I want to first comment on what a great night Kris Bryant had, ripping his 26th homer of the year, as well as a double to the gap that scored a run. He and Kyle Schwarber provided the offense in this one.
I mention that stuff first, because the other side of the ball was the primary story of the game.
Jake Arrieta.
I have run out of superlatives and descriptors for just how good he is. He picked up his 20th pitcher win of the season tonight in a complete game shutout, and, although I think it’s a terrible stat, I’m not arrogant enough not to recognize that players and many fans care. It’s the first time a Cubs pitcher has reached the 20-win plateau since Jon Lieber back in 2001. It means something to them, so it means something to me.
It was also pretty special to see the fans at Wrigley get to enjoy the moment with Arrieta, whose no-hitter came on the road in Los Angeles.