MILWAUKEE -- The Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-1 on Friday night.
How it happened: After striking out five times in the first two innings, the Cubs got to Brewers starter Ariel Pena for four runs over the next three. A Tommy La Stella double in the third inning drove in the first run, while Anthony Rizzo’s 31st home run of the season put the Cubs up 2-0 in the fourth. Rizzo produced his 98th and 99th RBIs with a two-run single in the fifth, and Dexter Fowler and Starlin Castro added RBI hits the following two innings. Meanwhile, Cubs starter Jake Arrieta did what he normally does: He swiftly went through the Brewers without an issue. He lasted six innings, giving up two hits while striking out seven. He lowered his ERA to 1.77 on the season while winning his 22nd game of the year against six losses. Khris Davis homered off reliever Trevor Cahill in the seventh to ruin the shutout bid.
What it means: The Cubs kept things rolling with their 95th win of the season and sixth in a row. With Arrieta’s scoreless performance, Cubs starters have given up just one run over the past six games. Rizzo and Kris Bryant are now tied for the team lead in RBIs with 99 apiece. The Cubs also kept their hopes for hosting the wild-card game alive.
Arrieta: He finished his incredible season on a 22-inning scoreless streak that helped produce the lowest second-half ERA (0.75) in league history. He also threw his 20th consecutive quality start while improving his record since Aug. 1 to 11-0. It’s hard not to imagine him as the Cy Young favorite after being a distant second or third just six weeks ago.
What’s next: Game 2 of the series takes place on Saturday evening when Kyle Hendricks (7-7, 4.09) faces Tyler Wagner (0-1, 11.74).
