3 things the Chicago Cubs need to do to win Game 6
By Luke Norris
2. Jake Arrieta needs another strong outing
It would have been virtually impossible for Jake Arrieta to have the kind of season he had a year ago, specifically the second half of 2015 in which he was basically unhittable. Nevertheless, the reigning Cy Young winner still had a very solid season, even with some of the inconsistency that has spilled over into the postseason.
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However, after giving up six runs and two home runs in his first two starts of the playoffs, Arrieta bounced back with 5 and 2/3 innings of one-run, two-hit baseball last Thursday night in Game 2. He certainly didn’t have the best control early on, giving up three walks, but he was able to fight through his control issues and keep the Indians at bay before handing the ball over to the bullpen in the sixth inning.
Arrieta has always had nasty stuff and the key is to get the Indians to chase some of those pitches that are out of the strike zone. They were able to lay off of his slider for the most part in Game 2 and he’ll need to overpower Cleveland a bit more in this elimination game.
As it is with the Cubs’ offense, Arrieta will need to establish his dominance early in the ballgame and quiet what is sure to be a hostile and energetic crowd at Progressive Field. Arrieta came into the year as the Cubs’ No. 1 starter and he’ll need to pitch like one to give them a chance to get to Game 7.