Jake Arrieta no-hit the Reds on April 21 in 16-0 Cubs victory in Cincinnati
In the middle of the second road trip of the season, the Cubs rolled into Cincinnati for a four-game weekend series after taking two of three from the Cardinals in St. Louis. Jake Arrieta was scheduled to start the opener as the Cubs looked to build on the lead in the Central and become the first team in the majors to 12 wins.
The Cubs swept the Reds in the first homestand of the season the week before. And Arrieta was going for his fourth win in four tries in the Cubs’ 16th game of the year.
Jake Arrieta picked up in April and May where he left off during his Cy Young season. Arrieta was 5-0 in first five starts of the season with a 1.00 ERA and 0.78 WHIP. Arrieta earned his third straight NL Pitcher of the Month Award. In May, Arrieta went 4-0 in six starts with a 2.08 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. While it is easy to say Arrieta struggled this past season that is simply not the case. Arrieta was really, really good … just not historically great.
On that Thursday in late April in Cincinnati, Arrieta was on and worked extremely well with David Ross. Arrieta went about his business as the offense lit up the scoreboard at the Great American Ball Park. The Cubs had a 9-0 lead going into the seventh inning and Arrieta had more hits (2) at that point of the game than he had allowed. After the Cubs scored four runs in the top of the seventh, those that were not locked in on Arrieta tossing a no-hitter began to realize that Jake was being Jake again.
Arrieta retired the Reds in order in the seventh, struck out two of the three batters he faced in the eighth and took the hill in the ninth with a 16-0 lead and a shot at history.
After issuing a leadoff walk to Scott Schebler, Arrieta retired pinch-hitter Tucker Barnhart and Zack Cozart. Only Eugenio Suarez stood between Arrieta and his second no-hitter. Arrieta got Suarez to hit a short fly to right. Jason Heyward made the routine catch and the celebration ensued on the mound.
And he did it again … A No-Hitter for Jake Arrieta.
Jake Arrieta faced 29 batters and made 119 pitches, 71 for strikes. Arrieta issued four walks and struck out six.
What was soon forgotten about, and rightfully so, was the huge night by the Cubs’ offense. The Cubs pounded out 18 hits, walked six times and launched five home runs. Kris Bryant (2), Ben Zobrist, David Ross and Anthony Rizzo all went yard and became a footnote on the night Arrieta completed his second no-hitter.
Kris Bryant had a monster game at the plate. Bryant hit a two-run homer in the first inning off Brandon Finnegan and launched a Grand Slam, the third of his career at the time, over the center field wall off Drew Hayes in the seventh. Bryant went 4-for-6 with two home runs, four runs scored and six RBI.
Dexter Fowler started the game with a double and reached base three times. Fowler was 2-for-5 with a double, a walk, three runs scored and a RBI.
Ben Zobrist (3-for-5 with a walk and a home run) and David Ross (2-for-4 with a home run, a walk and three runs scored) both hit their first home runs of the season. And Arrieta reached three times with two hits, a walk and a run scored in five plate appearances.
670 The Score replayed Jake Arrieta’s no-hitter in Cincinnati as part of its ‘12 Days of Cubsmas‘ celebration. Hearing Pat Hughes’ call eight months later brought back all the memories from that special night in the Queen City.