FRIDAY’S GAME
Cubs at Reds, 7:10 p.m., FS Ohio, 700, 1410
Jake Arrieta threw his arms in the air and then hugged catcher David Ross. The rest of the Chicago Cubs pounced on the no-hit duo seconds later Thursday night, creating a scene never beforewitnessed at Great American Ball Park.
Arrieta’s second career no-hitter was the first thrown against the Reds at their 13-year-old stadium. The Reds didn’t only fail to get a hit against Arrieta, they suffered a 16-0 defeat, the most lopsided score in a no-hitter since 1884.
The Reds hadn’t been no-hit in Cincinnati since Rick Wise of the Phillies did it on June 23, 1971. They had collected at least one hit in 7,109 regular-season games, the longest-active streak in baseball. The Phillies’ Roy Halladay threw a no-hitter against the Reds in the playoffs in 2010.
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ANALYSIS: Five things about Jake Arrieta’s no-hitter
PHOTOS: View images from the no-hitter, 16-0 Cubs win
VIDEO: Arrieta talks about his second no-hitter
SOCIAL MEDIA: Reaction to Arrieta’s no-hitter
Arrieta, the National League Cy Young Award winner in 2015, walked four and struck out six, improving to 4-0 with his 16th straight victory since Aug. 1. He threw 119 pitches and got Eugenio Suarez to fly out to right to end the game.
"What can I say, it was spectacular," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "I hate to switch gears, but the offense was pretty good, too."
Arrieta threw a no-hitter on Aug. 30, 2015, against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. He has the 14th and 15th no-hitters in Cubs history.
“It feels different the second time,” Arrieta said. “I was a little more relaxed as the game progressed. Based on the way I threw the ball before the game started, I anticipated I’d have to grind through some at-bats and innings a little more than I did.
“I was able to get the ball in on the left-handed hitters for some called strikes and then go below the strike zone when I needed to for some big swings and misses. You put it all together and have conviction with what you’re throwing, and good things can happen.”
Kris Bryant led the Cubs offense with a two-run home run in the first and a grand slam in the sixth. The runs kept coming. The Cubs scored in every inning but the third, fifth and eighth. They had 18 hits against Reds starter Brandon Finnegan and three relievers.
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