March 29--MESA, Ariz. -- Jake Arrieta's biggest challenge Saturday wasn't facing the Colorado Rockies or batting eighth.
It was staying loose during long stretches of the Chicago Cubs' 18-4 split-squad win.
Arrieta capped a seven-run first inning by smacking a three-run home run off Jon Gray, and he added an RBI double during a three-run second that saw the Cubs lead 12-0 after four innings.
The first four innings took around two hours to play, so Arrieta came out after four innings and threw an additional 30 pitches in the bullpen.
It's something you have to take upon yourself how to stay loose," Arrieta said. "Everyone is different. I like to walk around and keep the quads, hamstrings and hips loose, do some light stretching. During the season at Wrigley Field, I spend some time in the weight room and sit on the bike and slowly continue to move the legs and keep the blood flowing.
"But that's the only thing there, is to stay loose when you have those long innings so when you go back out you're not losing anything. You're able to go out there with same fresh feeling and get your warm-ups and get ready for the next inning to start."
Arrieta loves the idea of pitchers batting eighth.
"(Pitching coach) Chris Bosio has us working, working on the opposite field, trying to drive the ball to center field. We put time into it, and I think all of us want to catch up with Woody (Travis Wood).
"He sets the standard very high. We have a friendly competition at the plate and try to really put together some good at-bats and challenge each other and contribute as much as we can. It is the pitcher, and it seems like a break in the lineup, but we feel we can do some damage there and help each other out."
Wood will be used as the first pinch-hitter in many games. He appeared as a pinch-hitter on Saturday but struck out after taking a vicious first swing in his first at-bat after hitting a pinch-hit home run on Thursday.
