Chi. Cubs 6, Colorado 2
When: 2:20 PM ET, Saturday, April 16, 2016
Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
Temperature:
54°
Umpires:
Home -
Bill Welke, 1B -
Victor Carapazza, 2B -
Clint Fagan, 3B -
Marvin Hudson
Attendance:
41702
By The Sports Xchange
CHICAGO -- Jake Arrieta returned to form in his first Wrigley Field outing since a 2015 playoff loss, striking out eight and allowing just five hits as the Chicago Cubs beat the Colorado Rockies 6-2 on Saturday afternoon.
Arrieta, who went 22-6 in a 2015 National League Cy Young season, improved to 3-0 as he worked eight shutout innings and walked just one.
Arrieta took the loss in his last home appearance -- a 4-1 Game 2 NLCS defeat to the New York Mets on Oct. 18, 2015.
The Cubs (9-2) bounced back from a 6-1 series-opening loss on Friday. The Rockies (6-5) saw a three-game winning streak snapped.
Chicago used the long ball to back Arrieta with solo home runs from Anthony RIzzo and Jorge Soler in the fourth and a seventh-inning three-run shot from Dexter Fowler.
Rockies right-hander Christian Bergman (0-2) took the loss, departing after five innings while allowing two runs on four hits, walking one and striking out seven.
Arrieta, meanwhile, was in command from the outset, striking out the side on 12 pitches in the first inning.
The Rockies threatened in the third when Dustin Garneau doubled to center in his first at-bat since being called up this week from Triple-A.
Garneau reached third on Bergman's fielder's choice grounder but stayed put after Christhian Adames grounded to first and Trevor Story struck out.
Carlos Gonzalez singled to left to lead off the fourth inning, extending a season-long hitting streak to 11 consecutive games.
The Cubs jumped on Bergman for back-to-back homers in the fourth for a 2-0 lead. Rizzo launched a first-pitch homer to right for his third of the season. On the next pitch, Soler lofted a shot to left field for his second of the year.
Fowler sent a two-out shot to right field for a three-run homer off Rockies reliever David Hale.
Chicago added a sixth run in the eighth as a one-out sacrifice fly by David Ross brought in Javier Baez.
The Rockies scored twice in the ninth off reliever Travis Wood. Gonzalez hit a one-out homer -- his fourth of the year -- to left that also scored Story.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon scrambled his lineup on Saturday, moving Kris Bryant from fifth to second, Rizzo from cleanup to third, Soler from sixth to fourth and Addison Russell from eighth to sixth.
NOTES: The Rockies have not won a series in Chicago since 2011 when they swept a two-game weather-shortened series and not won a traditional three-game plus set since 2006. ... 3B Nolan Arenado led the majors with 14 RBIs coming into Saturday and had hit safely in his past five games, going 9-for-23. ... C Dustin Garneau made his season debut on Saturday, two days after being called up from Triple-A Albuquerque after Colorado placed OF Charlie Blackmon on the 15-day disabled list. ... Cubs RHP John Lackey is closing in on two career milestones, needing six innings for 2,500 and 24 strikeouts to hit 2,000. ... Newly activated Javier Baez batted fifth in his 2016 season debut, one day after returning from the 15-day disabled list. ... The Rockies send RHP Tyler Chatwood (1-1, 4.38 ERA) against Cubs LHP Jon Lester (1-0, 2.77) in Sunday's series finale.
Top Game Performances
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Hits |
HR |
TB |
Avg |
LOB |
K |
RBI |
BB |
SB |
Errors |
Colorado
|
7 |
1 |
12 |
.226 |
7 |
9 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Chi. Cubs
|
8 |
3 |
18 |
.267 |
11 |
10 |
6 |
5 |
2 |
0 |