Jake Arrieta has no doubt the Philadelphia Phillies will be successful this season.“Of course I think

CLEARWATER http://www.royalsfanproshop.com/authentic-ryan-goins-jersey , Fla. (AP) — we’re a playoff team,” Arrieta said Monday after the Phillies completed spring training with a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.The 33-year old right-hander allowed two runs, six hits and struck out eight in over six innings. He induced 20 swings and misses.“Lots of empty swings,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said. “That was the most encouraging thing about the day. Super encouraging. Strong in his legs. Delivery was easy. Arm slot was perfect. I thought everything looked really good.”Philadelphia opens at home Thursday against NL East champion Atlanta. The Phillies transformed during the offseason, signing right fielder Bryce Harper to a $330 million, 13-year contract after adding left fielder Andrew McCutchen, shortstop Jean Segura and catcher J.T. Realmuto.Aaron Nola starts the opener for Philadelphia and Julio Teheran for Atlanta.“It’s exciting,” Arrieta said. “With the guys we’ve got, there’s not really a break in our lineup. It’s going to be a fun one.”Arrieta was a key contributor to the 2016 Chicago Cubs who won the team’s first World Series title in 108 years. He went 2-0 in the seven-game Series against Cleveland.Philadelphia, which led its division with the second-best record in the NL one week into August, lost 33 of its final 49 games.“A lot of guys in here remember the way it shook down for us Cheslor Cuthbert Jersey , the way the season finished and we don’t want that to happen again,” Arrieta said.Philadelphia went 80-82 in its sixth consecutive losing season.“I think this team has a ton of potential,” Kapler said. “But we’ve got to stay focused every single day. Got to come to the ballpark with a game plan of doing the little things right. Running the bases hard and executing the fundamentals. If we do those things, I think we can do good things.”HOT HARPERHarper doubled to left center on a 95 mph fastball from Wilmer Font in the first and walked against Diego Castillo during the third. After starting 0 for 9, the slugger closed out spring training with four hits — including a double and two homers — in his final eight at-bats. “I think Harper caught up pretty quick,” Arrieta said. “He’s one of the brightest stars in our game. If he stays healthy and is on the field for us, he’s going to put up some great numbers.” In his final plate appearance, Tampa Bay used a defensive alignment shifted toward the opposite field that left a large hole between first and second base. CHICAGO (AP) — José Quintana was the star of the show. Even better than Javier Báez’s dance around David Freese.Quintana pitched seven crisp innings in his third straight win, and the Chicago Cubs used a fast start to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-2 on Tuesday night.“He was once again on top of his game,” manager Joe Maddon said. “Great focus, kept coming back with good pitches.”Willson Contreras hit a three-run double in Chicago’s four-run first Brian Flynn Jersey , and Anthony Rizzo added a two-run drive in the second. Báez reached three times, including a memorable infield single in the second and a solo shot in the seventh.It was more than enough support for Quintana (3-1), who turned in another gem in the Cubs’ sixth win in seven games. The veteran left-hander allowed two runs and four hits while improving to 3-0 with a sparkling 0.86 ERA since he was hit hard in a loss at Milwaukee on April 5.“I know I’ve been throwing the ball really well the last (three) starts,” Quintana said. “Threw really good, all my stuff working really good.”NL West-leading Los Angeles had won seven of eight. But the Dodgers were unable to recover after Kenta Maeda (3-2) struggled early on.With one out and runners on second and third in the first, Báez walked on a close full-count pitch that Maeda wanted badly. After Kyle Schwarber struck out swinging, Contreras doubled down the third-base line and Daniel Descalso tacked on an RBI double for a 4-0 lead.“The Báez walk, that was something I did not like at all,” Maeda said through a translator. “It ended up making the damage a little bigger.”Rizzo went deep with one out in the second, sending an opposite-field drive into the bleachers in left. Báez then hit a bouncer up the line and juked inside to avoid Freese’s tag , delighting the crowd of 35 http://www.royalsfanproshop.com/authentic-ryan-goins-jersey ,536 on a cool night at Wrigley Field.“Never had this play before,” Báez said. “It’s just things that come to me, reaction, I don’t know.”Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts argued the call first with first base umpire Chad Whitson and then with home plate umpire Ted Barrett, but Báez stayed on first.The Dodgers wasted a couple of late chances to get back in the game. Pinch-hitter Max Muncy struck out looking on Quintana’s 114th pitch, stranding two runners in the seventh. A.J. Pollock struck out and Cody Bellinger grounded out with the bases loaded in the eighth.“We had chance to scratch our way back into the game, but we didn’t get that big hit,” Roberts said.TOUGH DAYMaeda allowed seven hits, struck out five and walked three in four innings. The six runs were the most allowed by the right-hander since he was charged with a career-high seven in an 8-1 loss at Arizona on Aug. 31, 2017.“He just didn’t have his fastball command,” Roberts said.IOWA-BOUNDCubs shortstop Addison Russell is joining Triple-A Iowa to prepare for his return from a 40-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy. Russell is expected to play when Iowa begins a nine-game homestand Wednesday night against Nashville.TRAINER’S ROOMDodgers: LHP Rich Hill (strained left knee) pitched six innings during an extended spring training game in Arizona on Monday. He is expected to make his season debut Sunday against Pittsburgh. … C Russell Martin (back) could return this weekend. “We’re going to do a simulated situation on Friday Justin Grimm Jersey ,” Roberts said. “Depending on how that goes, a weekend activation seems likely.”Cubs: LHP Jon Lester (left hamstring strain) is “trending in the right direction” when it comes to pitching Thursday against Los Angeles, Maddon said. … LHP Mike Montgomery (mild left lat strain) felt fine after pitching four innings of three-run ball in a rehab start for Double-A Tennessee on Monday. “We’re going to set him up again to do the same thing, but he came through the thing well,” Maddon said. … LHP Xavier Cedeño (wrist inflammation) got two outs in his third rehab appearance with Tennessee on Tuesday night.UP NEXTDodgers right-hander Walker Buehler (2-0, 5.40 ERA) and Cubs left-hander Cole Hamels (3-0, 2.77) face off Wednesday night. Buehler pitched 6 1/3 innings of three-hit ball in a 3-2 victory over Cincinnati in his previous start. Hamels is going for his fourth consecutive win.