Great Scott! Epic Jake-start W streak ends

CHICAGO — Jake Arrieta didn’t lose on Tuesday night, but the Cubs did, ending a streak of 23 wins when the right-hander started. Adrian Gonzalez smacked an RBI single in the eighth inning and Corey Seager hit a three-run homer in the ninth to lift the Dodgers to a 5-0 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field and even the series.

“We did it to them last night, and they came out and shut us down tonight,” Arrieta said of the Dodgers, who were held to one hit on Monday in a 2-0 loss to the Cubs. “You play this game long enough, you’re going to lose a game here and there. It was a good streak, and we’ll get started on something else.”

Arrieta did not get a decision, throwing seven scoreless innings in his first meeting with the Dodgers since he no-hit them last Aug. 30. Gonzalez ended any potential repeat no-no drama when he singled with two outs in the first. The reigning National League Cy Young winner did lower his ERA to 1.56, and he has an 0.64 ERA in 10 starts at home.

With Arrieta out of the game, the Dodgers attacked. Chase Utley singled to open the Dodgers’ eighth against Clayton Richard and advanced on Seager’s single. Gonzalez then lined a single to left for a 1-0 lead. Howie Kendrick added a sacrifice fly in the eighth and Seager connected off Trevor Cahill in the ninth.

“That was a fun inning,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the eighth. “You grind out at-bats and get into their ‘pen, and [Utley] leads off with a six- [or] seven-pitch at-bat for a base hit, then [Seager’s] base hit, then Adrian, and it broke through for us. I said last night, our guys are going to turn the page on [Monday’s loss], and I think we’ve turned a corner.”

It’s the first time the Cubs have lost a game that Arrieta started since last July 25, when the Phillies’ Cole Hamels no-hit Chicago at Wrigley Field. With the loss, the Cubs fell one win short of setting a Major League record for consecutive wins, set by Atlanta’s Kris Medlen (2010-12).

“Jake was really good and had really good command,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s unfortunate we couldn’t get a run. It took a no-hitter and a one-hitter to beat Jake.”

MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDPayback: The Cubs held the Dodgers to one hit on Monday, and Los Angeles returned the favor on Tuesday as Scott Kazmir combined with two other pitchers on a one-hitter. Kazmir held his own against Arrieta, giving up one hit (Dexter Fowler’s single …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com