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April 29, 2016 Chicago Tribune Jake Arrieta extends winning streak but pulled early to preserve strength By Mark Gonzales Many of the 32,734 chilled fans applauded in appreciation of Jake Arrieta after the Wrigley Field scoreless streak of the Cubs' ace ended at 52 2/3 innings in the fifth inning. More people took note after Arrieta was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the fifth that ended Arrieta's streak of quality starts at 24 — two short of Bob Gibson's stretch in 1967-68. Manager Joe Maddon's reasoning in ending one of the most remarkable runs in the modern era was simple. "I saw 92 pitches," Maddon said of Arrieta's effort over five innings. "I saw Jake Arrieta, I saw the Cubs trying to win a World Series. I saw the next five years of his career. … All that stuff mattered much more than breaking Gibson's record right there." After a brief moment of disagreement, Arrieta quickly concurred that he and the Cubs have more than personal goals to achieve as they still coasted to a 7-2 victory over the Brewers. In winning their third consecutive game, the Cubs improved to 16-5, marking their best 21-game start since the 1907 team started 17-4. Thanks to a 5-0 lead after three innings and taking a season-high 11 walks, the Cubs won for the 18th straight time in games Arrieta has started to break the franchise mark Ed Reulbach (1906-07) and Pat Luby (1890-91) shared. And Arrieta improved to 16-0 with an 0.58 ERA in 17 starts dating back to Aug.1, 2015, with the 16 victories matching Rick Sutcliffe's club streak in 1984-85. Arrieta, making his first start since throwing a 119-pitch no-hitter at Cincinnati on April 21, wasn't extended because the Cubs wanted to ensure he will be strong for his next start — Tuesday night against the Pirates, whom he beat in the National League wild-card game last year. Arrieta lacked command from the outset, as his 31-pitch first inning indicated. But he broke the bat of Jonathan Villar (that resulted in a single to start the game) and struck out two with the bases loaded to get out of a jam in the first. With two out in the fifth, Arrieta's scoreless streak ended when Villar singled and scored on Alex Presley's double. Ray Herbert of the White Sox (1962-63) has the record for most consecutive scoreless innings at home with 54. "Just because I gave up a run and the streak ended doesn't mean that I'm going to put a whole lot of thought into it right now," said Arrieta, who became the first Cubs pitcher to start 5-0 in his first five starts since Greg Maddux in 2006. "I'll reserve that for later on. "We felt pretty good where we were in the ballgame. It had to end at some point. But we'll try to start another one." Arrieta was blunt about his lack of command that led to four walks for his second straight start. Even though he had two extra days of rest because of Monday's off day and Wednesday's rainout, he agreed with Maddon's decision to lift him with a 5-1 lead and the chance to add more runs. "It was the right way to go," Arrieta said. "Our most important ballgames are still ahead of us. We're still lined up very well." -- Chicago Tribune Cubs take MRI on Kris Bryant's right ankle and call injury a mild sprain By Mark Gonzales Slugger Kris Bryant left the Cubs' 7-2 victory over the Brewers after the fourth inning Thursday with a "mild" right ankle sprain, the team said. Bryant later had an MRI on the ankle, and manager Joe Maddon wouldn't speculate on the potential severity of the injury, although the Cubs emphasized the test was precautionary. "I don't want to create conjecture," Maddon said. "Let's look at the tests." Bryant rolled his ankle while running from first to home on Anthony Rizzo's double in the third and played one more inning before Javier Baez replaced him in left field to start the fifth. Maddon said he watched Bryant hit the inside of the second base bag correctly and "didn't see any hitch in his giddy-up. I just saw a very good turn." Catching quandary: The Cubs will try not to tax 39-year-old catcher David Ross while Miguel Montero recovers from lower back stiffness that could cause some long-term ramifications if the discomfort persists. Montero, 32, was placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday, retroactive to Monday. Catcher Willson Contreras, 23, is one of the Cubs' top prospects, but the Cubs elected to promote Tim Federowicz from Triple-A Iowa so Contreras can continue his development uninterrupted. Maddon said Contreras, the second-ranked prospect in the organization, could join the majors as soon as the second half. But age and health behind the plate eventually could be a factor for the Cubs, especially with Kyle Schwarber lost for the season after left knee surgery. Ross had a stint on the seven-day disabled list because of a concussion in July, and Montero was sidelined for nearly four weeks because of a left thumb sprain. The Cubs stuck with Taylor Teagarden as their third-string catcher until they gained more confidence in Schwarber and Montero returned. Extra innings: Rizzo's 23 RBIs tie him for the most for the Cubs in April since Derrek Lee in 2008. … The Cubs walked seven batters, snapping a streak of 20 consecutive games of four walks or fewer to start a season. That was the longest streak for the club to open a season since 1913. -- Chicago Tribune Patience leads to production for Cubs By Mark Gonzales Manager Joe Maddon said earlier this week that if you want to get more walks, you most likely will buy them in the form of acquiring players through free agency or through trades. The Cubs acquired free agents Ben Zobrist and Jason Heyward last winter to help with their on-base percentage and run production, but there’s improvement from within that’s helped ignite the offense. Thursday’s 7-2 over the Milwaukee Brewers marked the 11th time they’ve scored six runs or more. They’re 11-0 in those games. Also, the offense saw a season-high 199 pitches, surpassing their previous high of 198 against the Cincinnati Reds in a 16-0 win that was overshadowed by Jake Arrieta’s no-hitter. The Cubs drew a season-high 11 walks Thursday, surpassing their previous high of 10. “There’s a very talented lineup and a deep lineup,” David Ross said. “We force guys to throw strikes, and that’s a sign of a good ballclub that has a lot confidence in our ability. But it’s a long season, and we’re going to have ups and downs in our approach - some hot, some cold.” Ross hit the 98th home run of his career in the second, and he also drew a walk. Second-year shortstop Addison Russell has shown the most improvement. Russell, who drew only 42 walks while striking out 149 times in 2015, has 12 walks and 14 strikeouts. Ross drew a distinction between the Cubs’ patience and that of the Boston Red Sox teams he played on (including the 2013 World Series champions). “We want to hit strikes,” Ross said. “We feel like we’re not up there to take pitches just to take them. Guys are up there looking for their pitch. For a young group, that’s a very mature approach. “I see maturity in the approach from a young, talented group, which is completely different than Boston, which was more of an established veteran group that had been around the block. I’m seeing that kind of approach with this group.” -- Chicago Tribune Cubs' Jake Arrieta creature of habit as he goes about victory routine By Paul Sullivan Though Jake Arrieta's bid for second straight no-hitter and home scoreless inning streak ended early Thursday, anything seems possible when he's pitching. Wearing a blue Cubs hoodie that partially hid his face on a chilly afternoon at Wrigley Field, Jake Arrieta strode to the bullpen at 12:50 p.m. Thursday to continue his quest for perfection. Coming off a no-hit game at Cincinnati and with a 15-game regular-season winning streak on the line, Arrieta had become too dominant for his own good, sparking a national discussion over the possibility he somehow was cheating. Even laughing off the PED accusations brought criticism from ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith, leading Arrieta to shoot back on Twitter: "Laughing is exactly what I will do. You continue to do your thing though. No one will undercut my hard work." As Arrieta yanked off his hoodie at 12:51 p.m., fans sitting in the box seats down the left field line yanked out their smartphones and began Instagramming and Snapchatting the moment for posterity's sake. Paying no mind, Arrieta dropped down on the freshly mowed outfield grass and began doing pushups as pitching coach Chris Bosio and bullpen catcher Chad Noble casually tossed baseballs to fans in the bleachers. By the time the balls were dispensed, Arrieta already had begun his pre-game routine with catcher David Ross, throwing from about 20-feet and then progressively moving back on every throw until he was in left-center field.