Local News

Cubs Win Behind Arrieta; Cards, Sox Lose

 width=>>Arrieta Again Flirts With No Hitter

Jake Arrieta pitched seven dominant innings and homered in his major league-best 21st win, and Chicago stopped Pittsburgh's eight-game win streak with a 4-0 victory over the Pirates on Sunday night.

Arrieta (21-6) retired his first 18 batters before Gregory Polanco grounded a leadoff single into left field in the seventh. He struck out nine and walked none while improving to 15-1 with a dazzling 0.89 ERA in his last 19 starts.

Pittsburgh (95-61) and Chicago (90-65) each have clinched a playoff spot and lead the NL wild-card standings, so the Pirates could see Arrieta again in the first game of the postseason on Oct. 7. But they likely would have Gerrit Cole for that one - the All-Star pitched seven crisp innings in a 3-2 victory over the Cubs in the series opener on Friday.

Arrieta improved to 6-1 with a 1.68 ERA in nine career starts against the Pirates.

A.J. Burnett (9-6) pitched six effective innings in the season finale against the Cubs, but Arrieta shut down the Pirates right from the start. Pedro Alvarez's leadoff fly ball to left in the sixth was Pittsburgh's first ball to leave the infield.

Kris Bryant had an RBI single in the first for Chicago, and Arrieta made it 2-0 with a one-out drive to right-center in the second. Arrieta's second homer of the season led to a curtain call for the crowd of 40,617 at Wrigley Field.

The Pirates threatened after Polanco's single in the seventh. Arrieta hit Andrew McCutchen with one out, putting runners on first and second, but Ramirez bounced into an inning-ending double play.

Starlin Castro hit a two-run double in the bottom half, and Travis Wood finished the one-hitter for his third save in three chances. Castro, Bryant and Montero had two hits apiece for the Cubs.

Kyle Hendricks (7-7, 4.23) gets the ball when the Cubs host Kansas City on Monday in their final scheduled home game. RHP Yordano Ventura (12-8, 4.40) starts for the Royals in the makeup of a May 30 rainout.

>>Brew Crew Rallies Late For Win Over St. Louis

Jason Rogers' hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the ninth inning off St. Louis closer Trevor Rosenthal to lift the Brewers to an 8-4 victory over the Cardinals on Sunday.

 width=The Cardinals' NL Central lead is three games over Pittsburgh. The Cardinals' magic number for clinching the crown was cut to four after the Pirates lost to Chicago later Sunday.

St. Louis has lost two of three heading into a three-game showdown in Pittsburgh starting Monday.

Khris Davis homered twice and drove in four runs for the Brewers, who scored seven runs in the ninth.

All four Milwaukee batters reached safely against Rosenthal (2-4), who had converted 47 of 49 save opportunities. His last blown save came July 12 at Pittsburgh.

Rogers, who is 13 of 48 as a pinch hitter, ripped his second pinch-hit homer of the season and first grand slam of his career.

Davis added a three-run homer later in the ninth off Seth Maness for an 8-3 lead.

David Goforth (1-0) picked up the win with one inning of relief.

Francisco Rodriguez recorded his 37th save in 39 chances. He retired Brandon Moss with two on to end the game.

Matt Carpenter and Stephen Piscotty hit back-to-back homers in the seventh to give the Cardinals a 3-1 lead.

Hernan Perez then started the Milwaukee ninth with a single. Martin Maldonado was hit by a pitch and Jonathan Lucroy walked to load the bases for Rogers.

St. Louis starter John Lackey allowed one run on five hits over seven innings for his 26th quality start in 32 outings this season.

Lance Lynn (12-10, 3.16) faces LHP J.A. Happ (10-8, 3.88) on Monday in the first of a crucial three-game series in Pittsburgh.

>>Yankees Slam Sox

Dustin Ackley homered in the sixth to spark New York's late-waking offense Sunday and back Luis Severino's six innings of five-hit ball as the Yankees moved closer to a playoff berth with a 6-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

Severino (5-3) induced three double plays in shutting down the White Sox in his 10th big league start, helping the Yankees cut their magic number for clinching at least a wild card to three and move within one of the franchise's 10,000th regular-season victory.

 width=The White Sox finished their road schedule 36-45, three wins better than last season.

Brian McCann had a sacrifice fly in the first inning off Erik Johnson (3-1) that was set up by a leadoff walk and first baseman Jose Abreu's errors on consecutive plays, the second two-error game of Abreu's major league career.

The Yankees repeatedly wasted chances against Johnson, who was making his fifth start this season. New York was 0 for 9 with RISP through four innings.

Slade Heathcott scored on a passed ball in the sixth, and Jacoby Ellsbury had an RBI single in the seventh. Greg Bird drove in one in the eighth with a single and Heathcott had a sacrifice fly.

Severino got into trouble in the fifth, when the White Sox got a pair of leadoff singles, and in the sixth when Chicago put two on with one out. Each time the 21-year-old rookie got a double play to get out of it.

Jeff Samardzija (10-13) is coming off a one-hit shutout at Detroit, but he's 0-3 with an 8.15 ERA in three starts against Kansas City this season.

Townhall Top of the Hour News

Local Weather - Sponsored By:

CLINTON WEATHER

Local News

DeWittDN on Facebook