Chicago Cubs ride offense, Jake Arrieta to fourth win in last five games

The offense staked Jake Arrieta to a three-run lead early and the right-hander pitched well as the Chicago Cubs won their fourth game of their last five contests.

Prior to first pitch, Joe Maddon made a switch in the lineup that fans had called for since early May. Kyle Schwarber moved down in the lineup and Ben Zobrist led off for the Cubs. The offense clicked and the Chicago Cubs rolled to a 13-6 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Zobrist got things rolling, cranking a solo home run to the right-field seats in the top of the first. With men on the corners and one away, rookie Ian Happ narrowly missed a homer, driving in a second run. A Willson Contreras sac fly accounted for the third and final run of the inning, giving Chicago a 3-0 advantage.

Arrieta scattered five hits and a walk over six innings of work, allowing just one unearned run. The outing was his best since early April, marking his first start since April 4 without allowing an earned run.

Offense keeps on rolling

Chicago (22-20) got two more runs in the middle innings thanks to a pair of solo homers from reigning NL MVP Kris Bryant. An Addison Russell double in the bottom of the fourth added another insurance run for the Cubs.

The two-homer game for Bryant marks the ninth time he’s hit multiple homers in his big-league career.

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In the top of the fifth, Milwaukee (25-19) pushed Arrieta to the brink, loading the bases with two outs. After allowing just one unearned tally, the right-hander struck out Travis Shaw to end the threat.

The Chicago offense scored two more in the sixth, courtesy of a Kyle Schwarber RBI single and a wild pitch. The offense put runs on the board in every inning except the second.

Defensively, several of Arrieta’s breaking balls got past Willson Contreras behind the plate. It will definitely be something to keep an eye on as the season continues.

What’s Next

Chicago opens a four-game set against the San Francisco Giants Monday night at Wrigley Field.

John Lackey (4-3, 4.37) squares off against left-hander Ty Blach (1-2, 4.15) in the opener. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. CT.