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Emma: Arrieta Keeps Business-Like Approach

By Chris Emma--

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A dreary Wednesday at Wrigley Field brought the kind of afternoon weather that hitters dread and pitchers treasure, and Cubs starter Jake Arrieta had his "A" game going against the Cardinals.

In the fourth inning of the Cubs' 2-0 win, Arrieta tossed a two-seam fastball with mean movement to the Cardinals' Jhonny Peralta. The 92-mph pitch sawed off the bat, forcing Peralta back off the plate. That's a hitter's worst nightmare on a cold day at the ballpark.

Arrieta had moments like this in his seven innings of shutout ball, but he was business-like for the most part. It was the kind of game with which the Cubs' second man in the rotation prides himself.

"The most important thing for me is keeping the bullpen guys out of the game when I start," Arrieta said. "If I can do that, I'm doing OK. Everything else will kind of work itself out as far as numbers and stats, all that kind of stuff. I'm pretty self-motivated."

Use that as a look inside the mind of Arrieta, the even-keeled pitcher who had an ERA of 6.20 with the Orioles in 2012 before dropping to 2.53 as a Cubs starter in 2014.

The difference for Arrieta comes with approach to the game. He's comfortable in a starting role, because it brings routine -- pitching once every five games. He incorporates timely workouts and a strict diet in between starts, keeping the arm and body fresh for the next time on the mound.

So who did Cubs manager Joe Maddon compare Arrieta to? Did that tough fastball or daunting sinker seem similar to anyone in the big leagues? Maddon went a different route to compliment his pitcher.

"This guy should really be in the next Jane Fonda workout video, on the male side of things," Maddon said.

Jane Fonda wasn't quite the name expected for a comparison, but Maddon has never been conventional. Of course, he knows Arrieta's body of work well.

As manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, Maddon saw Arrieta struggle in the AL East with Baltimore. He seemingly served up batting practice each time on the bump. Now, Maddon is running the Cubs, and he has a reliable starter to earn wins -- Maddon's first in Chicago coming on Wednesday, thanks to Arrieta's sensational start.

"He deserves everything he's gotten," Maddon said. "I've seen him in Baltimore, I'm seeing him right now. He's definitely matured as a major league pitcher. This guy is really good."

When Arrieta walked off the mound after his pregame warmup session, Maddon asked bullpen catcher Mike Borzello how he looked. Borzello simply shook his head in concern. None of that would matter, as Arrieta mowed down the rival red birds.

Such a start is the standard for Arrieta, who hopes to give the Cubs a chance to win each game. He has no set expectation with wins or ERA. Maddon went with the cliché -- warning he would before -- saying it's about going one game at a time. Jed Hoyer, the club's general manager, gave a big-picture outlook.

"It's a long season," Hoyer said. "I hope he makes 32 starts. I think if he's healthy for us all year and pitching well, that's a big factor for us. He's a weapon, pitched like a No. 1 starter for us."

For Arrieta, looking beyond the next start would be wrong. Keeping an eye past the next day won't work, too. Maddon was right about his one-day-at-a-time quip, because that's how a routine can be successful. It's how Arrieta balances a start, recovery, workout and preparation before the next time he takes the mound.

More importantly, such a routine is what has driven Arrieta to success.

"I'm just trying to be a dependable, reliable guy in our rotation every five days," he said.

When Arrieta took to the mound on this cold April day, he was ready to stifle the Cardinals. It was a stellar start, but just what he expects.

Of course, if pitching for the Cubs doesn't pan out, Arrieta can always team up with Jane Fonda.

Follow Chris on Twitter @CEmma670.

 

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