The Chicago Cubs entered last night's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in desperate need for a victory, and they were able to get a 2-0 win. Jake Arrieta came through with a masterful no-hitter, and further proved that he is without question the front-runner to win the 2015 National League Cy Young. He has been absolutely brilliant over the last few months and is a huge reason why the Cubs are currently 5.5 games ahead of the San Francisco Giants for the second N.L. Wild Card spot.
Looking ahead at the remainder of the regular season, the Cubs are going to need Arrieta to continue his stellar play. He is the ace of the Cubs' rotation and is currently the MLB league leader in wins with 17.
At 29 years old, Arrieta is playing at a level that no one would have guessed he could just two short years ago. Remember, Chicago was able to acquire him and Pedro Strop in a deal that sent Scott Feldman to the Baltimore Orioles. Little did Theo Epstein and the Cubs know that they were getting a potential Cy Young award winner.
Chicago still holds control over him for the next couple years as well, which is huge with the way that he has been playing.
Throughout the 2015 season to this point in time, Arrieta has compiled a 17-6 record to go along with a 2.11 ERA and 4.14 strikes to walks ratio. Those numbers show just how dominant he has been and there is absolutely nothing that has slowed him down. He has faced very good offenses in this stretch that he has had, and he's gone up against top-notch opposing pitchers.
While Arrieta is one of the more serious N.L. Cy Young award contenders, there are other players that are going to be tough to beat out. Zack Greinke, Madison Bumgarner and even Michael Wacha are all legitimate contenders for the award. Those three guys are very much alive in the race, but Arrieta should be given the award before any of them.
Without having Arrieta on the mound, the Cubs would not be in the position that they are currently in. He is the ace on a team that has desperately needed an ace for quite a few years, and has been a clutch leader for the Cubs, as well.
Needless to say, the rest of this season is going to be a very intriguing roller coaster for the Cubs.
Every win means more than it would to most teams, while every loss makes the Cubs' fan base nervous. The four-game losing streak that they snapped yesterday was excruciatingly painful for the fans, but they are still 5.5 games into the playoffs--despite the lack of success they had. Chicago is more than capable of catching fire and going on a big winning streak.
Expect to see Arrieta continue his dominant play throughout the remainder of the season and continue being the type of player that he has been so far. Throwing the no-hitter took his name to the next level, which is exactly what he needed to solidify himself as the front-runner for the award.
Don't be surprised to see him use his outstanding performance last night to fuel him forward to even more success in the coming weeks.
