs with the Cubs clinging to a 1-0 lead. Luis Sardinas bunted back to Rondon and he threw to first for the out as both runners advanced. Rondon induced a grounder to third off the bat of Nori Aoki. Kris Bryant threw home and Miguel Montero applied the tag on pinch-runner Guillermo Heredia. Replay confirmed the call on the field.
Joe Maddon went back to his pen and brought in Aroldis Chapman with runners on first and third, two outs and lefty Leonys Martin due up. Chapman did not get the job done.
Leonys Martin doubled to the gap in left center. Shawn O’Malley scored easily from third and tied the game. Nori Aoki was running on the pitch and scored from first, 2-1 Mariners. Martin took third and scored on a wild pitch from Chapman, 3-1 Mariners.
The Mariners tacked on a run in the ninth and walked away with a 4-1 win in a game the Cubs should have won.
Jake Arrieta was back on top of his game Saturday. Arrieta was sharp, pitched ahead in the count, kept the ball down and limited the Mariners to a pair of singles in seven innings. Arrieta issued only one walk and made 89 pitches, 60 for strikes, through seven innings. Maddon left him in to start the eighth. Arrieta did not get several calls that were strikes earlier in the game for both pitchers. Arrieta issued two free passes and once again walks cost him and the Cubs.
Joe Maddon called on Hector Rondon with two on and no outs. Rondon did his job and turned the game over to Aroldis Chapman. Unfortunately for the Cubs, Chapman blew his second save of the season.
Jake Arrieta took the loss and was charged with two runs on two hits with three walks and four strikeouts in seven-plus innings. Arrieta made 100 pitches, 63 for strikes, and pitched a lot better than his final line indicates.
For what could have been the first time under Joe Maddon, the Cubs just seemed to stop playing after Chapman blew the save and Anthony Rizzo was caught looking at strike three pinch-hitting in the bottom of the eighth with two on and one out. The Cubs gave the Mariners another run in the ninth on a throwing error by Addison Russell.
The Cubs run scored in the seventh inning after doing absolutely nothing against Wade Miley. The veteran left-hander had a career day and with the wind blowing in, Miley found a rhythm and pounded the strike zone. Miley knew a ball would have to be hit a ton to leave Wrigley on Saturday afternoon.
Dexter Fowler (0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored) started the seventh with a walk, the Cubs first free pass of the game. Miley faced the minimum through six innings. Kris Bryant (1-for-4) broke up the no-hitter with a single to center. And the Cubs had runners on first and second with no outs.
Ben Zobrist (1-for-3 with a sac bunt) did the right thing and bunted Fowler and Bryant to second and third with one out.
Javier Baez (1-for-4 and RBI) grounded a 1-2 pitch to short. Fowler broke for the plate. Shawn O’Malley threw home and Fowler was called out. The Cubs challenged the call and it was overturned. Fowler was safe and the Cubs had a 1-0 lead. Bryant went to third on the play. Addison Russell struck out swinging.
Jason Heyward (1-for-3) stepped in with runners on the corners and two down. Wade Miley threw to first before a 1-1 pitch. And Bryant broke for the plate. Adam Lind threw home and Bryant was called safe … 2-1 Cubs. But the Mariners challenged the call and upon further review, Bryant was called out to end the inning.
The Cubs managed three hits and two walks while striking out 14 times.
With Saturday’s loss the Cubs slipped to 62-41 on the season.
Brian Matusz will be called up and make his Cubs debut on Sunday night (7:08pm CDT). Matusz will oppose Felix Hernandez in the series finale with the Mariners.