Jack Jake Arrieta posted a post-season ready line Friday afternoon as the Cubs defeated the Cardinals 5-0. St. Louis is in a three-way fight for one of two NL Wild Card slots, so they should have brought their A game to the field. Arrieta struck out 10 and walked one in his seven scoreless innings, lowering his ERA to 2.85.

Arrieta pitched below par for the last three months, allowing a 4.33 ERA, with a fairly low K rate and a fairly high walk rate for him. He had some low run games in that mix, but his is only the second one he dominated in both walks and strikeouts. The Cubs have to hope he turned the corner.

The Cardinals fall to one game back in the NL Wild Card, pending tonight’s results. The Cubs magic number to clinch home field is one, since they won the season series against Washington. A Nationals loss tonight gives the Cubs home field through the NL rounds of the post-season.