Better outing cools Arrieta’s angst
PHILADELPHIA » Jake Arrieta couldn’t like the way his outing ended Wednesday, even if there was everything to like about his team’s getaway against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Steadily strengthening “power hitter” Odubel Herrera hit his fifth home run in six games, and fourth in a row, in the seventh inning and a more than capable bullpen took it from there as the Phillies won their third series in a row via a 4-3 victory over the Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park.
“This is a team who’s probably going to be in the postseason or have an opportunity to either win that division — the NL Central — or be one of the wild card teams,” Arrieta said after lasting six innings before being lifted for a pinch-hitter. “So it’s a team we could potentially see down the road. We’re trying to win every series, or as many as possible, and to do that against a team like this is a step in the right direction.”
Left unsaid but certainly underscoring that Arrieta assessement is that the game was a personal step in the right direction for him. Arrieta, the former Cy Young Award winner who got off to a tremendous start as the Phillies’ late-entering free agent prize, had lost his three prior starts.
On the heels of a 6-1 loss in San Francisco June 1, he chastised teammate Scott Kingery for making a throw to a wrong base, called manager Gabe Kapler’s scripted shifts the “worst in the league” and called for “accountability from everybody top to bottom” for the Phillies’ ongoing offensive struggles at the time.
Then Arrieta promptly lost his next two starts, allowing 13 runs (but only eight earned). Both against Milwaukee, those games ended in 12-3 and 13-2 losses.
They did not end with Arrieta completely losing it in interviews, though considering the Phillies’ fielding woes of late he might have had to bite through his lip on occasion. This one didn’t end that way, either, and for good reason.
“Jake was really good,” Kapler said, “inducing weak contact, and lots of ground balls and our guys gobbled them up.”
In fact, the only error the Phillies committed on Wednesday came on an errant pickoff attempt ... by Jake Arrieta.
Only Yadier Molina got in the way of a good Arrieta day. He crushed a ball to left for a 1-1 tie in the second inning. Then he buried a two-run shot in the fourth to bring the Cardinals into a 3-all tie.
Arrieta would allow only four hits to go with those three runs, striking out five against two walks over six innings before pinch-hitter Aaron Altherr called an end to his day. But Herrera’s homer and superb work from four relievers earned the victory.
So what was different in this best outing in the month of June? “Made better pitches,” Arrieta said flatly. Of course, he had sort of elaborated on the topic earlier.
“Fastball command was pretty good. It still needs to improve a little bit,” Arrieta had said in his opening monologue. “Wasn’t thrilled with it from start to finish, but sometimes you go through a period where you need to tighten some things up and get back on track. The cutter was really good today. Threw some good changeups, didn’t have the curveball, but was able to utilize the changeup and the cutter for the most part of the game and keep them off balance.
“I mean, it’s just tough to come out after the sixth, giving up the two-run homer to Yadi, second of the day. But at least I was able to keep it close, keep the team in it and our offense was good today . ... ”
He wasn’t through yet but you could easily get the picture.
“I think Jake’s outings have been good at times, even the last couple,” Kapler the shifty manager said. “So I’d say he’s always building on his last outing and he’s such a good preparer. I think he’s probably been fueled in his preparation by the last couple of outings.”