After 24th straight gem, Jake Arrieta closing in on Clayton Kershaw as game’s best

11:25 PM ET

Jake Arrieta was one strike from his second no-hitter in as many seasons, one strike from the 15th no-hitter in Chicago Cubs history, one strike from being the first pitcher to no-hit the Cincinnati Reds in the regular season since 1971, one strike from giving the Cubs fans in attendance at Great American Ballpark the thrill of a lifetime.

Truth was, it wasn’t an easy ride for Arrieta to get here. After the game, he said on the Cubs broadcast that, “It felt sloppy from the get-go. The pregame pen was as sloppy as the pregame pen L.A. before that no-hitter. … Pitching to contact was the goal today and I did that.” He’d walked four batters, including Scott Schebler leading off the ninth. He had just six strikeouts (he had 12 in his no-hitter Aug. 30 against the Dodgers) and was closing in on 120 pitches.

Jake Arrieta reacts to completing his second no-hitter in less than two seasons Thursday night in Cincinnati. David Kohl/USA TODAY Sports

The Cubs fans had all moved down behind the Chicago dugout. Most of the Reds fans had long since gone home, more dispirited by a 16-0 rout than waiting to witness history. The count was 0-2 on Eugenio Suarez, and what chance did he have? Arrieta might throw his fastball. He might throw that unhittable slider. He might throw his changeup — he does that every so often. Arrieta threw a curveball. It was a beautiful pitch, a big, old-school bender. Suarez didn’t swing. He wouldn’t have hit it if he had. It caught the corner.

Except home-plate umpire Dana DeMuth called it a ball. Arrieta didn’t blink. If he twitched, I missed it. Maybe he gave a bit of an extra stare. For a split second, it was easy to think that was the pitch, that was the second life Suarez needed. But Arrieta isn’t a guy who is going to lose …

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