Maddon on Arrieta: 'You never want to interfere with greatness'

From the sixth inning on, Joe Maddon had his mind made up - Jake Arrieta was going the distance.

"You never want to interfere with greatness," Maddon told reporters after his starter became the first pitcher in franchise history with a no-no in back-to-back seasons.

Although there was little he could do from the dugout but watch as Arrieta's pitch count went up, Maddon made two moves that he felt were essential in keeping history intact: He inserted Matt Szczur in the seventh inning for defensive purposes in left field for Jorge Soler, and he made certain no one moved in the bullpen.

"I didn't want to send that negative vibe out there," he said.

Related: Cubs' Arrieta throws 2nd career no-hitter

Before addressing Arrieta's masterful performance on the mound, though, Maddon went out of his way to direct some compliments towards his pitcher about his offense.

"First thing I told Jake?," he continued. "Nice job hitting tonight."

On top of continuing his dominance since August of last season, while cementing himself as the best pitcher in the majors, Arrieta did it with the stick in a 16-0 drubbing of the Cincinnati Reds, going 2-for-4 with two singles and a walk.