Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (5/14/21): Cubs 4, Tigers 2 – Arrieta Sharp in Cubs Win, Bryant Goes Deep

The Cubs kicked off a weekend series at Comerica Park Friday night. An excellent Jake Arrieta start and a locked-in bullpen shut the Tigers down in a crisp, well-played win.

Kris Bryant put Chicago on the board with an opposite-field two-run homer to right. Arrieta did his part by keeping a weak Detroit lineup scoreless through five innings.

The Cubs rallied against starter Tarik Skubal in the 5th inning. Jason Heyward doubled and Bryant walked to put two on with one out. Anthony Rizzo had a double and Javy Báez blooped a single to make it 4-0.

Arrieta finally ran out of steam in the 6th, allowing back-to-back homers to Jake Rogers and Robbie Grossman. Cubs relievers Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin, and Craig Kimbrel were perfect in nailing down the 4-2 victory. (Box score)

Why the Cubs Won

Other than the two homers, the Tigers had two singles Friday which both got erased by double plays.

Key Moment 

Rizzo’s 5th inning double produced the winning run and, perhaps more importantly, was also a hit with runners in scoring position. A rare occurrence lately and a good sign that perhaps the Cubs will begin to get more timely hitting.

Stats That Matter

• Arrieta pitched to contact and kept it on the ground: 6 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 1 K, and 1 BB.
• After his homer tonight, Bryant now has 24 extra-base hits to lead the majors in 2021.
• Joc Pederson stayed red-hot with three more singles. The next step for Joc is to display his big power.

Bottom Line

The Cubs snapped their three-game skid and got some much-needed players back from injury. Got to keep taking advantage of a bad Tigers team over the final two games of the series.

On Deck

Jose Ureńa takes on Trevor Williams in game two Saturday at 3:10pm CT and the game airs on Marquee and 670 The Score. You can also watch live on fuboTV (in-market), just click the link and sign up now for a free trial.