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Chicago Cubs use power, Jake Arrieta's arm to trounce Atlanta Braves

By Stan Awtrey, The Sports Xchange
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

ATLANTA -- The Chicago Cubs smashed four home runs and pitcher Jake Arrieta won his 10th game in an 8-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday afternoon.

Jason Heyward, Anthony Rizzo, Miguel Montero and Kris Bryant each hit home runs. That fell one shy of matching the team's high for the year but ensured the 13th win in the last 17 games.

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Arrieta (10-1) threw 105 pitches and went seven innings in the 90-degree heat and allowed two runs on four hits, two walks and three strikeouts. Arrieta also had two hits and scored a run.

Arrieta's 10th victory matches Washington's Stephen Strasburg for the league lead. Arrieta didn't win his 10th game last year until July 12.

Travis Wood worked a scoreless eighth inning and Trevor Cahill pitched a scoreless ninth inning to close the game.

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Atlanta starter Matt Wisler (2-7) lost his fourth straight decision and was roughed up for the second game in a row. Wisler only pitched four innings for the second consecutive start and allowed five runs on seven hits, with three home runs.

The Cubs scored a run in the first inning when Heyward, a former Brave, hit a long solo homer, his fourth, into the seats in right field. It was his first career homer against the Braves.

Chicago wasted an opportunity in the third inning by failing to score after having runners on second and third with no outs.

But the Cubs made up for it in the fourth by scoring four times to take a 5-0 lead. Rizzo, back in the lineup after sitting out Friday's game with tightness in his back, led off with a long homer to right, his 14th. After singles by second baseman Ben Zobrist and left fielder Chris Coghlan, Montero hit a three-run homer, his third.

The Braves got a run back in the fourth. Right fielder Nick Markakis doubled and scored on a single by third baseman Adonis Garcia.

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The Cubs added two more in the fifth. Bryant hit a two-run homer, his 15th, against reliever Eric O'Flaherty.

Chicago made it 8-1 with a run in the sixth on an RBI-double from center fielder Dexter Fowler.

The Braves got a run in the seventh when Ender Inciarte tripled in Jace Peterson.

NOTES: Chicago 1B Anthony Rizzo was back in the lineup Saturday after missing Friday's game with tightness in his back. He could not pinpoint the issue and said it could have been caused by a hotel bed. Manager Joe Maddon also started Chris Coghlan, obtained in a trade with Oakland on Wednesday, in left field. ... The Cubs opted to skip batting practice on Saturday afternoon following Friday's night game. ... Atlanta changed its starting pitcher for the final game of the series Sunday, which will be the final appearance for the Cubs at Turner Field. The Braves are moving scheduled starter RHP Aaron Blair to Monday for the series opener against Cincinnati and will instead use RHP John Gantt ((0-0, 6.17 ERA), who was recalled when RHP Williams Perez went to the 15-day disabled list with a strained right rotator cuff on June 8. The Cubs will start LHP Jon Lester (7-3, 2.06 ERA) on Sunday.

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