Chicago Cubs Recap: Jake Arrieta throws seven scoreless frames in 9-0 win vs Angels

After wrapping up Cactus League play, the Chicago Cubs found themselves opening up the 2016 campaign in Los Angeles. Right-hander Jake Arrieta took the mound opposite Garrett Richards of the Angels and dominated their lineup from start to finish.

Right-hander Jake Arrieta (1-0, 0.00 ERA) carried over his 2015 regular season performance to the West Coast as the Chicago Cubs cruised their way to an important start to the new campaign. Outfielder Dexter Fowler had himself a fantastic ballgame, recording the first hit of the season for the Cubs.

Fowler, who was a solid leadoff man for the Cubs last season, finished the game 3-for-4 with a walk, strikeout and came around to score twice in the 9-0 victory. He pulled the second pitch of the opening at-bat to right field for a double and later came around to score on an RBI single off the bat of first baseman Anthony Rizzo.

Joe Maddon‘s lineup made right-hander Richards work hard, throwing over 40 pitches during the top of the fourth. The 27-year-old right-hander was tagged for six hits, three earned runs aside from issuing three walks and striking out seven before skipper Mike Scioscia opted to start working his bullpen.

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With the Cubs leading the Angels (0-1) by a run in the fourth, both Rizzo and Kris Bryant worked back-to-back walks to get things started. Moments after Kyle Schwarber advanced each runner, Jorge Soler, and veteran catcher Miguel Montero recorded a pair of RBI singles to the left side of the diamond.

Montero is another Cubs hitter who had himself a solid day at the dish, hammering a towering two-run homer to right field just two innings later in the sixth. He went 2-for-5 and accounted for two of Chicago’s eight strikeouts. A category in which the Cubs had over 200 a year ago.

To our surprise, last year’s A.L. MVP Mike Trout was limited. This is a man who had a bit of an opening day home run streak only to have it snapped at the hands of the North Siders. Arrieta got the best of the young slugger, getting him to line out to Ben Zobrist and striking him out in his next two at-bats.

Outfielder Matt Szczur came off the bench to swing the bat in place of Kyle Schwarber in the ninth. Szczur was faced with a do-or-die scenario during the spring as he is out of minor league options. The 26-year-old Villanova alum. – like the men’s basketball team – seized the opportunity and came through with a bases-loaded clearing double to left field extending the Cubs lead to 9-0.

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Veteran southpaw Travis Wood entered the game in the ninth inning and started off his year by getting Yunel Escobar to ground out to Addison Russell. With a sea of Cubs fans chanting for their Lovable Losers, Wood struck out Craig Gentry and got Trout to fly out to Jason Heyward for the third and final out of the game.

Next up for the Cubs will be southpaw Jon Lester taking on 24-year-old righty Andrew Heaney. First pitch is scheduled for another 9:05 p.m. central start and will be aired live on CSN+ and 670 The Score.