Arrieta Guides Cubs Past Padres, Cards Drop Loss to Mets

By ESPN

Arrieta threw eight scoreless innings of two-hit ball to become the NL's first 16-game winner and Kris Bryant and Addison Russell homered, lifting the Chicago Cubs over the San Diego Padres 5-3 on Tuesday night.

"The story line is Jake," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "He hardly ever lost the plate and his fastball command kept getting better as the game progressed. That was really reminiscent of last year."

Arrieta (16-5) allowed a single to Alex Dickerson in the second and Christian Bethancourt's double in the eighth. The defending NL Cy Young winner has two no-hitters in the past year, including one while he went 11-0 with an 0.41 ERA over his final 12 starts last season.

"It's hard to replicate what he did last year," Maddon said. "He just nailed it. So if he gets hot over these last couple of weeks you could see more of what you just saw tonight."

The Padres brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth, but Aroldis Chapman got the last two outs for his 28th save after Felix Pena was charged with three runs.

"I was mad at Joe for taking me out," Arrieta said. "But at the same time he said, `remember last year?' Let's conserve some things for October and late September. That is our game plan.

"We want to be as strong and dominant as we can be but still in the back of our mind that is that late September, early October, mid-October, is really the most important thing for the ball club. Could I have finished the game? Yes. But does it play in our favor to maybe conserve that for later? Yes."

Bryant's 33rd home run tied him with Colorado's Nolan Arenado for the NL lead.

Russell smacked his fifth homer in five games, a two-run shot that put the Cubs ahead 4-0 in the fifth.

Arrieta won for the fourth straight start. He had six strikeouts and three walks.

Mets 7, Cardinals 4

It was a night of firsts for Robert Gsellman, who made his major league debut for the New York Mets on Tuesday night.

Wilmer Flores and Justin Ruggiano homered as the Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-4.

The offense helped Gsellman (1-0) get the decision. Gsellman, pressed into action after starter Jonathon Niese left with an injury in the first inning, pitched 3 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run.

"It was my first time ever coming out of the bullpen so it felt kind of awkward, but you still have to take the mound the same way when you're starting," Gsellman said. "I just thought I was starting the game all over and just tried to make some pitches."

Niese had been dealing with knee discomfort this season. Gsellman was ready.

"That's a tough spot even for a veteran to come out in the first inning, guys on, I tell you very, very, very impressive," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "They always talked about the stuff's there. I was impressed that he came in and threw strikes for the most part and kept us in the game."

Jose Reyes reached four base times and scored three runs. Asdrubal Cabrera had three hits, drove in a run and scored once.

"I've been working on my swing on both sides of the plate to try to get it where I need to be," Reyes said. "Right now I feel like it's there."

White Sox 9, Phillies 1

Carlos Rodon was so disgusted with a start earlier in the season he tossed his glove into the stands. It got worse when he sprained his left wrist slipping on the dugout steps as he rushed out for the national anthem.

After missing nearly a month, Rodon is starting to show why he was the third overall pick in the 2014 draft with hopes of joining fellow lefty starters Chris Sale and Jose Quintana atop the White Sox rotation.

Rodon threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings, Jose Abreu homered for a third straight game and Chicago beat the slumping Philadelphia Phillies 9-1 on Tuesday night.

"It's building up trying to get to Q and Sale," Rodon said. "Those guys are very good, top-line starters. Of the left-handers in the game, they're probably the two best. I'd love to be like that."

Rodon (4-8) allowed three hits and has a 1.46 ERA in his past four starts after missing most of July. His fastball was consistently at 96 mph and he even worked on a new backdoor slider.

"Everything he does has effort, and it's strength," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "When he has it going on it looks really good. He doesn't need to get away from his strength and physicality is one of them. When he picks around and throws soft stuff he's not as effective."

Abreu hit a two-run home run and Justin Morneau followed with a solo shot in the fifth off Jake Thompson (1-3), who gave up seven runs and eight hits in five innings.

Tuesday, August 23 Scoreboard

Baltimore 8, Washington 1

Pittsburgh 7, Houston 1

Toronto 7, Los Angeles Angels 2

Cincinnati 3, Texas 0

Kansas city 1, Miami 0

Boston 2, Tampa Bay 1

Chicago White Sox 9, Philadelphia 1

Milwaukee 6, Colorado 4

Detroit 8, Minnesota 3

New York Mets 7, St. Louis 4

Atlanta 7, Arizona 4

New York Yankees 5, Seattle 1

Oakland 9, Cleveland 1

Los Angeles Dodgers 9, San Francisco 5

Chicago Cubs 5, San Diego 3

Wednesday, August 24 Schedule (All Times Central)

Houston at Pittsburgh, 11:35 a.m.

Colorado at Milwaukee, 1:10 p.m.

Cleveland at Oakland, 2:35 p.m.

New York Yankees at Seattle, 2:40 p.m.

Chicago Cubs at San Diego, 2:40 p.m.

Baltimore at Washington, 6:05 p.m.

Los Angeles at Toronto, 6:07 p.m.

Texas at Cincinnati, 6:10 p.m.

Kansas City at Miami, 6:10 p.m.

Boston at Tampa Bay, 6:10 p.m.

Philadelphia at Chicago White Sox, 7:10 p.m.

Detroit at Minnesota, 7:10 p.m.

New York Mets at St. Louis, 7:15 p.m.

Atlanta at Arizona, 8:40 p.m.

San Francisco at Los Angeles Dodgers, 9 p.m.

Thursday, August 25 Schedule (All Times Central)

Detroit at Minnesota, 12:10 p.m.

Boston at Tampa Bay, 12:10 p.m.

Baltimore at Washington, 6:05 p.m.

Los Angeles Angels at Toronto, 6:07 p.m.

Kansas City at Miami, 6:10 p.m.

New York Mets at St. Louis, 6:15 p.m.

Cleveland at Texas, 7:05 p.m.

Seattle at Chicago White Sox, 7:10 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Milwaukee, 7:10 p.m.

Atlanta at Arizona, 8:40 p.m.

San Francisco at Los Angeles Dodgers, 9:10 p.m.

Friday, August 26 Schedule (All Times Central)

Baltimore at New York Yankees, 6:05 p.m.

Colorado at Washington, 6:05 p.m.

Minnesota at Toronto, 6:07 p.m.

Kansas City at Boston, 6:10 p.m.

Los Angeles Angels at Detroit, 6:10 p.m.

Philadelphia at New York Mets, 6:10 p.m.

San Diego at Miami, 6:10 p.m.

Cleveland at Texas, 7:05 p.m.

Seattle at Chicago White Sox, 7:10 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Milwaukee, 7:10 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Houston, 7:10 p.m.

Oakland at St. Louis, 7:15 p.m.

Cincinnati at Arizona, 8:40 p.m.

Chicago Cubs at Los Angeles Dodgers, 9:10 p.m.

Atlanta at San Francisco, 9:15 p.m.

Saturday, August 27 Schedule (All Times Central)

Baltimore at New York Yankees, 12:05 p.m.

Colorado at Washington, 12:05 p.m.

Minnesota at Toronto, 12:07 p.m.

Chicago Cubs at Los Angeles Dodgers, 3:05 p.m.

Kansas City at Boston, 6:10 p.m.

Seattle at Chicago White Sox, 6:10 p.m.

Los Angeles Angels at Detroit, 6:10 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Milwaukee, 6:10 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Houston, 6:10 p.m.

Philadelphia at New York Mets, 6:10 p.m.

San Diego at Miami, 6:10 p.m.

Oakland at St. Louis, 6:15 p.m.

Cleveland at Texas, 7:05 p.m.

Cincinnati at Arizona, 7:10 p.m.

Atlanta at San Francisco, 8:05 p.m.

Sunday, August 28 Schedule (All Times Central)

Baltimore at New York Yankees, 12:05 p.m.

Minnesota at Toronto, 12:07 p.m.

Los Angeles Angels at Detroit, 12:10 p.m.

Philadelphia at New York Mets, 12:10 p.m.

San Diego at Miami, 12:10 p.m.

Colorado at Washington, 12:35 p.m.

Seattle at Chicago White Sox, 1:10 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Milwaukee, 1:10 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Houston, 1:10 p.m.

Oakland at St. Louis, 1:15 p.m.

Cleveland at Texas, 2:05 p.m.

Atlanta at San Francisco, 3:05 p.m.

Chicago Cubs at Los Angeles Dodgers, 3:10 p.m.

Cincinnati at Arizona, 3:10 p.m.

Kansas City at Boston, 7:00 p.m.