Today the Cubs wrapped up a week long trip that started with a sweep in Anahiem, a huge loss but a big win in Phoenix.
Ace, Jake Arrieta faced off against Shelby Miller and the different uni everyday, Diamondbacks who helped himself to one of the longest home runs this season in Chase Feild projected by Stat Cast as reaching 440 feet to take the lead at 2-0. He would get some help in the fourth from Miguel Montero by knocking in Tommy La Stella for his 5th rbi on the year.
Chris Owings & Paul Goldschmidt would give Arrieta a little trouble but it would be the bottom of the fourth when Goldschmidt would lead off with his second homer of the season. After a David Peralta double, Jake Lamb would send him in to cut the lead to one. Arizona would tie it up in the bottom of the fifth. 23 year old Center fielder Socrates Brito would launch his first career homer against Jake and would rack up one more hit. After that, Jake would stop them from creating anymore damage through seven. He closes his second start with a respectable 1.93 ERA, giving up 8 hits, 3 earned runs, 6 strikeouts but walking nobody. Justin Grimm would come into the eighth and Neil Ramirez would see the ninth, with niether pitcher giving up a hit or run.
The Cubs, on the other hand, would not be silenced. In the top of the sixth, Jorge Soler would hit his first home run of the year, La Stella would single, given Nathan Hale a reason to bring in Randall Delgado to close out the sixth. But he wouldn’t have as much luck in the top of the seventh. Jason Heyward would walk and would move over to third on a Kris Bryant single. Soler would send a sac fly to fight scoring Heyward, while Bryant would score on a line drive to center by Tonmy La Stella causing another pitching change.
After closing out the seventh, Jake Barrett would give up a single to Addison Russell, then he’d hit Fowler but strikeout Zobrist. Heyward would single to left collecting his third RBI, scoring Addison give the Cubs a 7-3 lead which turned into another W and Arrieta his second win of the season.
In the top of the ninth, Arizona would bring out 32 year old rookie Matt Buschmann who’s made a career in the minors. He would get Matt Szczur to ground out but would give up a single toCubs newcomer, Munenori Kawaski, who was just activated due to the Schwarber injury. Kawasaki would steal second prompting Arizona to walk Montero intentionally but getting Russell to ground into a 4 – 3 double play.
Neil Ramirez would come into the ninth striking out the first two batters faced and getting the last to pop out to Heyward to close out the game.
Despite the season ending injury to Kyle Schwarber, the Cubs had a great week out west. Let’s hope with the excitement of seeing the new clubhouse, the Cubs can continue to play as they did out west, with the huge weather change here in Chicago!
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