Arrieta tosses longest WS no-hit bid since 1969
Jake Arrieta's first career World Series start was a memorable one.
The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner left the Cleveland Indians searching for answers on this night, holding them without a hit for 5 1/3 innings before departing two batters later. Chicago would hold on for a 5-1 victory, evening the World Series at 1-1 and giving Arrieta his first win of the 2016 playoffs.
Arrieta's 5 1/3 no-hit innings marked the longest no-hit bid in the World Series since the Mets' Jerry Koosman no-hit the Orioles through six innings in Game 2 of the 1969 World Series; Koosman went on to throw 8 2/3 innings and allow just two hits in that contest. After Jason Kipnis doubled to break up the no-hitter and came around to score on a wild pitch, Arrieta left the game in favor of Mike Montgomery, who picked up his starter to end the sixth inning. Montgomery and Aroldis Chapman combined to shut down Cleveland over the final 3 1/3 frames.
"I kind of had my foot on the gas a little too much at the start, trying to do more than I needed to," Arrieta said, according to ASAP Sports. "Then I really got back to just executing good pitches towards the bottom of the strike zone. With the cutter going one way and the sinker going the other way, trying to be as aggressive as I could, and allow those guys to put the ball in play and let the defense work."
The 30-year-old, who's thrown two no-hitters in his career, had the second-longest no-hit bid in Cubs' World Series history, according to CSN Chicago's Christopher Kamka. Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown no-hit the White Sox through 5 2/3 in Game 4 of the 1906 World Series, while Ed Reulbach tossed six no-hit frames in Game 2 of the same series.
Only two no-hitters have ever been thrown in postseason play: Philadelphia's Roy Halladay in Game 1 of the 2010 NLDS versus Cincinnati, and the Yankees' Don Larsen, who tossed a perfect game against Brooklyn in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series.
Arrieta finished his 98-pitch outing having allowed just the one run on two hits while striking out six and walking three in 5 2/3 innings.