Arrieta collects second win without best stuff
When Pittsburgh left 5 runners on base in the second and third innings Thursday, then scored twice in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead, it looked like this would be a short outing for Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta.
"I was a little uneasy there through three, then four or five he seemed to click it in a little bit better," Cubs manager David Ross said. "I thought he looked best in the inning he gave up the runs. I thought he started to find it a little bit more. I thought his stuff was ticking up as the game went on.
"I didn't know if he was going to get through five how it started off. That's what a veteran pitcher does, though. A guy of his status, when you're not feeling your best and things aren't sharp and you're walking guys, you can't find your rhythm and they still find a way to compete."
Now in his 12th major league season, Arrieta said the key to staying competitive without his best stuff is to keep believing.
"You just mix it up," he said. "You have conviction and you throw everything with aggressiveness and you expect to make a pitch when you need to. That's what the best do, that's what I was able to do."
Arrieta hasn't thrown his changeup very often in his first two starts, so he thinks he'll be more locked in as time goes on.
"It's only going to get better," he said. "Threw a couple of change-ups today. Curveball was touch and go. Cutter was really good when I needed it. It just comes down to executing when you have to. I know if I'm capable of having the right mindset and throw the pitch the way I intend to, the results will be good."
Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls