Two former Frogs will toe the rubber against each other tonight.
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta and Cincinnati Reds starter Brandon Finnegan will face off in Cincinnati tonight. While the two were never TCU teammates, both were standout pitchers for the Frogs.
Arrieta, who won the Cy Young Award last season and is off to a scorching start to this year, played for TCU from 2006-2007 before being drafted in the third round by the Baltimore Orioles in 2007. He also threw a no-hitter for the Cubs last season.
Finnegan was a key part of a 2014 TCU team that made its way to the College World Series. Three months after pitching in the CWS, Finnegan made history by pitching in relief for the Kansas City Royals in the MLB World Series. He also became the youngest relief pitcher to log a win in postseason history.
Finnegan was traded to the Reds last season and moved into the starting rotation, where he owns a 2.04 ERA in three starts.
Even TCU head baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle took to Twitter to promote the matchup.
I’m calling for an official @TCU Holiday tomorrow!! @bfinny29 vs @JArrieta34 in Cincy! Must see TV. ??
— Jim Schlossnagle (@TCUSchloss) April 20, 2016
The last time the Cubs and the Reds met, Finnegan held Chicago to no hits over 6 2/3 innings. But the Cubs ended up tagging him for 2 earned runs before sweeping the Reds in the three-game series.
Arrieta is coming off eight shutout innings against the Colorado Rockies. In 22 innings this season, Arrieta is 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA and .195 opponents’ batting average.
The four-game series between the Reds and the Cubs begins tonight at 7:10 p.m. It will be hard to find the game on TV, but those with an MLB.TV subscription can tune in.