Arrieta goes 8 innings, Cubs beat A's 4-0; Gray injured
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Jake Arrieta pitched eight innings of three-hit ball to get his first victory in over a month and the Chicago Cubs beat the Oakland Athletics 4-0 on Saturday.
Arrieta (13-5) was 0-3 in his previous five starts and 1-4 since ending a 20-decision winning streak on June 22. The NL Cy Young Award winner struck out four and walked one on 108 pitches.
The NL Central-leading Cubs have won five straight and 16 of 22. They gave the A's to their seventh loss in eight games.
Ben Zobrist's two-out two-run single off former A's teammate Sonny Gray broke a scoreless tie in the top of the third.
Gray (5-11) left after five innings with soreness in the extensor muscle in his right forearm. He allowed two runs on five hits.
The injury is the latest setback in a disastrous season for the 26-year-old right-hander, who's already been on the disabled list with a right shoulder injury. Gray, a 2015 All-Star who last season finished third in AL Cy Young balloting, had the highest ERA in the majors (5.84) going into Saturday.
Zobrist and Addison Russell had two hits each for the Cubs.
ROSTER MOVE
The A's sent LHP Dillon Overton to Triple-A Nashville and called up LHP Patrick Schuster. Overton had a 10.97 ERA and allowed 11 homers in five starts. Schuster was 1-0 with a 1.16 ERA and seven saves in 32 appearances (all in relief) at Nashville.
BILLY-BALL COMMEMORATED
The A's commemorated the early 1980s "Billy-Ball" era with former players Rick Langford, Mike Heath, Dwayne Murphy, Mike Norris and Mike Davis attending a pregame ceremony and Billy Martin Jr. throwing the first pitch. Former broadcaster Roy Steele and professional cheerleader "Krazy" George also attended. The A's wore vintage gold jerseys and the Cubs sported powder blue from the same era.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cubs: RHP John Lackey will take RHP Jason Hammel's next turn in the rotation on Tuesday, manager Joe Maddon said. Hammel, who's been on the bereavement list since Aug. 5, will make his next start on Wednesday.
Athletics: RHP Henderson Alvarez, sidelined since spring training recovering from shoulder surgery last summer, has started plyometric workouts ahead of a throwing program after a recent doctor's appointment cleared him. ... LHP Sean Doolittle threw a 25-pitch bullpen session on Saturday. He's been on the disabled list with a shoulder strain since June 26.
UP NEXT
Cubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks has a 1.04 ERA over his last nine outings, including eight starts, since June 19. He threw 123 pitches in his last start, a shutout against Miami. Hendricks has never faced the Athletics.
Athletics: Rookie LHP Sean Manaea is 1-2 with a 3.14 ERA in his last seven outings, including six starts, since coming off the disabled list June 29 with a forearm strain. Manaea is 1-1 with a 3.55 ERA in two interleague starts.