Chicago Cubs: Cubs avoid sweep in Cincy

Jake Arrieta took the mound on Sunday, looking to help the Cubs avoid the sweep against the Reds. As he has done so many times before, Arrieta stepped up when the Cubs needed it.

The Chicago Cubs‘ Jake Arrieta pitched seven innings of one-hit baseball, striking out six, and walking two. It was the Ian Happ show early on, as he took a pitch right in the Happy Zone in the second inning, depositing it over the center field wall, putting the Cubs up 2-0. It would stay that way until the fourth inning when Happ struck again. A laser beam to right field made it 3-0, and Arrieta would put it in cruise control from there.

The Cubs would tack on single runs in the 6th, 7th, and 8th. In the sixth, Happ once again, but this time just a RBI single, pushing it to 4-0. In the 7th, Anthony Rizzo hit a moonshot to make it 5-0. And, the eighth, Addison Russell and Javier Baez would string together back-to-back two-out hits, Baez hit a double, scoring Russell.

More from Cubbies Crib

• Cubs should keep close eye on non-tender candidate Cody Bellinger
• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
• Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
• Cubs are giving pitcher Javier Assad a deserved shot
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups

The Reds would show some signs of life in the eighth inning. Justin Grimm battled the strike zone again, before giving way to Koji Uehara. With two outs, Joey Votto hit a two-run single, before Carl Edwards, Jr. came in to put the fire out, and Pedro Strop pitched a harmless ninth inning.

What stood out

The Cubs’ Happ knocked in the first four runs before Rizzo hit his solo home run in the seventh. Happ ties Kyle Schwarber for third on the team in home runs, with 26 games less than Kris Bryant and 26 fewer games than Rizzo.

Next: Health key heading into the break

What’s next

The Cubs now return home for six games before the All-Star break. The Rays kick it off with some interleague action, starting on Tuesday. John Lackey will take the hill, opposed by former Cub farmhand Chris Archer. First pitch is set for 1:20 CT.