Jake Arrieta throws another gem Saturday

Jake Arrieta took a big step onto the national stage during his last start. If there was any fear there would be a slump after his no-hitter, that was put to bed Saturday.

The Cubs ace took the mound against the Diamondbacks Saturday afternoon and still had the same electric stuff showcased against the Dodgers.

Arrieta went eight shutout innings against Arizona, only allowing a runner into scoring position in two innings. While his no-hit streak ended in the first inning, the Diamondbacks only scratched across four hits.

His run of dominance has now stretched over a month. Arrieta hasn’t allowed an earned run since August 15 and has only allowed two since the end of July.

At this rate, Arrieta will have one of the best pitching seasons in Cubs history. He is on pace to shatter the records for hits, runs, earned runs and home runs allowed in a single season.

What made Arrieta’s performance so special was his efficiency. Through the eight innings, Arrieta only threw 116 pitches, 65 percent of which were strikes.

With the Cubs looking to secure a spot in the Wild Card game, Arrieta has cemented himself as the team’s ace.