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 Right-hander Jake Arrieta struck out a career-high 11 batters,
and Nate Schierholtz slugged a three-run homer to lead the Cubs to a
6-1 victory over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday afternoon at Marlins
Park.
"We (as players) are aware of that," Arrieta said of third-baseman
Bryant being promoted from Double A. "I'm sure he is going to
continue to swing the bat well. Whenever the time is right, we look
forward to seeing him up here."
Miami potentially suffered another loss more damaging than the game
defeat when right fielder Giancarlo Stanton left after three at-bats
due to a left wrist contusion. On his first at-bat, he hit his 20th
homer of the season, which leads the National League.
Stanton was injured while crashing into the right-field wall in the
first inning, trying to make a play on left fielder Chris Coghlan's
double. He is listed as day-to-day.
"I saw (Stanton) grimace," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "But
then I saw him hit the home run, and I wasn't too concerned.
"He wanted to stay in the game, but we got him out because we need
him for the long haul. It's just a bruise. I anticipate he will be
ready to go (on Thursday)."
Stanton said there is some swelling, which is being treated with
ice.
 "It was getting tighter and tighter the rest of the game," he said.
"On swings and misses, it hurts a lot. But I will be there
(Thursday)."\
The win went to Arrieta (3-1), who also doubled and helped the Cubs
(30-40) take two out of three in the series. Arrieta, who pitched
seven innings, allowed five hits, one walk and one run.
In his past two starts, both wins, Arrieta has struck out 20 in 14
innings and allowed a combined total of just one run.
"I'm not doing anything differently," Arrieta said. "I'm just
commanding everything down in the strike zone and trying to force
early contact. Strikeouts are just a byproduct of throwing several
plus pitches for strikes."
Chicago was also led by shortstop Starlin Castro, who had three
hits, including a pair of run-scoring doubles.
Castro, who has spent most of his career as a leadoff hitter before
being put at clean-up this season, said he is fine with the move -
to an extent.
"I like batting fourth because there are usually runners on base,"
he said, speaking in Spanish. "I just like that they put me in a
spot and leave me there. If they keep moving me around, it breaks my
concentration."
The loss went to right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (4-3), who returned to
the team on Tuesday after taking time off for the birth of his son.
Eovaldi pitched six innings, allowing nine hits, no walks and five
runs.
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So far, Miami (36-35) has lost four of six games on this homestand.
The Marlins have not won a series since June 5 against Tampa Bay.
Chicago opened the scoring in the first inning on doubles by
Coghlan, a former Marlin, and Castro.
Miami tied the score 1-1 in the bottom of the first on Stanton's
homer to right-center. He took a 91 mph fastball and hit it out by
using an inside-out swing.
Chicago took a 5-1 lead in the sixth. First baseman Anthony Rizzo
singled, and Castro stroked a run-scoring double to center. After a
single by center fielder Ryan Sweeney, right fielder Schierholtz
pulled an 85-mph breaking pitch to right for his third homer of the
season.
"That was a big homer for Nate," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said of
Schierholtz. "He's been grinding the whole season. It probably
hasn't gone as well as he would like. But he keeps working. He keeps
hustling."
The Cubs made it 6-1 in the eighth on second baseman Darwin Barney's
run-scoring single.
NOTES: After Wednesday's game, the Marlins made four roster moves,
activating C Jarrod Saltalamacchia (concussion) from the 15-day
disabled list; promoting reliever and RHP Kevin Gregg from Triple A;
and demoting to Triple A LHP Dan Jennings and rookie C J.T.
Realmuto. Earlier in the day, Miami signed RHP Brad Penny, 36, to a
minor-league deal. ... Miami RHP Chris Hatcher, a reliever, has
struck out 12 of the past 16 batters he has faced. ... Cubs RHP Jake
Arrieta had a 17 1/3-innings scoreless streak snapped in the first
inning on Wednesday. It was the longest streak by a Cubs pitcher
since Ryan Dempster in 2012. ... Cubs 3B Luis Valbuena entered
Wednesday as the second hottest hitter in the NL since May 13,
batting .367 during that span. ... Next up, the Cubs return home to
start a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.
... Miami plays host to the New York Mets on Thursday in the opener
of a four-game set. That series will conclude Miami's 10-game
homestand.
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