St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Carpenter says friend Arrieta has ‘found another level’
By Derrick Goold St. Louis Post-Dispatch
SAN DIEGO – The Cardinals’ charter flight landed Thursday night in San Diego in time for a few of the players to catch the final inning of Cubs starter Jake Arrieta’s no-hitter in Cincinnati on the bus to the hotel. Matt Carpenter was one, happy his groomsman and former TCU teammate is making history and conflicted that it’s all happening for the rival Cubs.
“At the end of the day, when he’s doing something like that, something historic like a no-hitter I’d be lying if I wasn’t happy for him,†Carpenter allowed.
Arrieta is on one of the most dominant jags ever by a starting pitcher. He’s the first pitcher since Johnny Vander Meer to not lose between his no-hitters, and Vander Meer avoided that by pitching back-to-back no-hitters. Arrieta has a 0.86 ERA over his past 24 starts, and according to ESPN’s research he has had almost as many no-hitters since Aug. 30 (two) as starts in which he’s actually allowed a run (three).
“My teammates and I, in college, we all saw he was dominant as a college pitcher, and then when he got to pro ball he was not as dominant because he struggled,†Carpenter said. “But since he’s come to Chicago he’s found himself. He’s found it at another level that I don’t think anybody anticipated. I don’t think anybody has seen anybody pitch like this.â€
(This is all of the story dealing with Carp-Arrietta. However the story continues with more Cardinals info at http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/birdland/carpenter-says-friend-arrieta-has-found-another-level/article_da0fae33-c9b9-5614-91e7-f66a83c0fe1e.html)