The owner of the Chicago Cubs responded after Jake Arrieta threw an historic no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers Sunday night, congratulating the pitcher but also warning fans not to think too far ahead.
"That was a hell of a game," Tom Ricketts said Monday. "I give Jake a lot of credit. He was on. I think it was a great way to finish that road trip. After a couple of tough losses, it was great to see Jake come back and get us on the winning path."
Arrieta's game had many fans thinking about a potential World Series run, but the team has a ways to go before that could happen.
"We don't want to get ahead of ourselves. We just want to have a good September," Ricketts said. "Obviously last night was big. For folks coming out tonight, we're going to give Jake a round of applause before the game."
Arrieta's no-hitter was the first in his own career and the first for the Cubs as a team since the 2008 season when Carlos Zambrano threw a no-hitter against the Houston Astros at Miller Park in Milwaukee. Sunday night's no-hitter marked the 14th in Cubs history.
Following the 2-0 victory, Arrieta credited the entire team for the win and said he was able to pitch the no-hitter simply by focusing on each pitch.
"As the game wore on, I tried to use my past experiences to my advantage, tried to stay calm and focus on quality pitch after quality pitch," Arrieta said.
Chicago Baseball
The game broke the Cubs' four-game losing streak and gave the team a 5.5 game lead over the San Francisco Giants for the second wild card spot in the National League.
The Cubs celebrated the win with a pajama party that team manager Joe Maddon planned before the game, no matter the outcome.