Kris Bryant sets Cubs rookie home run record, Jake Arrieta wins 20th game
Kris Bryant broke Billy Williams's record with his 26th homer of the year, the most ever by a Cubs rookie.
Bryant left the dugout for a curtain call after his two-run, third-inning shot off Milwaukee's Tyler Cravy, a shot into the left-centerfield bleachers. Williams, a Hall of Famer, set the previous mark with 25 bombs in 1961.
The 23-year-old third baseman is now hitting .278 with 98 RBIs and an .876 OPS in his first 141 career games, in addition to his home-run prowess.
Another Cub set a couple of milestones in the game, with starting pitcher Jake Arrieta notching his 20th win of the season in the 4–0 shutout of the Brewers, also setting a franchise record with 18 straight quality starts. He presently holds the lowest post-All-Star break ERA in major league history, with a mark of 0.86 in 13 starts. Arrieta is this season's first pitcher to 20 wins, and Chicago's first since Jon Lieber.
Chicago is 89–62 and holds the second National League wild card spot, trailing Pittsburgh by a game and a half for home field advantage in what would be a one-game playoff between the teams. The next-best team in the wild card race is San Francisco, which sits 10 games behind the Cubs.
Watch Bryant's historic shot below.
- Jeremy Woo
