Impressive Start

The Cubs looked like a very good team last night, beating the Angels 9-0.  Arrieta looked to be in mid-season form taking a two-hit shutout through seven innings.  The Anhels hit a couple of balls hard in the first few innings, after which Arrieta coasted through the remainder of the game.

The Cubs scored a run in the first on a Fowler double and a Rizzo single.  Richards blew through the order in the next two innings, riding a 99 mph fastball, but the Cubs finally figured out they were swinging at balls, started working the count, and pretty soon forced him into an agonizing fourth inning where he threw nearly fifty pitches and surrendered two runs.  Soler had probably the only solid hit, but it was enough.  The Cubs showed an almost relentless discipline and concentration that inning.

These guys are really good.  They added on six more runs through the rest of the game, capped by a bases loaded double by, of all people, Matt Sczuzr.

Looks like good things are ahead.