Skip to main content

Diamondbacks-Cubs Preview

  • Author:
  • Publish date:

The Chicago Cubs' lengthy win streak with Jake Arrieta on the mound is over, but he still has his personal run of victories intact.

Arrieta will seek to earn his 21st in a row and improve to 10-0 this season while leading the Cubs to a sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.

The Cubs (39-15) fell short of setting a major league record Tuesday when they failed to win a 24th consecutive game with Arrieta starting, losing 5-0 to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Arrieta (9-0, 1.56 ERA) tossed seven scoreless innings but his teammates produced just one single.

"You play this game long enough and you're going to lose a game here and there," he said. "It was a good streak and we'll get started on something else."

Arrieta's only loss in his last 31 starts was Cole Hamels' no-hitter for Philadelphia at Wrigley Field on July 25.

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

Arrieta will try again to become the first Cubs starter with a 10-0 record since Jim McCormick in 1886. His 20 consecutive victories have him tied with Roger Clemens (1998-99) for MLB's third-longest streak since 1913.

Arrieta will also try to help Chicago wrap up its 10-game homestand with a 9-1 record and its 11th victory in 12 overall contests. The club's starting pitchers have a 1.16 ERA during the lengthy stay at Wrigley after Jason Hammel yielded two runs and one hit in seven innings in a 5-3 victory Saturday.

Hammel also provided a two-run single as the Cubs matched a series record with their fifth consecutive home win over Arizona (24-34).

Chicago will seek its second straight sweep of the Diamondbacks at Wrigley and its ninth win in 10 overall matchups in the final meeting between the teams this season.

Arizona has lost nine of 12 and six of seven on the road.

Patrick Corbin (2-5, 4.96) matched a season high Tuesday by giving up seven runs in 3 1/3 innings in an 8-5 loss to Houston. The left-hander has allowed 12 runs in nine innings in back-to-back losses.

"I've just got to figure out how to attack the zone a little more, just be in the zone and work down," he said. "We'll just try to work on it, try to get better and go from there."

Corbin will make his first start against the Cubs since July 23, 2013, and is 2-0 with a 3.75 ERA in his prior two.

Arrieta gave up three runs and a season-high eight hits over seven innings in his only other matchup with Arizona this season, a 7-3 victory April 10. He also hit his third career homer with a two-run shot off Shelby Miller.

Paul Goldschmidt had a solo homer and a double off Arrieta, part of his .355 career average versus the Cubs. Jake Lamb, batting .317 with six homers in his last 18 games, went 2 for 3.

Chicago outfielder Dexter Fowler is 5 for 12 lifetime against Corbin with a triple and a double.