CHICAGO -- Manager Joe Maddon got caught up in the moment as did 36,270 in attendance on Tuesday night when Chicago Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta came out of the dugout for the ninth inning looking to secure the final three outs against the Milwaukee Brewers and his first 20-win season.
With Arrieta already having thrown 108 pitches and the Cubs leading 4-0, Maddon knew what the right thing to do was.
He ignored it.
"Honestly, if all this other stuff wasn't attached to it I probably would have taken him out," Maddon said afterward. "You have to be in the dugout to feel all that. I didn't do that lightly or easily. I thought about it a lot."
The Cubs have bigger aspirations than just getting their ace an historic victory. Remember, they're the team with the longest championship drought in professional sports history while Arrieta has already thrown a career high in innings. The Cubs are going to the postseason and need to preserve their ace. But even with that backdrop Maddon pushed the envelope.
"Not an easy moment," Maddon said.
If the Cubs had scored just one more run to make it 5-0 or the game was played on the road, Arrieta would have been done after eight innings, Maddon told himself. But the Cubs stranded a runner at third in the bottom of the eighth, setting the stage for Arrieta's dramatic finish with a stadium full of die-hards on their feet.
"It's special," Arrieta said. "The crowd here appreciates it. They were into it from the first pitch. That's what makes playing this game so fun."
Logan Schafer struck out on three pitches for the first out in the ninth. Pitch count: 111.
"I could have easily come out after eight," Arrieta stated. "He allowed me to go back out there and finish the ninth. That's something you love to see from your manager."
Adam Lind took only one more pitch than Schafer to become strikeout victim No. 11. Pitch count: 115.
"I know it's good," Arrieta continued. "I know the results have been good. But I don't dwell on it for too long because tomorrow I'm getting ready for Pittsburgh."
Khris Davis was all that stood between Arrieta and a complete-game shutout at Wrigley Field for win No. 20. That's something you don't forget. Eight pitches later Davis hit a weak ground ball to second base and the infamous Cubs postgame celebration was on. This one started outside near the dugout, the first time it has happened there all season. It's as if the Cubs wanted the fans in on the fun.
"What can you say?" Maddon asked rhetorically. "Twenty wins. For him personally, it's an outstanding achievement. Organizationally, it's an outstanding achievement. His status in the game. All that stuff is impacted by that one extra win."
But we know the wins are only a small indicator of just how dominant Arrieta has been this season, especially in the second half. His post-All-Star-break 0.86 ERA would qualify as the lowest for a starting pitcher in major league history. Does any other statistic even matter? He has given up just nine earned runs in 94.1 innings pitched. But there's more:
Arrieta set a franchise record with his 18th consecutive quality start.
He's the first Cubs pitcher since Kerry Wood in 2003 to throw four complete games in a season.
His three shutouts are the most for a Cub since Greg Maddux recorded four in 1992.
He's the 27th Cubs pitcher since 1900 to reach 20 wins and first since Jon Lieber in 2001.
And he lowered his ERA for the season to 1.88, second best in the majors.
We'll find out if the 123 pitches he threw have any effect on him as the Cubs march toward October baseball. They're a day or two away from clinching a playoff spot and the righty will be called upon to lead them in every way possible come the postseason. He has two starts remaining, which gives Maddon two chances to back off him.
"This guy is going to be fine," the manager said. "He's a different animal. Let's see how it plays out."
If the first five and a half months are any indication it should work out just fine for the Cubs with Arrieta on the mound. He has been pitching on another level for months and seemingly keeps getting better. The Brewers managed such light contact on Tuesday, with a little better luck and he could have secured his second no-hitter since August. A bloop double and two infield hits was all Milwaukee managed. But that's the norm for arguably the best pitcher this side of Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw. His domination is no longer a surprise. It's not emerging. It just is.
"It's been good," Arrieta said. "It's been consistent."
Eerily, Tuesday's performance came on a night when Arrieta didn't even feel his best. His timing was off, but he prevailed.
"How can I use what I have today and still win?" he asked.
The answer came on the mound where his stuff moved and evaded Brewers bats for nine innings. Like 19 times before, Milwaukee couldn't find a solution to Jake Arrieta. No one can. Twenty wins might just be the start for him, not the finish. And his second-half performance evoked memories of his manager's favorite pitcher.
"It's Bob Gibson-esque," Maddon said.
In fact, it's better.
