Jake Arrieta loses no-hitter in the seventh inning against the Pirates - MLB

Update (9:59 PM EDT): Well, that didn’t take long. Arrieta gave up a leadoff single to Gregory Polanco to start the seventh inning.

Cubs starter Jake Arrieta has been perfect against the Pirates through the first six innings of Sunday’s start at Wrigley Field, retiring all 18 batters he’s faced. The right-hander has struck out eight while throwing 75 pitches.

Arrieta helped his own cause by hitting a solo home run — his second of the year — in the second inning off of opposing starter A.J. Burnett.

We’ll keep you posted as Arrieta attempts to complete the final three innings in perfect fashion.

Arrieta is arguably the front-runner for the NL Cy Young Award. He entered Sunday’s start with a 20-6 record, a 1.88 ERA, a 0.90 WHIP, and a 220/48 K/BB ratio over 216 innings.

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CINCINNATI — The Los Angeles Dodgers placed pitcher Noah Syndergaard on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a blister on the index finger of his right throwing hand.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the timetable for Syndergaard’s return is unknown despite the 15-day designation.

“The physical, the mental, the emotional part, as he’s talked about, has taken a toll on him,” Roberts said. “So, the ability to get him away from this. He left today to go back to Los Angeles to kind of get back to normalcy.”

Syndergaard allowed six runs and seven hits in three innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night, raising his ERA to 7.16.

Syndergaard (1-4) has surrendered at least five runs in three straight starts.

Syndergaard has been trying to return to the player he was before Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the better part of the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Roberts said Syndergaard will need at least “a few weeks” to both heal and get away from baseball and “reset.”

“I think searching and not being comfortable with where he was at in the moment is certainly evident in performance,” Roberts said. “So hopefully this time away will provide more clarity on who he is right now as a pitcher.

“Trying to perform when you’re searching at this level is extremely difficult. I applaud him from not running from it, but it’s still very difficult. Hopefully it can be a tale of two stories, two halves when he does come back.”