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Jaso’s cycle leads Pirates past Arrieta, Cubs
- Updated: September 29, 2016
PITTSBURGH — Nearly a year ago, Jake Arrieta crushed the Pirates’ postseason hopes before they could truly begin, tossing a shutout in the Cubs’ National League Wild Card Game victory. On Wednesday night, John Jaso led Pittsburgh’s recent revenge tour against the Cubs right-hander, hitting for the first cycle in PNC Park history as the Bucs scored seven runs off Arrieta in an 8-4 win.
The Pirates were officially eliminated from the postseason race late Tuesday night, but surely they took satisfaction in snapping their four-game losing streak — especially against Arrieta, who seemed so untouchable this time last year, and particularly behind Jaso’s rare feat. Jaso had three hits off Arrieta — a single, a three-run homer and an RBI double — before finishing the cycle with a triple to center field off reliever Pedro Strop in the seventh.
The Pirates have scored 19 runs in their last three tries against Arrieta, apparently having solved a nemesis who baffled them for more than a year. Meanwhile, the Bucs got a gem from rookie Jameson Taillon, making his final start of an impressive rookie season. After missing two years while …
