Arrieta earns NL-best eighth win as Cubs defeat Giants
SAN FRANCISCO -- Chicago Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta became the National League's first eight-game winner Friday night, limiting the San Francisco Giants to four hits and one run over seven innings in an 8-1 victory in the opener of a three-game series.
Kris Bryant smacked a three-run home run in a five-run third inning, and outfielders Jason Heyward and Jorge Soler combined to make three rally-killing catches in support of Arrieta, who improved to 8-0 this season and 19-0 since June 21, 2015.
The win was the Cubs' 22nd in a row in a game started by Arrieta, matching the second-longest streak in the history of baseball. Only the Atlanta Braves' 23 straight wins in games started by Kris Medlen from 2010-12 has extended longer.
Ben Zobrist and Soler added solo homers in the eighth inning for the Cubs, who have not lost consecutive road games this season. Chicago was coming off a 5-3 loss at Milwaukee on Sunday.
Zobrist's homer off the fourth Giants pitcher, right-hander George Kontos, was a “Splash Hit” into the San Francisco Bay beyond the right-field wall, the 38th by a San Francisco opponent in the 16-year history of AT&T Park. Only one previous Cub -- Corey Patterson on Aug. 7, 2004 -- had recorded a “Splash Hit.”
The back-to-back homers in the eighth inning gave the Cubs a 7-1 lead, after which Arrieta was given the rest of the night off. He'd thrown 111 pitches, his second-most this season.
The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner walked two and struck out eight in extending his streak of allowing three or fewer runs to 29 consecutive starts.
Arrieta lowered his major-league-leading ERA to 1.29.
Right-hander Jake Peavy, the 2007 Cy Young winner, took the loss for the Giants and saw his ERA, worst in the NL, balloon to 8.21.
The game began on an ominous note for the Cubs when Heyward suffered an injury in the right torso abdominal region making a diving catch on the warning track on Denard Span's game-opening bid for a triple.
Heyward immediately was removed from the game.
Soler, playing left field, raced back to the fence to rob Giants catcher Buster Posey in the third inning with two aboard and third baseman Conor Gillaspie with one on in the seventh.
Bryant had two hits and four RBIs, and Soler totaled two hits and scored twice for the Cubs (29-11), who improved upon baseball's best record.
Angel Pagan singled twice, stole two bases and scored the only run for Giants (25-19), who were coming off a 7-0 trip to Arizona and San Diego.
San Francisco had won eight in a row and had allowed a total of just four runs in its previous four games.
Heyward's injury occurred on Arrieta's third pitch of the game.
The right fielder raced to the 421-foot marker in right-center field to make his spectacular catch on Span's blast, landing hard on his right side on the dirt warning track before sliding head-first into the wall.
Heyward was able to walk off the field with just minor assistance, and went immediately to the visitors' clubhouse. The Cubs later reported an examination of his right abdomen area was ongoing, but the injury was not thought to be serious.
Peavy (1-5) didn't get out of the second inning. He left two outs into the Cubs' uprising, having surrendered five runs on seven hits and two walks. He did not record a strikeout for just the fifth time in his career.
A baserunning blunder by Arrieta nearly short-circuited the big inning.
After Jorge Soler and Miguel Montero had led off with singles, Arrieta blooped a one-out single to center field, plating Soler to open the scoring.
Peavy walked Dexter Fowler to load the bases, and Tommy La Stella, who had entered the game in Heyward's spot in the lineup, followed with a liner off the right-field wall that just missed being a grand slam.
Arrieta got a bad read on the drive and couldn't score from second, getting tagged out returning to third base while the other baserunners ran for safety. La Stella, who at one point had slid into second base, got up and scampered back to first. He was credited with an RBI single that made it 2-0.
When the dust settled, Peavy had a second out with Cubs on first and third. He was one pitch from getting out of the inning without further damage when Bryant bombed his homer to left field to break things open at 5-0.
Anthony Rizzo followed with a sharp single, prompting Giants manager Bruce Bochy to pull Peavy just five outs into his outing.
Right-hander Derek Law came on to retire Ben Zobrist on a fly ball, but not before the Cubs had batted around for the fifth time this season.
NOTES: While RHP Jake Peavy was winning the National League Cy Young Award for the San Diego Padres in 2007, RHP Jake Arrieta, a Baltimore Orioles draft choice, was pitching for the Phoenix Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League, striking out 16 in 16 scoreless innings over 14 appearances. ... The Cubs began the day having won 21 straight games started by Arrieta. Only RHP Kris Medlen (Atlanta Braves, 23), LHP Whitey Ford (New York Yankees, 22) and RHP Carl Hubbell (New York Giants, 22) had longer streaks. ... The Cubs opened the series with a 2.41 season ERA for its starting rotation. The Giants' starters have been even better (1.67) in their last 13 games. ... The Giants (13) and Cubs (12) took the field ranked 1-2 in the NL in come-from-behind wins. ... Giants manager Bruce Bochy said RHP Sergio Romo (strained right flexor) would be sent to Triple-A Sacramento to begin an injury-rehab stint early next week. The hope is to have Romo back with the parent club in early June.