MIAMI — Chicago Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta, the 2015 National League Cy Young Award winner and a World Series champion last year, is in an undeniable slump.
Arrieta, who pitched a no-hitter in each of the past two seasons, enters Marlins Park on Thursday with a 6-5 record and a 4.64 ERA.
He will be opposed by left-hander Jeff Locke in the opener of a four-game series between the Cubs (36-35) and Miami Marlins (32-38).
Arrieta’s pedestrian numbers are coming from a pitcher who went a combined 40-14 the past two years. Arrieta’s decline, though seemingly stunning, has been visible for a while now.