BALTIMORE (AP) - Jake Arrieta left to a standing ovation from a large contingent of blue-clad Chicago Cubs’ fans. He rarely received such a reception when he played for the Baltimore Orioles.
Making his first appearance at Camden Yards since he was traded by Baltimore four years ago, Arrieta settled down after a wild start to hold the Orioles to four hits over 6 2/3 innings and lead the Cubs to a 10-3 win Saturday night.
“Playing here in Camden Yards, it’s one of the most beautiful parks in all of baseball,” Arrieta said. “It was just really cool, it really was. The fans were gracious. I learned a lot, and I’m able to be the player I am today because of what I went through while I was in the organization.”
Addison Russell homered for the second straight game, and Albert Almora and Anthony Rizzo also went deep for Chicago, which hit eight homers in winning the first two games of the series.
“We really swung the bats well and Jake pitched really good tonight, and that was a large part of tonight’s game,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “The fact that he kept them in check while we opened up our lead, that’s a nice formula.”
Arrieta (9-7) walked three in the first two innings, then retired 11 of 12 batters before Caleb Joseph’s a solo home run in the fifth. Arrieta allowed two runs - one earned - with three strikeouts and three walks over 6 2/3 innings.
Arrieta was 20-25 with a 5.46 ERA in 69 appearances with Baltimore and is 63-28 with a 2.76 ERA in 117 starts for the Cubs, who acquired him on July 2, 2013. He had faced the Orioles just once before, winning at Wrigley Field on Aug. 22, 2014.
“He by far probably had some of the nastiest stuff as a starter,” Joseph said of Arrieta.
Chicago has won five straight against Baltimore dating to 2014.
Wade Miley (4-8) gave up seven runs, nine hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings. He had been 4-1 with a 3.46 ERA in six starts against the Cubs.
Almora homered leading off the third, and the Cubs boosted the lead to 3-0 in the fourth on Russell’s homer and Almora’s RBI single.
After Russell was intentionally walked to load the bases in the fifth, Jason Heyward chased Miley with a two-run triple and scored on Javier Baez’s single off Miguel Castro for a 7-0 lead.
Willson Contreras had three hits, including an RBI double in the sixth, and Rizzo homered in the eighth. Baez also had three hits.
“With Arrieta out there, you feel like runs are going to be at a premium,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “You’re trying to keep it close and see if you can do some damage. We had him over 40 pitches the first couple innings, so there was the potential there, but once they jumped out like that, our guys got a little aggressive.”
TWO OUT RALLIES
The Cubs scored nine of their 10 runs with two outs. That added to the Orioles’ frustration. “Six of them were two outs and nobody on,” Showalter said. “We were all there watching it. That’s really frustrating to be that close to getting out of an inning unscathed.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cubs: RHP John Lackey (plantar fasciitis) had no setbacks with his bullpen session Saturday and likely will start Tuesday at Atlanta. … RHP Kyle Hendricks (right hand tendinitis) is to make a rehab start Monday for Double-A Tennessee.
Orioles: RHP Stefan Crichton (right shoulder strain) and RHP Mike Wright (right shoulder bursitis) are to start rehab assignments Monday.
UP NEXT
Cubs: LHP Jose Quintana is slated to start Sunday, three days after he was acquired from the Chicago White Sox. Quintana was 4-8 with a 4.49 ERA for the White Sox this season.
Orioles: RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (4-4, 6.67 ERA) has not pitched past the fifth inning in three of his past four starts. He managed to win in his last outing on July 9 against Minnesota, when he allowed four runs and four hits in five innings.
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