Pregame Notes: Chicago Cubs turn to Jake Arrieta for win vs D’backs

After falling 5-4 in extra innings last night against the Arizona Diamondbacks to begin this three-game weekend series, the Chicago Cubs will turn to ace pitcher Jake Arrieta, in hopes of getting them back in the win column and snapping their hosts five-game winning streak.

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The Cubs had themselves the opportunity of winning three straight games after RBI singles by Kris Bryant and Starlin Castro in the 10th inning, but closer Hector Rondon literally dropped the ball with Paul Goldschmidt in the batter’s box with one on. Arizona’s slugger drilled a pitch delivered by Rondon to left field, tying things up at four apiece to keep his team alive.

Surely, skipper Joe Maddon‘s not going to make the same mistake by pitching to Goldschmidt that late in the game if his team has a short lead.

Both starting pitchers, Jon Lester and Josh Collmenter, each had solid outings, holding each lineup to a total of four earned runs on 11 hits. Lester worked through seven innings while Collmenter left after the fifth.

Tonight, the boys in blue from the North Side of Chicago (23-18) have a shot at redemption. Jake Arrieta (4-4, 2.77 ERA) has emerged as the team’s top pitcher despite Jon Lester‘s perfect run in May. After a rough beginning to the month, Arrieta has given up only two earned runs on eight hits while posting a 17/3 K/BB ratio across a combined 15 innings in his previous two starts.

Starting opposite tonight for the D’backs (20-21) will be 26-year-old right-hander Rubby De La Rosa. De La Rosa (4-2, 4.08 ERA) had himself a strong outing against the Miami Marlins, allowing only two earned runs behind six hits with five strikeouts in nine innings.

Arizona’s young righty received run support in the fourth inning on a two-run double by Yasmany Tomas until J.T. Realmuto tied things up on a two-run blast in the home half of the seventh. Just like yesterday’s late game against the Cubs, the D’backs would find a way to plate runs during the 13th inning on a go-ahead RBI double by David Peralta, putting his team up 3-2 on the road.

Key’s to tonight’s contest should be capitalizing with runners in scoring position, as the team failed to do so with the bases-loaded before falling in the bottom of the 13th.

Here’s a look at tonight’s starting lineup’s for both teams:

First pitch is slated for 9:10pm central time and will air live on CSN, MLB Network, and WBBM 780.

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