Arrieta, Cubs look to stay on a roll vs. D-backs

CHICAGO -- July was a quality month for Jake Arrieta.

The Chicago Cubs right-hander went 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA in five July starts -- including three consecutive quality efforts. He now leads the rotation in wins.

It was like the Arrieta of old -- or at least vintage 2015.

Arrieta (10-7, 4.03 ERA) will look for similar results in the season's next-to-last month as he starts Wednesday in the second game in a series with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

"When the fastball is going where he wants it to, he'll be successful," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said after Arrieta handcuffed the Chicago White Sox on July 26, allowing two runs and two hits in 6 2/3 innings. "Off that will be the confidence, and off that you'll see the cutter and curveball working better."

Arrieta expects the Cubs to maintain their winning ways as they maneuver for a third straight postseason appearance.

"We know it's going to be a tough task, but that's kind of what you deal with at the highest level of sports," he said. "You expect to have really good competition from teams that are either equal with you or close behind. We feel we have the group to separate ourselves at this point in time and remain in first place for the remainder of the way."

Arrieta has recorded 10 or more wins in each of his four full Cubs seasons, including a Cy Young Award-winning 22-6 campaign in 2015 and an 18-8 season in 2016. In five career starts against Arizona, Arrieta is 2-2 with a 3.31 ERA.

It wasn't just a good July for Arrieta. The Cubs went 16-8 in the month, their highest winning percentage in a month since they finished 22-6 last August.

While Arrieta goes for his fourth win since early July, the Diamondbacks counter with a pitcher who also has had a fair amount of success of late.

Right-hander Zack Godley (4-4, 3.06 ERA) has allowed three runs or fewer in seven of eight road starts this season.

In his latest start on Thursday, he threw seven shutout innings, allowing four hits while walking two and striking out seven in the Diamondbacks' 4-0 win over the Cardinals.

Godley started the season in Triple-A Reno, and his latest appearance on the Diamondbacks' roster is his third this year.

"Really and truly, (I'm) just trying to remain consistent and keep doing the same thing I always do," Godley told a sports talk show last week. "Just continue to keep making my pitches and try to take advantage of the opportunities (the Diamondbacks) gave me."

In Godley's only career start against the Cubs, he gave up six runs in 3 2/3 innings during a 2015 loss.

Shortstop Ketel Marte will remain away from the Diamondbacks for at least a few days after he traveled to the Dominican Republic this week following the death of his mother, Elpidia Valdez, in a car accident.

Marte was placed on the bereavement list.

This week's three-game series is the first of two between the teams. Chicago bashed five homers and cruised to a 16-4 win in the series opener Tuesday. The Diamondbacks (60-46) and Cubs (57-48) meet for three more Aug. 11-13 in Phoenix.

The Cubs enter play Wednesday at a season-high nine games above .500. They are 14-3 since the All-Star break.