Written by Jesse Rogers at ESPN.com
The streak finally came to a close on Tuesday, but not because ofJake Arrieta. The Chicago Cubs lost a game he started for the first time in 24 outings, but only after their bullpen allowed five runs in the final two innings of a 5-0 win by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Reliever Clayton Richard gave up three hits to the Dodgers to open the eighth inning for the game’s first run. The visitors added another in the eighth and broke it open in the ninth, when Corey Seager took Trevor Cahill deep. Arrieta kept the Dodgers off the board before then and got out of his own jam in the seventh before exiting.
For a change, Arrieta was matched pitch by pitch, not by Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw but by fellow left-hander Scott Kazmir. Kazmir stifled the Cubs for six innings and gave up just a hit and a walk, both to Dexter Fowler. Kazmir never faced any danger.
Meanwhile, Arrieta mowed the Dodgers down after giving up two early hits. But his pitch count rose, and he got into some trouble in his final inning, when he walked the bases loaded before striking out pinch hitter Justin Turner for the third out. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Arrieta has retired the past 14 batters he has faced with the bases loaded, going back to June. Arrieta gave up just two hits and four walks while striking out eight in seven innings. He threw 107 pitches.
The Cubs will remain tied with the Atlanta Braves and Kris Medlen for most consecutive wins (23) by a team with the same starting pitcher. Arrieta remains 9-0 and lowered his league-leading ERA to 1.56, the same as Kershaw’s.
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