The Chicago Cubs released starting pitcher Jake Arrieta on Thursday following a brutal outing against the Milwaukee Brewers where he gave up eight earned runs—seven in the first inning—and eleven hits in just four innings of action.

Arrieta signed with the Cubs during the offseason in the hopes of duplicating his past success with the organization. In 2015, Arrieta won the National League Cy Young Award, finishing with an exceptional 22-6 record and a 1.77 ERA. He played an integral role in helping the Cubs win their first World Series title since 1908.

After his 2017 campaign, Arrieta signed a three-year $75 million free-agent contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. However, his tenure in the City of Brotherly Love proved subpar, as he posted a 4.36 ERA over three seasons.

Arrieta got off to a promising start to the season, putting up a solid 2.57 ERA in his first five starts. However, the former Cy Young winner has since struggled extensively, as he is now 5-11 with a disastrous 6.88 ERA.

After being released, his professional career is up in the air.

The Minnesota Twins head to Citizens Bank Park to take on the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies are coming off a season in which they finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel. However, a late-season slump put them in third place and pushed them to add Andrew McCutchen, J.T. Realmuto, and Bryce Harper as well as locking up Aaron Nola before he hit free agency. They got off to a hot start, going 4-1 after sweeping the reigning NL East champions Atlanta Braves and splitting a two-game road series against the Washington Nationals.

The Twins are also 4-1 after sweeping the Kansas City Royals and going 2-1 against the Cleveland Indians. They’re hoping to rebound from a 78-84 season in which longtime Twin Brian Dozier was traded away and young stars Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton spent significant time on the disabled list. The acquisition of Jonathon Scoop, CJ Cron, and Nelson Cruz make this team a competitor.

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When facing the Phillies, there’s an added element of chance. Both their rotation and their bullpen are top-heavy, meaning that if their stars are used up or resting, the odds can shift in an opponents favor dramatically. While the Twins won’t have to face Nola, they will have to square off against former Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta. In the bullpen, Juan Nicasio and David Robertson are big name guys but they’ll be used at the manager’s discretion. The Twins typically field one of the faster teams in the league. This could be a difference maker as both Maikal Franco and Harper are suspect on the defensive end and an aging McCutchen can’t be counted on in the ways that he once was. If a ball drops, and at least a few will, expect the Twins to try and eke out a win on those.

On Friday, April 5. at 6:05 P.M. CST, Jake Odorizzi will face off against Nick Pivetta. The next day, at 1:05 P.M. CST, Michael Pineda will take the mound for Minnesota against Arrieta. To wrap up the series on April 7, at 12:05 P.M. CST, Jose Berrios will face Zach Eflin.

The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 5-1 on Sunday night to complete a three-game sweep of their NL East division rivals. It’s their first opening-series sweep since 2011 and it’s big news because it comes against the reigning division champs. The 2011 season was both Philly’s last winning year and most recent playoff appearance.

Harper Propels Phillies To Sweep Of Braves

The Phillies showed off their offseason pickups, Bryce Harper and Andrew McCutchen, in the game. Both homered. In the bottom of the third, McCutchen homered to tie the game up 1-1.

Harper showed up the whole game. On top of his dinger, he doubled and walked. Already up 3-1 in the top of the seventh, he sent a solo shot deep into the air and out of the park. Of course, Citizens Bank Stadium erupted.

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Harper’s arrival in Philly seems to be going as well as it can be. The Bryce Bow is the newest tradition as the team rises up from the basement of the NL East and he seems to be meshing well with his teammates. Throughout the game, the 26-year-old can be seen giving out complex handshakes to his squad.

Meanwhile, Jake Arrieta‘s season debut had its ups and downs. After signing a monster three-year, $75 million deal with the Phillies, he didn’t live up to the hype last season. In his first game back, Arrieta walked six batters, hit another and threw only 55 strikes. Not exactly eye-popping numbers. However, he did get the win and threw six innings, giving up only one run.

Philly will have a day off before taking on the Washington Nationals. The Braves will play the Chicago Cubs on Monday night.

Jake Arrieta is angry at the Philadelphia Phillies for their recent performances, and understandably so.

Jake Arrieta Says Phillies Need To Improve Defensively

The Phillies (31-26) have dropped six of their last eight games, and are third in the NL East. Included in this run is a three-game series loss to the Giants in San Francisco. After losing 4-0 and then 2-0, Arrieta drove in Philadelphia’s only run of the series in the final game, which the Giants won 6-1 on Sunday.

“Overall, it’s just a really horses— series,” the former Chicago Cubs pitcher told NBC Sports Philadelphia after Sunday’s defeat.

Arrieta’s criticism of his own team didn’t stop there, however.

“We’ve had bad defensive shifts. We had a checked swing,” he added. “[Shortstop Scott] Kingery should’ve gone to second on that play. And they got three hits in a row. The home run — credit [Andrew] McCutchen for putting a good swing on it, but did not expect a ball like that to get out.”

Arrieta specified further what be believes the Phillies need to improve on defensively.

“We’re the worst in the league with shifts, so we need to change that,” he added.

The Phillies next start a three-game series against the Cubs in Chicago on Tuesday. According to ESPN, Arrieta (5-3, 2.66 ERA) is not expected to pitch for that series. The right-hander is next set to start against the Milwaukee Brewers at home on Saturday.

Arrieta signed a three-year, $75 million deal with the Phillies in March.

Jake Arrieta and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a three-year, $75 million contract, per several reports.

Jake Arrieta deal with Phillies news

Arrieta, a former Chicago Cubs standout, is the second major free agent added by Philadelphia this offseason. The squad signed first baseman Carlos Santana to a three-year, $60 million deal in December.

The 32-year-old pitcher had a stellar second half of 2017 leading into free agency: he recorded a 2.28 post-All-Star break ERA. He won a Cy Young Award in 2015 after posting a 0.75 ERA and in 2016 helped lead the Cubs to a World Series victory. Arrieta also son the Silver Slugger Award in 2016.

Before being traded to the Cubs in 2013, Arrieta played for the Baltimore Orioles for three seasons.

Arrieta has also delivered two no-hitters and a career .222 batting average against him. He could now be a strong asset to Philadelphia, where he will join veteran relievers Tommy Hunter and Pat Neshek.

Arrieta’s innings have dropped as he has battled injuries. However, the Phillies can still benefit from him. Before signing him, Philadelphia was on the hook for just $53 million in guaranteed salary in 2018: that figure drops to $42 million in 2019, $28 million in 2020 and $11 million in 2021. All of that is owed to center-fielder Odubel Herrera. Many pundits seem to believe Arrieta will likely need to start several games in order for him to turn the Phillies into real contenders.

CLEVELAND, OH – OCTOBER 26: Jake Arrieta #49 of the Chicago Cubs throws a pitch during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Indians in Game Two of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field on October 26, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Jake Arrieta delivered six dominant innings in his season debut with the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night, leading the reigning World Series champions to a 2-1 road victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Jake Arrieta Pitches Six Strong Innings In Cubs’ Win vs Cardinals

Alberta Almora Jr. and Javier Baez also provided solid defensive plays to help the Cubs tie the series with the Cardinals 1-1.

Second baseman Baez sealed the win when he stopped a grounder on the right field grass, and maintained his cool to nail Kolten Wong at first for the final out.

Almora jumped by the wall in the seventh inning to rob Matt Adams of what would probably have been a game-tying home run off reliever Koji Uehara. One inning earlier, the Cardinals were unable to take advantage of a bases-loaded opportunity.

“The catch to rob the homer was a game saver,” Arrieta said. “I owe Almora something for that.”

Almora, however, felt he already received his reward.

“The moment of the night was when I came in and Jake gave me a big hug. That was awesome,” said the center fielder, who will be 23 later this month. “The hug was fine.”

A pitching duel between Arrieta and Adam Wainwright began smoothly for both right-handers until the fourth inning. A one-out double and walk brought up Jason Heyward, whose bloop single just evaded backpedaling shortstop Aledmys Diaz for an RBI single.

A questionable decision by left fielder Randal Grichuk to throw home on the play allowed Wilson Contreras to race to third. From there, he scored Baez’s sacrifice bunt. Wawinright tossed 21 pitches in the inning and was out after five frames.

“I think the turning point in the game, obviously, their safety squeeze, I hesitated a bit to see if it was going to go foul and I should have just scooped it to him,” Wainwright said. “That was my fault. But it was a good game. They have a good team over there. We have a good team here. It’s going to be a good battle all year.”

Arrieta retired 13 of the first 14 batters he faced. The 31-year-old, who may be in his final season with the Cubs, needed just 44 pitches to make it through the first four innings before throwing his best pitches in tight jams in the fifth and sixth frames. Arrieta struck out his former Cubs teammate Dexter Fowler with the tying run at second to end the fifth, and then led Grichuk to to pop up to short with the bases loaded on his last pitch of the sixth.

“He’s tough,” said manager Joe Maddon, referring to Arrieta’s concentration with free agency coming shortly after this season. “He understands what’s going on.”

Two errors from Baez in one play helped St. Louis to a fifth-inning run, and chased right fielder Stephen Piscotty from the game after Piscotty scored just one run in the frame. However, Arrieta came back to trap five runners over his last two innings. Piscotty signed a six-year, $33.5 million contract with the Cardinals on Monday. The right fielder was hit on the right elbow by a pitch from Arrieta, and was then struck again on the left elbow on a toss from Contreras while successfully stealing second base, and finally hit a third time in the head. Piscotty exited the game with a head contusion and was to undergo a round of concussion tests.

Chicago scored their runs in the fourth inning when Addison Russell doubled, Contreras walked and Heyward singled in Russell. Baez’s short bunt scored Contreras.

Cubs righty John Lackey is scheduled to close the series against the Cardinals at 1:45 pm EST on Thursday at Busch Stadium. (The three-game series finale was originally supposed to be held Wednesday, but was postponed due to inclement weather)

Right-hander Lance Lynn, who spent last season recovering from Tommy John surgery, will play his first game on Thursday since October 2015 in taking the mound as the Cardinals’ starter for the team’s first series of the season.

ST. LOUIS, MO – APRIL 4: Starter Jake Arrieta #49 of the Chicago Cubs pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals in the second inning at Busch Stadium on April 4, 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

Jake Arrieta carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, finishing with one run allowed over 5 2/3 innings to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 5-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on Wednesday night, thus tying the World Series at one game apiece.

Jake Arrieta Carries Cubs To 5-1, World Series Game 2 Win Over Indians

The win marked the Cubs’ first in the World Series since Oct. 8, 1945. Game 3 is set for Friday night, when Wrigley Field hosts its first World Series game in 71 years.

“Wrigley, it’s going to be — you know, it’s always good. It’s always crazy good, but I’d have to imagine a little bit more than that, especially coming back at 1-1,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “I think the folks will be jacked up about the win tonight. But it is, it’s the finest venue there is in professional sports and maybe in all of sports. … But now having a World Series to root for, it’s going to be incredibly special.”

Arrieta threw a first-pitch strike to only half the batters he faced. He tossed 98 pitches in all, but only 55 were strikes. The right-hander walked three batters.

“Maintaining a consistent feel on a night like this, with the weather the way it was, can be tough,” he said.

Yet here Arrieta was at the beginning of the sixth inning, carrying the longest no-hit bid in a World Series game since the Mets’ Jerry Koosman in 1969. The Cubs righty was two outs shy of matching the team’s longest no-hit bid in the World Series, done in 1906 by Ed Reulbach, who tossed six no-hit innings in Game 2 against the crosstown rival White Sox..

“He had so much movement on his ball, and he was kind of effectively wild,” Indians slugger Mike Napoli said of Arrieta. “He hit the corners when he needed to, and then you can’t really sit in an area because he was moving the ball all over the place. He did a good job. He shut us down for five innings without even getting a hit.”

Arrieta found himself in the same mess as Game 1 starter Jon Lester. Both got two outs to start the game, but then walked Francisco Lindor and Napoli back-to-back. Lester allowed two runs Tuesday night en route to a 6-0 loss, but Arrieta escaped when he got Jose Ramirez to fly out.

The reigning NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers were in attendance, including LeBron James, but they couldn’t help the Tribe win. Indians starter Trevor Bauer, making his first postseason start since his bloody finger incident in Game 3 of the AL Championship Series, was chased out after 3 2/3 innings. Bauer threw 87 pitches in his abbreviated outing.

“They never let him settle into the game,” Tribe manager Terry Francona said. “You’ve got to give them a lot of credit. … As a staff in general, we worked behind a lot tonight, a lot more than is helpful. I think some of their hitters deserve credit for that also.”

Kyle Schwarber recorded two hits and drove in two runs for the Cubs, while Anthony Rizzo provided a spark with an RBI double in the first. Rizzo drew a walk with two outs in the third and scored on Schwarber’s single, and then he battled Zach McAllister in a 10-pitch at-bat in the fifth, fouling off five straight pitches before drawing a walk and scoring on Ben Zobrist’s triple.

Bryant praised Schwarber, saying: “They’re going to make a movie about him,”

Said Schwarber: “I want to help this team get to the ultimate goal. I want to have a good at-bat every time I go to the plate.”

Maddon must have been very proud of his team. The Cubs became the first team to win a World Series game with six players under 25 in the starting lineup.

Following an off-day, the series shifts to Chicago, where right-hander Kyle Hendricks will get the start for the Cubs on Friday.

Righty Josh Tomlin will take the mound for the Indians. Tomlin has won both of his postseason starts, posting a 2.53 ERA.

CLEVELAND, OH – OCTOBER 26: Jake Arrieta #49 of the Chicago Cubs throws a pitch during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Indians in Game Two of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field on October 26, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Chicago White Sox won the first of a four game series in the Crosstown Cup. Infielder Tyler Saladino singled to center bringing home J.B. Shuck to win the game 5-4 making it the team’s third walk-off victory in a row.

There was a lot of flux yesterday with the Cubs after acquiring Aroldis Chapman for Gleyber Torres, Adam Warren, Billy McKinney and Rashad Crawford all sent to the Yankees.

At the top of the first Cub’s Kris Bryant sent one to the left and it looked like it was going to clear the eight-foot fence, but White Sox Melky Cabrera leaps and catches it sending Bryant back to the dugout.

The White Sox were the first to get on the board. Adam Eaton singled to Cubs right fielder Ben Zobrist scoring Saladino to put the White Sox up 1-0. White Sox scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Todd Frazier homered on a fly ball to center scoring Cabrera and Jose Abreu commanding a 4-0 lead. The game looked like it was a done deal. That was the eighth home run Jake Arrieta had given up all year and each home run has been on the road.

According to MLB.com Arrieta said his pitching needed to be more calculated against Frazier. “I threw him a first-pitch cutter. I need to be more expanded with that pitch. It was middle-middle, and he’s in a situation where he’s expecting balls in the strike zone,” he said.

Cubs got on the board in the top of the seventh with a homer by Javier Baez bringing in Miguel Montero and the Cubs within two.

The Cubs rallied in the top of the ninth Dexter Fowler singled on a ground ball to Saladino scoring Baez for his second run of the night. Anthony Rizzo singled and scored Dexter Fowler tying the game 4 – 4. Cubs scored against Matt Albers and Dan Jennings.

Bottom of the ninth Saladino singled on a ground ball the center scoring Shuck, winning the game.

Miguel Gonzalez started for the White Sox and allowed two runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out eight and walked two. Arrieta started for the Cubs and allowed four runs on five hits in six innings and struck out six. Jennings takes the win, bumping him to 4-2 and Mike Montgomery takes the loss for the Cubs putting him at 3-5.

The win brings the White Sox to nearly .500 at 49-50, and the loss drops the Cubs to 59-39 on the season.

Kris Bryant went 5-for-5 with six RBIs and became the first MLB player since 1913 to hit three home runs and two doubles in the same game, an 11-8 road victory for the Chicago Cubs against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night.

Kris Bryant Hits League-Record Three HRs And Two Doubles In Cubs’ 11-8 Win Over Reds

Bryant also set a Cubs franchise record with 16 total bases. It was the first three-homer game in the 24-year-old third baseman’s career.

“I tried to get in on him the first at-bat [a double in the first inning], and then the second at-bat I tried to throw a fastball down and away, and it ended up middle about belt high. He hit it out,” said Reds starter Dan Straily. “The next one I tried to throw a slider down and away and tossed it middle high again. He did what good hitters do with those pitches. They do damage with them.”

Straily had his shortest starting outing of the season, lasting just 3 2/3 innings. He gave up seven earned runs on nine hits with three walks and two strikeouts.

Right-hander Jake Arrieta, who made history last time he pitched against the Reds by throwing his second career no-hitter (16-0) on April 21, and first baseman Anthony Rizzo added solo home run for the National League Central-leading Cubs, who also own the best record in MLB (49-26). Rizzo blasted a solo homer to right field to go back-to-back with Bryant in the top of the 8th inning.

Joey Votto hit two homers for the Reds, who rallied from an 8-3 deficit with four straight runs to push the score to 8-7 after seven innings just before Rizzo and Bryant gave Chicago a 10-7 lead at Great American Ball Park.

Arrieta earned his 12th win of the season, best in the NL, despite having one of his worst outings. The ace went five innings and gave up only four hits, but also allowed a season-high five runs and walked a season-high five batters.

“You look at the [radar] guns and the readings and the boards, everything’s normal,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “He’s just not on top of his fastball regarding where it’s going, and that’s it.”

Bryant’s record-setting night included nearly a quarter mile of home runs, according to Statcast. His first was a 410-foot, one-out solo shot in the third, followed by a 444-foot, three-run shot the next inning. He then hit the history-making 403-foot solo shot in the eighth.

Meanwhile, Votto was back hitting in the No. 3 spot in the Reds’ lineup Monday. It was just the fourth time in his last 29 starts that he’s hit third. He went 2-for-4 against the Cubs, hitting a pair of home runs to go along with a walk and three runs scored.

Arrieta praised Bryant when asked about his potential to become MVP.

“I told a lot of people coming into Spring Training last season, I got asked a lot of questions about him,” Arrieta said. “‘So what do you got on Bryant?’ or ‘What kind of hitter’s he going to be?’ Most of the people that asked me, I told them he’s going to be a top five hitter in the league as soon as he gets into the big leagues. Not to put any pressure on him, but that’s the guy he is, and I saw it from day one. The ability he had to obviously have power to all fields, have very few holes.”

The two teams will next face off on Tuesday night in the second game of their three-game series in Cincinnati. Lefty John Lamb will take the mound for the Reds (29-48, 5th in NL Central), while the Cubs will start left-hander Jon Lester (9-3, 2.10 ERA).

PHOTO: CINCINNATI, OH – JUNE 27: Kris Bryant #17 of the Chicago Cubs rounds the bases after a home run against the Cincinnati Reds in the third inning of the game at Great American Ball Park on June 27, 2016 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Dodgers rallied in the eighth inning to defeat the Chicago Cubs 5-0 at Wrigley Field on Tuesday night, thus marking the first time the Cubs lost a game that Jake Arrieta started since July 2015.

Cubs Fall To Dodgers 5-0 At Home In First Jake Arrieta Start Loss Since July 2015

The Cubs snapped a streak of 23 straight games the Cubs won when Arrieta started, dating to a July 25, 2015 game at Wrigley in which a no-hitter from Philadelphia’s Cole Hamels bested the right-hander.

Arrieta’s winning streak with the Cubs equaled the best run in Major League Baseball since 1913, set by the Atlanta Braves’ Kris Medlen from 2010-2012.

Dodgers left-hander Scott Kazmir matched zeroes with Arrieta, pitching six scoreless innings and giving up just one hit and one walk, both to Dexter Fowler. Los Angeles relievers Joe Blanton and Adam Liberatore combined to add three hitless frames.

“You play this game long enough and you’re going to lose a game here and there,” said Arrieta, who won the National League Cy Young Award in 2015. “It was a good streak and we’ll get started on something else.”

The 30-year-old right-hander, who pitched seven shutout innings on Tuesday, retains his streak of 20 consecutive games without a loss; the major league record is 24, set by the New York Giants’ Carl Hubbell from 1936-37.

“It takes a no-hitter and a one-hitter to beat Jake over the course of time,” said Cubs manager Joe Maddon. “It’s unfortunate.”

Arrieta remains 20-0 with a 0.94 ERA since August 1, 2015.

Adrian Gonzalez’s RBI single off left-hander Clayton Richard drove home the go-ahead run for the Angels. Corey Seager’s three-run homer in the ninth put Los Angeles well ahead.

“Jake is obviously one of the best pitchers in baseball and for Kaz to rise to the occasion and be the veteran that he is and top-of-the-rotation guy and he gave us a huge outing,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of both Arrieta and Kazmir. “He matched Jake pitch for pitch and we just followed his lead.”

Arrieta found himself in trouble in his final inning when he walked the bases loaded before striking out pinch-hitter Justin Turner for the third out. He gave up two hits and four walks while striking out eight in seven innings. He threw 107 pitches.

The Cubs (35-15), who are first in the NL Central, will host the Dodgers (28-25, 2nd in NL West) again on Wednesday night.

PHOTO: CHICAGO, IL – MAY 31: Jake Arrieta #49 of the Chicago Cubs pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning on May 31, 2016 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)

Jake Arrieta suggested on Wednesday that he’s worth more than the $175 million deal right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg recently signed with the Washington Nationals, and added he’s not prepared to give his team, the Chicago Cubs, the so-called “hometown discount.”

Jake Arrieta Hints Worth More Than Stephen Strasburg

“I’ll let you judge that,” Arrieta told reporters Wednesday morning, according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers when asked what he believes his market value to be. “Just look at the numbers.”

Arrieta, 30, also pointed out that “aces get seven years,” seemingly hinting he considers himself one. Strasburg, who inked his seven-year extension with the Nationals on Tuesday, has never had a sub-3.00 ERA over a full season of starts, though he’s 5-0 with a 2.76 mark right now.

Reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Arrieta, meanwhile, has seen his ERA improve dramatically over his three seasons with the Cubs, going from 3.66 in 2013 to 2.53 in 2014 to 1.77 last season, during which he won the award and posted a 22-6 record. That trend has continued so far this season, as he’s gotten off to a 6-0 record with a 1.13 ERA.

“That’s why starting pitching is so valuable,” said Arrieta, whose agent is Scott Boras, who also represents Strasburg. “There’s not many guys that can pitch at the top of the rotation floating around the league.”

Arrieta is set to earn $10.7 million this season and has one year left of arbitration. He can become a free agent after the 2017 season. Once the Cubs and Arrieta begin discussing a new deal, this deal is expected to be well above what Strasburg received from the Nationals, perhaps in the $200 million range.

Cubs president Theo Epstein acknowledged that the Strasburg deal will have an impact on any potential contract talks with Arrieta, whenever such discussions would occur. Arrieta has stated he would be fine with contract talks in-season while insisting he’d be able to remain focused on baseball even if negotiations were to occur.

Arrieta’s comparables are more likely to be David Price (7 years, $217 million) or Max Scherzer (7 years, $210 million), who is also a Boras client. Both won the Cy Young Award before signing huge free-agent deals with the Boston Red Sox and the Nationals, respectively.

“Most of the focus has to stay on what we’re trying to accomplish today,” he said. “If we keep winning, those kinds of things work themselves out in time. If they want to talk, they know where I’m at and we can get something going …

“In a perfect world, I prefer it be done quickly. Let’s get it over with and go play.”

PHOTO: NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 18:  Jake Arrieta #49 of the Chicago Cubs throws a pitch in the first inning against the New York Mets during game two of the 2015 MLB National League Championship Series at Citi Field on October 18, 2015 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.  (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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Three years ago on April 23, 2013, Jake Arrieta started his second to last game with the Baltimore Orioles, losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-4.  Arrieta was handed the loss after allowing five runs in five innings.  He was traded to the Chicago Cubs in July 2013, and what a welcome change of scenery that was.

Arrieta Throws Second Career No-Hitter In Cubs’ 16-0 Win Over Reds

Fast forward to April 21, 2016 and Arrieta is cementing his status as arguably the top pitcher in Major League Baseball, staring down his second career no-hitter with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.  Arrieta threw a 93 mph two-seam fastball that was popped up by Reds’ third baseman Eugenio Suárez and caught by Cubs’ right fielder Jason Heyward.  There it was, the second no-no over the span of 11 regular season starts for Cubs’ ace after throwing 119 pitches.

Arrieta (4-0, 0.87 ERA) had three walks over the first six innings and didn’t feel like he had his best stuff going into the game.  “It felt sloppy from the get-go. The pregame pen was as sloppy as the pregame pen [in] L.A. before that no-hitter. … Pitching to contact was the goal today, and I did that,”  He told reporters after the game.

The 30- year old right-hander definitely succeeded in pitching to contact, as Chicago’s defense recorded 20 of the 27 outs.  Arrieta struck out six and picked off Suárez in the fourth.  After the sixth, Arrieta only faced 10 batters with only Scott Schebler reaching base in the ninth as the fourth walk issued by Arrieta, who retired the next three batters on just 10 pitches.

“In the sixth, I knew it was going to be a possibility for me,” Arrieta said of the gem, he threw his first career no-hitter on August 30, 2015 against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

“It feels different the second time,” said Arrieta,  “I was a little more relaxed as the game progressed.”

The gem was caught by 39-year old David Ross, who is in his final season.  He went 2-4 with one of the team’s five home runs, he also scored three times.  “I’m on cloud nine,” Ross said. “As a catcher and a guy who prides himself on calling a game, it’s one of those things I really wanted to do. Or be a part of … I didn’t do a whole lot. That animal was in control the whole time.”

Adding to the onslaught was reigning National League Rookie of the Year, Kris Bryant, who went 4-6 with two home runs (one grand slam) and drove in six runs.

Arrieta made sure to get in on the offensive end too, going 2-4 with a run scored.

The Cubs and Reds will resume their four game series tonight at 7:10 PM EST.  Jon Lester (1-1, 2.21 ERA) will take the mound for the visiting Cubs against Jon Moscot (0-0, 4.76 ERA).

With his latest masterpiece, Arrieta has certainly earned a seat at the table when discussing the game’s best pitcher, a question that has been Dodgers’ southpaw Clayton Kershaw (2-0, 1.50 ERA) for the past several seasons.  Kershaw now faces competition not only from Arrieta but also from New York Mets’ flamethrower Noah Syndergaard (2-0, 0.90 ERA) and Stephen Strasburg (3-0, 1.25 ERA) of the Washington Nationals.

All four of those pitchers are the National League but Syndergaard is relatively inexperienced at just 23 years old and Strasburg has dealt with more than his fare share of injury problems throughout his career.  That could mean the NL Cy Young Award race could once again come down to Arrieta and Kershaw.

Arrieta won it last year after posting a 22-6 record with 236 strikeouts and an 1.77 ERA.  Not to be outdone, Kershaw went 16-7 with a 2.14 ERA and 301 strikeouts.

The season is young so there will be plenty of opportunities for baseball fans to catch the aces in action during 2016 and formulate their opinion on who the game’s top pitcher is.