Chicago Cubs’ Jake Arrieta Was Best Major League Baseball Starter Throughout August

The Cubs defeated the Dodgers 2-0. Whether Arrieta has it in him his next start or not, we have all of September to see whether he can pitch another no-hitter this season.

It was the second no-no the Dodgers have had thrown against them the past 10 days.

It was a game in L.A. and the call was immediately ruled an error, back some 19 outs before Arrieta completed the no-hitter. There really is no doubt in my mind – when you hit a ball that hard and it short-hops a player, you should get a hit.

The Cubs lead 2-0 Sunday night. Lester and Arrieta had their chance to end the Cubs’ losing streak this weekend, and Arrieta came through. Then in the seventh, Castro speared left fielder Carl Crawford’s line drive with one hand.

After the first seven went down in order, Kiké Hernandez hit a bullet right at Cubs second baseman Starlin Castro. By the time Castro retrieved the ball, he had no chance at a play.

Arrieta acknowledged he initially thought Hernandez deserved a hit. At the time, no one figured it would matter, but after the game players insisted they deserved to be one-hit.

“It didn’t change the game at all”, Mattingly said.

“He’s starting to create more buzz around him”, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.

Things got even weirder for the Dodgers.

In seven innings the right-hander Tomlin (3-1) gave up two runs on six hits, with eight strikeouts and no walks.

Arrieta retired all three batters in the ninth via strikeout.

Utley struck out for the final out of the Dodgers’ Josh Beckett’s no-hitter against the Phillies in May 2014.

Arrieta came with a much better pedigree. He looked ready for lights out afterward, slipping into one-piece pajamas decorated with moustaches for the overnight flight home.

In a post-game interview, Arrieta was humble as he answered questions.

“If he stays down on the ball, he makes the play”, he explained after the game. “So it’s not only special for me and my family and friends, but for the organization and my teammates. Thankfully so – I was able to finish it”. He was matter of fact about Arrieta’s feat.

“Are you kidding me?” said Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. The right-hander, who went 7-2 as a rookie previous year, had a winning record for the first time this season after an 8-6 victory over the San Francisco Giants on August. 8.

Chicago took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning against Alex Wood.

It was No. 21 for Bryant.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla – Kevin Kiermaier hit the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to lift Tampa Bay over Kansas City. Heading into Sunday night, there had only ever been 26 pitching performances with a game score of 98 or higher in a nine-inning game.

A dispute between Time Warner Cable and other cable subscribers now in its second year is keeping a portion of the Los Angeles television market from seeing Scully.