- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Kingery makes MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
Jake Arrieta, Cubs finding a new normal
- Updated: April 22, 2016
4:20 PM ET
CINCINNATI — This one felt different.
Chicago Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta threw his second no-hitter since August on Thursday night, beating the Cincinnati Reds 16-0. But seemingly it came with less fanfare than his first one, when he shut out the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Maybe it’s because Arrieta admittedly had less than his best stuff on Thursday, or maybe because the opponent was less than marquee. Or perhaps it was because no-hitter No. 1 came on Sunday Night Baseball, with Cy Young candidates Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw watching from the other dugout. Or maybe it was just where he threw them. Hollywood and Cincinnati will never be confused for each other.
Or maybe the difference in the feel after the game stems from knowing this is now the new normal for the Cubs and their ace. Walking into the locker room after the 16-0 win, you wouldn’t know it was the largest margin of victory in a no-hitter since 1884.
“That’s Jake,” Dexter Fowler said several times. “We expect this.”
And baseball is expecting a lot from the Cubs, who keep delivering over the first month of the season. The moment there are some whispers about low batting averages and a slump at the plate, they break out for 18 hits. Don’t …
continue reading in source espn.go.com
