Josh Bell's success against Jake Arrieta continues in Pirates' victory
CHICAGO — Josh Bell completed his first year in the major leagues the same way he began it — with success against Jake Arrieta.
Bell doubled twice against the Chicago Cubs starter, Gregory Polanco homered and the Pirates won, 4-2, Saturday night at Wrigley Field. They finally gained ground on the Milwaukee Brewers, who lost on a walk-off home run against the New York Yankees. But they remain six games worse than .500, at 41-47, and seven games back in the National League Central Division.
Exactly a year ago Saturday, Bell began his major league career by pinch-hitting for Neftali Feliz in the seventh inning. He lined the first pitch Arrieta threw him into right field for his first career hit. Facing Arrieta again on the anniversary of his debut, he went 2 for 3 with two doubles (he added a single against Brian Duensing later) and now is 6 for 11 with three extra-base hits and three walks against the right-hander.
“I just feel like it was just my approach working for me,” Bell said. “Try to drive the ball back up the middle. It was the changeup away that first hit that I got off him. I was able to get the barrel to it. I think it was a fastball middle-in that I drove up the middle.”
Bell doubled for the second time in the sixth. After an out, Arrieta left a 1-1 offering high and away to Polanco.
Polanco’s 6-foot-5 frame and long arms curse him at times. Inside pitches negate his reach. His swing lengthens. But they also turn high and outside pitches into cookies, and Polanco didn’t miss — he drove the ball out to dead center and knew it was gone off the bat.
June disagreed with Polanco. He hit .183. July has seen a reversal. Polanco has an eight-game hitting streak in the month, in which he is 13 for 31.
“I feel very good,” Polanco said. “Keeping it simple and trying to stay short and don’t swing at too many pitches. Try to stay middle-middle.”
The first two outs of the fourth typified the night Ivan Nova enjoyed to that point. A good two-seamer broke Kris Bryant’s bat. Anthony Rizzo flied out on the first pitch.
Two high fastballs became too-high fastballs to the next two hitters.
Nova did not need to turn and watch Ian Happ’s 13th homer leave the ballyard. He could tell off the bat. He did turn and watch Kyle Schwarber’s 13th homer, the one that gave the Cubs a 2-1 lead.
Nova did not give up another hit for the remainder of the game. He struck out the side in the fifth. Ben Zobrist reached on an Adam Frazier error (Frazier bobbled a routine grounder, his second error in as many days at second base; Max Moroff replaced him in the seventh inning). Schwarber walked with one out in the seventh. After another out, manager Clint Hurdle summoned Tony Watson to face Jason Heyward, even though Nova was at 92 pitches and had struck out Heyward twice.
“I wanted a fresh arm, go left on left,” Hurdle said. “Our guy got us to a good part of the game.”
Heyward grounded out weakly on Watson’s first pitch. In 6⅔3 innings Nova (9-6) allowed the two solo homers, a single and a walk, with six strikeouts. In a team-high 120⅔ innings this season he has a 3.21 ERA.
“I put in good workouts in the offseason,” Nova said. “I feel great.”
The outing Saturday followed a four-start stretch in which he allowed 13 runs in 25 innings (4.68 ERA).
“It’s part of the game. It’s a long season,” Nova said. “You try to be perfect, but you’re not.”
Hurdle made another aggressive move in the eighth. Facing Juan Nicasio, Tommy La Stella blooped a well-placed fly ball down the left-field line that resulted in a one-out double. After Zobrist grounded out and put a runner on third, Hurdle brought in Felipe Rivero to face Bryant.
Bryant walked. Rizzo turned a 102 mph pitch around on Rivero, and the line drive ticked off his glove, but Mercer recorded the out. Rivero pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save.
“It’s the MVP from last year and it’s our closer,” Hurdle said. “That’s a hard spot for Juan. He’s done a good job. You’re going to put your best on him in that situation.”
