Through the first seven innings, the Cubs looked as helpless as the high stirrup socks that pitcher Jake Arrieta wore.
“Socks were awful,” Arrieta said of his faux stirrups. “The worst socks I’ve ever worn.”
Although a repeat of the Cubs’ struggles with runners in scoring position persisted through the first seven innings, never did the outcome feel so rewarding as it did after Anthony Rizzo hit a three-run home run to spark a 5-2 comeback win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
“It’s a big win for us,” Arrieta said after pitching six innings of two-run ball but being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the seventh because of the need for runs. “It’s huge swing of the bat. And to tack on a couple more for insurance was nice.”
Arrieta overcame a rough start to retire 12 of the final 13 batters he faced but left trailing 2-0. Rizzo hit a double to lead off the second but was left stranded. And in the fifth, David Ross was left at second base.
Another frustrating loss loomed larger after the Cubs put runners at first and second with two out in the seventh, but pinch-hitter Kris Bryant struck out against Jimmy Nelson, who gave a fierce first pump as he hopped off the mound with a 2-0 lead.
The Cubs were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position before Rizzo launched his 18th home run of the season off Will Smith. Rizzo’s home run was his 40th career go-ahead homer and the 11th of his career against the Brewers.
The Cubs made up for their lack of clutch hitting in the ninth when Kyle Schwarber poked a two-out single to left to score Addison Russell.
“We need more of good old-fashioned situational hitting in particular moments,” manager Joe Maddon said. “Those are the kind of things that we need to be more mature about and better at.”
As for the faux stirrup socks, Arrieta wanted to wear short pants for the first time and hoped to wear a pair of stirrups that he sported when the Cubs wore throwback uniforms in a victory over the White Sox on July 12.
But Arrieta’s preferred pair of stirrups weren’t packed, and he blamed clubhouse manager Tom “Otis” Hellmann for being forced to resort to wearing a faux pair of stirrups with stripes that began to fray.
“Unfortunately, the socks stunk,” Arrieta said. “So you won’t see those again. You will see the high pants again, just better socks.”
Maddon, known for his retro tastes, loved Arrieta’s attempt.
“That’s mid-70s right there,” Maddon said. “It was beautiful. If I could (wear) an Afro for a day, I would, just to support him.
“It’s awful. It’s a horrible look. But you got to love the tenacity it takes to wear something awful, but Jake makes it look good.”
