Jake Arrieta keeps dominant streak going; Cubs top Braves

The first hit by the Braves was a two-out double in the fourth inning by catcher A.J.

A chopper down the line in the Braves’ first by Nick Markakis was originally ruled a hit. The scorer changed the call in the top of the seventh, charging Bryant with an error.

“I thought he did everything he could, ” Peterson said.

“At first it was kind of confusing why all of a sudden it was changed but at the end of the day it didn’t matter”. Lester then got behind Andrelton Simmons before surrendering a single.

“That’s one of those plays that could go either way”, Lester said. “It wasn’t like I was thinking or even saying to myself, ‘My God, this guy’s got a no-hitter going”. I was pleased to see him single in the eighth, although he was stranded.

Markakis was stunned by the reversal.

Getting the ball for the Cubs tonight will be Jon Lester, who is 4-8 with a 3.59 ERA in 18 starts this year, while on the road he has gone 1-2 with a 3.80 ERA in 7 starts.

Arrieta (11-5) gave up three hits, three walks and struck out 10, throwing 73 of his 112 pitches for strikes.

He threw a no-hitter on May 19, 2008, with the Boston Red Sox against the Kansas City Royals. Castro followed with a single to right-center field to drive in the run. Atlanta has lost seven of eight. The team struggled to get runs before the break and that came back to haunted against the Atlanta Braves.

The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the third when Bryant singled, moved to third on an errant pickoff attempt by Banuelos and scored on Anthony Rizzo’s single.

Hours earlier, pinch-hitter Matt den Dekker lined a two-run homer in the eighth inning that lifted the Nationals to a 5-3 win in the completion of a game suspended a day earlier after the fifth because of a lighting malfunction. Detwiler was the 50th player used by the Braves this season, the most in the majors and already equaling a franchise record set when the Braves used 50 during the 2007 season.

Since the Cubs acquired him and Pedro Strop from Baltimore for Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger in 2013, Arrieta has a 2.75 ERA in 52 starts.

In just 26 at-bats, Schwarber has already checked off nearly every “career first” hitting wise.

“There’s a plan in place”.

“It’s so unusual”, Maddon said.

Braves: LHP Andrew McKirahan can join the team on Monday.

Kluber, who was 1-5 in his previous eight starts, finished with one walk and five strikeouts as the Indians snapped a three-game losing streak. Manager Fredi Gonzalez said he hopes Freeman “is turning the corner a little bit” in his recovery. Sudden starter Vance Worley (3-5) gave up five runs – all with two outs – in four innings.

Pierzynski came in 6-for-8 with two homers against Arrieta, but he had struck out to end the first inning with two runners in scoring position after a pair of walks and stolen bases.