Cubs’ Arrieta no-hits Dodgers
LOS ANGELES – Even after pitching his first major league no-hitter, Jake Arrieta wasn’t too big to wear his PJs.
He threw the second no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 10 days, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 2-0 victory Sunday night.
Arrieta was lights-out on the mound, striking out a season-high 12. He was ready for lights out afterward, slipping into one-piece pajamas decorated with moustaches for the overnight flight home.
Fitting, since the 29-year-old right-hander had thought about throwing a no-hitter since he was a kid. His grandfather witnessed one of Nolan Ryan’s no-hitters in Texas.
“You see other guys around the league do it and you want to be a part of something like that,” Arrieta said. “So it’s not only special for me and my family and friends, but for the organization and my teammates. They embraced me after the game, and it was extremely special to see how excited they were for what I was able to do.”
The pajamas were suggested before the game by manager Joe Maddon, one of his colorful apparel themes to build team unity. The Cubs embraced the goofiness an hour after the final out, coming onto the Dodger Stadium field in their PJs to pose for photos.
Arrieta tossed the sixth no-hitter in the majors this year with the benefit of a close call by official scorer Jerry White in the third inning. He charged Starlin Castro with an error when Kike Hernandez reached on a one-hopper hit right at the second baseman, although players on both sides said it should have been ruled a hit.
Arrieta thought so, too.
“He hit it pretty well. I think (the call) could have gone either way,” he said.
White gave Castro an error after he tried to make the play on an in-between hop. The ball bounced off him and rolled away.
“If he stays down on the ball, he makes the play,” White said. “He came up thinking the ball was coming up. The ball was hit right at him and he didn’t have to move to make the play.”
White saw the play four times – live, on a TV replay in the press box and twice in slow motion in the television video room.
Arrieta (17-6) became the first 17-game winner in the big leagues by throwing baseball’s third no-hitter in less than three weeks.
Astros right-hander Mike Fiers blanked the N.L. West leaders 3-0 on Aug. 21. Never before had Los Angeles been no-hit twice in one season.