Remember when Chicago Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta walked the first two batters he faced? Yeah, that was the highlight of Tuesday's night's game. Pittsburgh Pirates color commentator Steve Blass joked that the turning point of the game came during the National Anthem. Blass may not have been far off, as the Cubs defeated the Pirates, 7-1. Call it the "Arrieta Effect" — the Cubs' ace pitcher is now 6-0 on the season and has a 17-game winning streak, which is tied for the fourth-longest since ... Read More
Gerrit Cole’s off night costs Pirates
An 87 mile-per-hour fastball was the only thing needed to confirm that the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs are indeed in a rivalry. The game was long decided when Pirates pitcher Kyle Lobstein hit Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist with a pitch in the seventh inning of a 7-2 Cubs win. An inning earlier, Starling Marte was hit by a pitch for the sixth time this season, a mark that ties Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Brandon Guyer for the Major League lead. After Zobrist was hit, home plate umpire ... Read More