The Rundown: Arrieta Shows Both Sides, Opening Homestand Festivities, Waino’s Ankiel Impersonation

Photo of Evan Altman Evan AltmanApril 5, 2017

We got a glimpse of two familiar versions of Jake Arrieta in Tuesday’s win, both of which the starter himself was very aware of after the game.

“It started out…really crisp with everything,” Arrieta told reporters in the locker room. “Sinker was moving a lot, command of breaking balls was pretty on point. It got a little sloppy in the 5th and 6th, I got ahead of myself with…just the effort level was too much.”

This was basically my exact breakdown for the Everyplayer feature on The Athletic’s app(link to 15% off), though I had to leave out the stuff about him falling back, literally, as the game wore on. It wasn’t great to see Arrieta overthrowing toward the end of his outing, but the fact that he was aware of it bodes well for the future.

“I started rotating laterally a little too much versus trying to stay on top of the ball,” the former Cy Young winner said. “And that’s okay, you know, those are things that I’ll continue to work through and try and kind of get those things under control as I progress throughout the season. For the first one, it was really good.”

If you weren’t able to watch the game or just didn’t pick up on the what he’s talking about here, check out something I wrote last season on the topic. Arrieta was clearly leaning back and over-rotating, which may be to blame for his release-point woes. Knowing is only half the battle, but it’s nice to know Arrieta can still be lights-out despite not having his best stuff.

Now, the real question is whether he can keep from fading like this in the future. Statcast data was unavailable for most of the first three innings and was spotty thereafter, so it’s tough to know for certain what Arrieta was throwing the whole time. Data from the play log shows that he was working in the low 90’s and had pretty much eschewed the fastball by the 4th inning. Seriously, he only threw four four-seamers over his last 59 pitches.

We do need to take that with a grain of salt, since four pitches in that same stretch weren’t tracked at all. The available stats also have Arrieta at 18 changes and curves apiece over the last three frames. It did look for a while there as though the backdoor curve was the only pitch he could get over for strikes, but it’s not at all uncommon for a pitcher to have trouble with his stuff at this juncture.

A few things to keep an eye on as he takes the mound next time.

Cubs announce opening homestand details

Wrigley Field will officially open to the public on April 10 after all the construction crews have finally left. Well, left the ballpark itself anyway. Below is the press release from the Cubs on exactly what to expect during the first homestand.

CHICAGO – The World Series Champion Chicago Cubs will host their Home Opener at Wrigley Field Monday, April 10, at 7:05 p.m. vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers following a six-game road trip to begin the 2017 season. The Dodgers series continues with the team’s World Series Ring Ceremony Wednesday, April 12, and series finale the next day, followed by visits from the Pittsburgh Pirates April 14-16 and Milwaukee Brewers April 17-19.

The team’s opening homestand will include several celebrations of the 2016 World Series team, including the raising of the 2016 championship banner and National League pennant for the Home Opener and distribution of the team’s World Series rings April 12. Following league tradition, Cubs players and coaches will open the home schedule wearing celebratory gold versions of their jerseys and caps April 10 and 12. Bases and baseballs used during these two games will feature commemorative stamps and base jewels as well. Fans looking to purchase an authentic piece of team history may preorder these game-used items by contacting Cubs Authentics, with net proceeds benefiting the Cubs Charities Diamond Project. Replica gold Majestic jerseys and New Era hats are available for purchase at retail outlets including MLB Shop and official Cubs Store locations on Michigan Avenue and at the Park at Wrigley.

On April 12, Cubs players will receive their World Series rings from 20 fans serving as honorary “Championship Ring Bearers.” These dedicated fans were selected from more than 1,500 video nominations by family members, coworkers and friends this offseason.

Fans will have the opportunity to collect promotional items honoring the 2016 Championship Team this season, beginning with a Replica Championship Banner presented by Mastercard April 12, as well as a Replica World Series Trophy presented by Starwood Preferred Guest Saturday, April 15.

Tickets remain available at www.cubs.com or 800-THE-CUBS (800-843-2827). New attractions at Wrigley Field and highlights of the homestand follow.

Ballpark Updates:

This season, fans can enter Wrigley Field’s new western Gate H through the Park at Wrigley, which opens to the public April 10 prior to the Cubs’ Home Opener. Hickory Street Capital, a real estate development company owned by the Ricketts family, designed and built the Park at Wrigley and office and retail building adjacent to Wrigley Field to provide a year-round, family-friendly gathering place for neighbors, Cubs fans and visitors.

Cubs fans will enjoy several tenants in the new space, which also will host community festivals, farmers markets, music, family movie nights and dining throughout the year.

The Trophy Room presented by Motorola will house the 2016 Chicago Cubs’ World Championship Trophy throughout the 2017 regular season. Fans can take pictures alongside the Commissioner’s Trophy starting Thursday, April 13, with hours subject to availability. Fans can visit the Trophy Room page at www.parkatwrigley.com for the latest scheduling updates.

Following the Cubs’ April 12 Championship Ring Ceremony, Jostens, the “Official Designer of Chicago Cubs World Championship Ring,” will open the Jostens Jewelry Store at the Park. The store will provide Cubs fans of all ages with the opportunity to buy a piece of history by offering high-quality, masterfully crafted jewelry, keepsakes and collectibles that commemorate the Cubs’ historic 2016 season.

The Park at Wrigley also will be home to the Cubs Store at the Park, a two-story retail shop with 8,400 total square feet featuring authentic Chicago Cubs gear, merchandise and memorabilia, with some items exclusive to this location.

Adam Wainwright’s wild pitch

Every now and again you see something in a game that makes you jump out of your seat or spit out your drink. Maybe both. For me, Waino’s insanely bad offering to Jake Arrieta in the 4th inning of Tuesday’s game was exactly that.

More news and notes

Photo of Evan Altman Evan AltmanApril 5, 2017
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