LDN - Sports

Cubs, Arrieta cut down Marlins

[June 23, 2017] MIAMI -- Less hair, fewer runs allowed.

That summed up the night for 2015 Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta, who has been struggling this year but turned in a vintage all-around performance on Thursday night, leading the Chicago Cubs to an 11-1 win over the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park.

Arrieta (7-5), in a good mood after his first win since beating the Marlins on June 6, said there were various reasons for the buzz-cut look he showed off for the first time on Thursday.

"You come to Miami, and you know it's going to be hot and humid," said Arrieta, who is 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA in his career against the Marlins. "It was time to take it down, minimize some sweat, and let it roll, man.

"I feel like I've got a decent face. It doesn't matter if I don't have any hair."

The new look certainly worked Thursday.

Arrieta, an All-Star and World Series champion last year, held Miami to six hits, no walks and one run in seven innings.

Offensively, he went 2-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI, helping spark two rallies in what became a 16-hit, three-homer Cubs attack.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Arrieta could have gone longer, but he wanted to be cautious due a blister on the pitcher's right thumb, which has given him trouble lately.

"The cut is good -- he's fine," Maddon said. "I did not want to press our luck at that point. But to get Jake pitching that type of quality game for us will be big."

Arrieta's vintage performance was supported by Kris Bryant's three-run homer. It was Bryant's 16th home run of the season, and it helped propel the Cubs (37-35) to their fourth win in their past five games. For Bryant, it was his first three-RBI game since April 15.

Other Cubs heroes included Wilson Contreras, who hit a two-run homer, and Addison Russell and Ian Happ, who each went 4-for-5 with two RBIs. Russell homered and doubled twice for his first career game with three extra-base hits.

Chicago's Mark Zagunis made his major-league debut, starting in right field and batting ninth. He got an RBI in his first at-bat, grounding out to shortstop. He finished 0-for-5.

Marcell Ozuna hit his 20th homer of the season, a solo shot, to lead Miami (32-39). Ozuna is three short of tying his career high for homers.

Marlins starter Jeff Locke (0-3) has yet to win during his brief career in Miami. He lasted four innings, allowing seven hits, three walks and five runs.

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Miami Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon (9) is late on tagging out Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ (8) at second base in the fifth inning at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

"I just didn't make enough good pitches," Locke said.

Chicago got to Locke in the second inning. Russell and Happ singled, and Javier Baez was walked intentionally with one out. That set up Arrieta (infield single) and Zagunis (groundout) for their RBIs.

Ozuna's leadoff homer in the bottom of the second cut Miami's deficit to 2-1. He hit a 3-0 pitch to left-center field.

"We felt," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said, "that we were in the game right there."

That soon changed. Chicago took a 5-1 lead when Bryant's blast was preceded by Arrieta's single and a two-out, four-pitch walk to Anthony Rizzo.

Russell gave Chicago a 6-1 advantage with a solo homer in the fifth, his seventh long ball of the season. Contreras hit his two-run shot in the sixth, and the rout was on for Chicago.

"I don't want to get too crazy over one game," Maddon cautioned. "But it was a nice game. We had good at-bats, utilizing more of the field."

NOTES: This was the start of an 11-game road trip for Chicago. ... Cubs OF Kyle Schwarber, who hit .412 in five World Series games last year and was thought to be a rising offensive star, was optioned to Triple-A Iowa after hitting just .171 in 64 games. ... Chicago placed OF Jason Heyward (abrasion on left hand) on the disabled list retroactive to Monday. ... Chicago called up OF Mark Zagunis and RHP Dylan Floro from Triple-A Iowa. ... Chicago signed LHP Brendon Little, the 27th overall pick in this year's draft who received a $2.2 million bonus. ... Miami placed RHP Brad Ziegler (back strain) on the disabled list and activated RHP Junichi Tazawa (ribs). ... Wednesday was the ninth time in franchise history that the Marlins were hitless through seven innings. It was also the first of those nine games that the Marlins won.

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