Stats of the Day: Rarefied Arrieta in Wild win
Here are five interesting items from the 2015 National League Wild Card Game presented by Budweiser …
• At PNC Park, Jake Arrieta went the distance on a four-hitter, with 11 strikeouts and no walks, as the Cubs defeated the Pirates, 4-0. He is the 37th pitcher to hurl a shutout in his postseason debut, and the first since the Giants' Tim Lincecum in Game 1 of the 2010 NL Division Series against the Braves (and that performance came one day after Roy Halladay -- in his postseason debut -- threw a no-hitter). Among the 37, Arrieta is one of seven to record at least 10 strikeouts. The others: Bill Dinneen (1903 World Series Game 2, a three-hitter with 11 K's and two walks), Ed Walsh (1906 World Series Game 3, a two-hitter with 12 K's and one walk), Joe Coleman (1972 American League Championship Series Game 3, a seven-hitter with 14 K's and three walks), Mike Boddicker (1983 ALCS Game 2, a five-hitter with 14 K's and three walks), Mike Scott (1986 NL Championship Series Game 1, a five-hitter with 14 K's and one walk) and Lincecum (2010 NLDS Game 1, a two-hitter with 14 K's and one walk).:: NL Wild Card Game: Cubs vs. Pirates -- Coverage ::
• Arrieta's game score of 90 is tied for the fifth highest for a pitcher in his postseason debut. Babe Ruth's 97 (in Game 2 of the 1916 World Series) is the highest. Arrieta's game score of 90 is the highest for a winner-take-all contest, eclipsing Justin Verlander's 89 in Game 5 of the 2012 AL Division Series.
• The Wild Card Game has been in place since 2012, so there have been a total of eight contests. Four of the eight have ended in shutouts, including both this year. The road team has won six of eight. In addition to both the Astros and Cubs going on the road and winning in 2015, the Orioles and Cardinals did so in '12, the Rays in '13 and the Giants in '14.
Video: NL WC: Arrieta seals win, advances Cubs to NLDS
• The Cubs' lineup featured three starters younger than 24 -- left fielder Kris Bryant, shortstop Addison Russell, and right fielder Kyle Schwarber. That made the Cubs the 25th club in postseason history to have at least three in a game and come out a winner. The 1966 Orioles -- in Games 2 and 3 of the World Series against the Dodgers -- had the most starters younger than 24 for any winning team in a postseason game, with five.
Video: Must C Crushed: Schwarber smashes shot out of park
• Making his postseason debut, Schwarber homered and drove in three runs. Schwarber is the 23rd player to have his postseason debut feature at least one home run and three RBIs. By age, Schwarber (22 years and 216 days old) is the third youngest of the 23. The only two younger were Pirates outfielder Jimmy Sebring in Game 1 of the 1903 World Series and Braves catcher Brian McCann in Game 2 of the 2005 NLDS.