Jake Arrieta is a confident man, and why shouldn't he be?
The Cubs starter finished the regular season with a league-best 22 wins and 1.77 ERA second only to Dodgers ace Zack Greinke. Arrieta will take the mound Wednesday night for the NL wild-card game at PNC Park, and he isn't scared of pitching in front of a rowdy Pirates crowd. He sent a Terminator-like response to one Pittsburgh fan on Twitter.
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Whatever helps keep your hope alive, just know, it doesn't matter. @Cubs https://t.co/bJDN1wP0tS
— Jake Arrieta (@JArrieta34) October 4, 2015Oh, it's on now. NPR host and Pirates fan David Greene went all hashtag on Arrieta.
My response to this --> https://t.co/1uDYpk1B63. A new hashtag campaign. Guess what, Jake? #WeMatter @Dejan_Kovacevic @sethmeyers @Pirates
— David Greene (@nprgreene) October 5, 2015That still didn't faze Arrieta. He wants Pittsburgh to turn up the volume.
David. Bring out all the reinforcements. I need it LOUD. https://t.co/vxhbjNVqBm
— Jake Arrieta (@JArrieta34) October 5, 2015The last two NL wild-card games have taken place at PNC Park with opposing starters Johnny Cueto and Madison Bumgarner having much different experiences.
Cueto appeared rattled by a raucous crowd in 2013, giving up eight hits and four earned runs in 3 1/3 innings as the Reds lost 6-2. Bumgarner dominated the Bucs in a four-hit shutout and had a historically great postseason in leading the Giants to the 2014 World Series title.
We don't know if Arrieta will be more Cueto or Bumgarner Wednesday night, but we do know it will once again be very loud.
