Cubs Bats Stay Hot as Arrieta Makes Baltimore Return

Game 2 of 3 game series

For Jake Arrieta things have gone full circle in his pitching career. Arrieta who was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2007 and traded to the Cubs in 2013 got a chance to return to his old stomping grounds.

Now 2 no-hitters, a Cy-Young Award, and a World Series Championship later he stepped on the mound where it all started.

Game 2

Game 2 of the 3 game series got off to a little slower start than Friday nights game. Neither team was able to do anything offensively in the first two innings and after a 27 pitch first inning, it looked like Arrieta wouldn’t be sticking around long.

Fast forward to the 3rd inning. After a solid 2nd inning from Arrieta the Cubs would strike first in the ball game. Albert Almora Jr would send a long ball sailing over the center field wall to give the Cubs a 1–0.

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Arrieta managed to cruise through the bottom half of the inning with the Cubs leading 1–0.

In the Top of the 4th the Cubs would strike again and add on to their lead. With 2-outs Addison Russell connected for his 9th homer of the season and his second in back to back games.

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Jason Heyward and Javier Baez both would draw walks before Albert Almora cam through again. Almora singled to center to score Heyward and extend the Cubs lead to 3–0.

Arrieta would again set the O’s down in order in the bottom of the 4th inning as he began to look like a pitcher totally in control. In the top of the 5th the Cubs 2-out hitting would come through once again. A Willson Contreras double, Ian Happ walk, and Intentional walk for Addison Russell set up the big hit they needed to open the game completely up.

Jason Heyward drove a sharp line drive over center fielder Adam Jones head for a triple to clear the bases and push the Cubs lead out to a 6–0 lead.

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The Cubs didn’t stop there in the 5th. After an Orioles pitching change Javy Baez singled to left to plate Heyward and grow the Cubs lead to 7–0 heading to the bottom of the inning.

In the bottom of the 5th the Orioles would get on the board when Caleb Joseph homered to left center to make the score Cubs 7 and O’s 1. The Orioles would not be able to do any more damage in the inning.

In the top of the 6th the Cubs would get that run back. Kris Bryant singled to allow Willson Contreras to send him home on a double to right field and bring the Cubs lead back to 8–1.

The Orioles would go quietly in the bottom half of the 6th as did the Cubs in the top half of the 7th. In the bottom half of the 7th inning the Orioles would threaten a big inning and chase Jake Arrieta out of the game. With 2-outs in the 7th Ruben Tejada singled to score Trey Mancini who had reached on an error earlier in the inning by Addison Russell. the 7th would end with the score Cubs 8 and Orioles 2.

In the 8th the Cubs would strike back again when Anthony Rizzo connected on his 21st home run on the season which extended the Cubs lead once again 9–2.

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The Orioles bats remained quiet in the bottom of the 8th when Hector Rondon and Eddie Butler combined to set them down in order.

The hot bats of the Cubs decided to add on one more run in the ninth when Javier Baez singled to score Addison Russell who had reached on a single and advanced to second on an error by Orioles Center fielder Adam Jones.

The Orioles would manage to tack on another run in the 9th, but the Cubs held on to win the game 10–3. This was the Cubs first consecutive win since late June and brought the Cubs record back to .500 at 45–45. With the win the Cubs clinched the series but look to add on to their 19 runs over the first two games on Sunday in the final game of the series.

One man who hopes the Cubs hot bats remain is newly acquired pitcher Jose Quintana. Quintana makes his Cubs debut on Sunday in an afternoon matchup against Orioles righty Ubaldo Jimenez.

Game time is 1:35 pm ET at Camden Yards.

For more Cubs news you can follow us on Twitter @WrigleyRapport. You can find Craig House @Craig_House3 where he loves to converse with fellow Cubs fans daily.