Maddon: Arrieta's run Gibson-esque
Soler rejoins Cubs after helping Myrtle Beach win Carolina League title
PITTSBURGH -- Jake Arrieta missed in his bid for win No. 20 on Wednesday night vs. the Pirates, but he did record his 17th straight quality start, which tied a Cubs franchise mark. The only other Cubs pitcher to post 17 quality starts in a row was Lon Warneke in 1933.
Arrieta is 13-1 with a 1.01 ERA and 120 strikeouts over those 17 games. The right-hander will try for his 18th in a row on Tuesday against the Brewers.
The only blemish Wednesday was a throwing error by Arrieta, who muffed a toss to first baseman Anthony Rizzo.
"That's a play he should make 101 out of 100 times," manager Joe Maddon said Thursday. "He knows that. It gave that first run up, and then the walk to Pedro Alvarez [in the eighth is] uncharacteristic.
"Look at [Arrieta's] numbers -- I guess it's Bob Gibson-esque from what I'm hearing, and that's strong company," Maddon said. "It's hard to be overly critical. That's something he knows he can do. Those are things he can fix. It's within his control, in a sense, to fix it."
Despite a no-decision, Arrieta leads the Majors with 19 wins. His 1.96 ERA and .195 opponents batting average rank second in MLB behind the Dodgers' Zack Greinke (1.61 and .190). Arrieta has a 0.95 ERA since the All-Star break, which would be the second-lowest ERA in the second half in Major League history.
• Jorge Soler rejoined the Cubs on Thursday in Pittsburgh after completing his rehab assignment with Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach. Soler helped the Pelicans win the Carolina League championship, beating Wilmington, 3-0, in the best-of-five series. In four games with Myrtle Beach, Soler was 3-for-13 with one RBI and five strikeouts.
• Catcher Victor Caratini was named the Most Valuable Player of the Mills Cup Championship Series for helping to lead Myrtle Beach to the Carolina League championship. Myrtle Beach swept the best-of-five series, 3-0, and clinched with a walk-off win Wednesday night. Caratini, 22, went 7-for-11 in the three games, with three doubles, four RBIs and one walk.
• Hall of Famer Ernie Banks made his Major League debut 62 years ago Thursday, drawing a walk and scoring a run for the Cubs on Sept. 17, 1953, against the Phillies.