All eyes were on Wrigley Field yesterday as Jake Arrieta took the mound in a Cubs uniform for the first time in over three years. The 35-year-old starting pitcher previously had a 4-year tenure in Chicago after being traded from the Orioles in 2013 and became an integral part of the Cubs rotation - winning a World Series, receiving the NL Cy Young award, leading the 2015 season in MLB wins, and pitching two no-hitters. So, it’s no surprise when news broke that Arrieta was heading back to Wrigley again after a 3-year run in Philadelphia, fans were overjoyed, and his first start back was a warm welcome home.
After a disappointing Opening Day loss, the Cubs bounced back to tie up the series with a 5 – 1 win against the Pirates. Short-stop, Javier Baez, got things started by batting a left-field single at the bottom of the second, and he didn’t stop there. For the reminder of the inning he was a man on a mission, successfully stealing both second and third base before coming home off a right-field hit from outfielder, Jake Marisnick. After a down year at the plate last season, it was certainly a wonderful sight, witnessing Javy doing what Javy does best.
Jason Heyward followed suit, singling Marisnick into third, where he was able to score thanks to a sacrifice fly from David Bote. Kris Bryant sent a ball out of the park in the third [turns out it’ll be one to remember for KB, as it was his first homerun with his young son in the stands. That’s gotta warm your heart!]
Jason Heyward also went yard in the sixth, and finally, Javy singled KB home at the bottom of the seventh to secure the 5 – 1 lead.
On the mound, Jake had a solid outing overall - pitching for 6 innings. He allowed 6 hits, 1 walk and struck out 5 batters, sure it wasn’t ‘top form’ form Arrieta but for his first start back it was impressive. Brandon Workman and Andrew Chafin held up in the seventh and eighth, leaving closer, Craig Kimbrel, to shut the Bucs down with a beautiful 16 pitch performance.
Overall, this was a solid win that highlighted the Cubs doing a lot of what they do best. Bryant and Baez look to back on form compared to last season, the bullpen was solid and focused, and most of all – three years, seven months, and five days since his last Chicago start, Arrieta came back with a bang!
Welcome home, Jake – Wrigley’s sure happy to have you back.
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