Cubs’ Arrieta baffles Pirates
Right-hander throws a four-hitter and strikes out 11 batters in the National League wild-card game.
PITTSBURGH — Jake Arrieta threw a four-hitter and the Chicago Cubs rolled to a 4-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League wild-card game Wednesday night.
Arrieta struck out 11 batters and did not walk anyone.
“I’m exhausted. I haven’t felt this way all year,” said Arrieta, who led the majors with 22 victories. “This atmosphere, the energy was unbelievable. Tried to use it to the best of my ability. They were loud, they were really loud.”
The Cubs will play the St. Louis Cardinals in a division series starting Friday.
Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run home run against starter Gerrit Cole in the third inning and Dexter Fowler hit a solo drive against the right-hander in the fifth. Fowler scored three runs.
A PNC Park record crowd of 40,889 saw the Pirates get knocked out of the postseason after finishing with 98 victories, the secondmost in the majors behind the Cardinals’ 100.
“Well, sports is hard. Life’s not fair. You go out and play. You get beat, you move on,” Manager Clint Hurdle said.
Arrieta, unbeaten since July 25, struck out 11 batters and threw the first shutout for the Cubs in a postseason since Claude Passeau’s one-hitter against Detroit in the 1945 World Series.
Arrieta got out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning when Starling Marte grounded into a double play.
The pitcher was hit on the left hip in the seventh inning by a fastball from Tony Watson. The benches and bullpens cleared when Watson was issued a warning, leading to little more than a few heated exchanges along the first base line.
“I hit two guys, unintentionally. I’m not trying to hurt or hit anybody,” Arrieta said. “Balls were slick tonight. I just lost it a couple of times, it kind of ran away from me. ... I expected that. They’re going to take care of their own guys. It’s understandable. Everything after that was fine.”
Pirates utility player Sean Rodriguez, who already had been pulled, was ejected and proceeded to give a water cooler a series of one-two combinations, eventually sending it tumbling to the ground.
Hurdle didn’t start first baseman Pedro Alvarez, whose 27 home runs led the Pirates but who committed 23 errors, and went with the more sure-handed Rodriguez.
Chicago Manager Joe Maddon started Kris Bryant in left field, Schwarber in right and Tommy La Stella at third base, positions each had played only sparingly during the regular season, because it was the lineup that presented the most firepower.