Jake Arrieta was named National League Pitcher of the Month

By Blair Sheade

Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta was the unanimous choice for National League Pitcher of the Month for August, according to MLB.com.

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Arrieta was 6-0 with a 0.43 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 42 innings, and he was the first pitcher in the MLB to reach 17 wins. The Cubs ace held opponents to a .130 batting average and .196 on-base percentage last month.

The 29-year-old capped off his flawless August with a no-hitter, on Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the first of his career. According to MLB.com, Arrieta is the first pitcher since Sandy Koufax in 1965 to finish off a no-hitter by striking out the side in order in the ninth inning.

From MLB.com:

Arrieta, who hasn’t lost since July 25, started out August by throwing seven shutout innings in a 5-0 victory over the Pirates. He came back on Aug. 9 and pitched into the eighth inning without allowing a run in a win over the Giants, and he threw another quality start Aug. 15 against the White Sox.

Arrieta will try to continue his dominance into September when he faces the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday at Wrigley Field. The Cubs pitcher is 6-5 with a 2.56 ERA at home this season.

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