CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- Jake Arrieta stepped toward the batter's box but stopped his stride. The ovation inside Wrigley Field on Monday evening grew louder, and the fans rose to their feet. Cubs right-hander Yu Darvish stepped off the mound as the game stopped for a moment.
Just as Arrieta did walking off the mound one last time in a Cubs uniform during Game 4 of the 2017 National League Championship Series, the Phillies starter saluted the standing ovation back -- this time tipping his red batting helmet back to the Wrigley Field faithful.
"It brought back great memories of getting that same sort of ovation pretty much on a nightly basis," Arrieta said after his Phillies won 5-4 in 10 innings. "I'm very appreciative of that. I can't say thank you enough to the city of Chicago. I really can't. But I'll do my best."
The bond between the 33-year-old Arrieta and Chicago remains strong despite the time apart. Acquired from the Orioles in July 2013, Arrieta spent his next four-and-a-half seasons with the Cubs. He had a wildly successful tenure in Chicago, winning the NL Cy Young award during a remarkable 2015 campaign and then earning All-Star honors in helping lead the Cubs to a World Series championship in 2016.
On Monday night, Arrieta squared off with Darvish, whom the Cubs gave a six-year, $126-million deal in February 2018, effectively choosing him over Arrieta. In the aftermath, Arrieta signed a three-year, $75-million deal with the Phillies, joining an organization holding the hopes of building a champion of its own.
The two pitchers have been linked since, and the Cubs' choice has led to scrutiny for Darvish, whose struggles in 2018 left many fans wishing for Arrieta instead.
Why is Arrieta still celebrated in Chicago while Darvish has been maligned?
"The results," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "I think it's just based on results. They are very similar in a lot of ways. Both really bright, introspective, really get into details. As Yu becomes more successful here, I think then it'll be viewed upon more favorably."
On Monday, Arrieta threw six innings of one-run ball, allowing eight hits while striking out four and walking two in his first start at Wrigley Field since leaving the Cubs. Darvish worked six innings as well, allowing three earned runs and four hits to go with seven strikeouts and three walks.
Darvish has shown signs lately of steadying himself after a rough start to his second year in Chicago. He struck out 11 and walked none in Cincinnati last week, then was stout for five innings against Philadelphia before two walks and some soft contact cost him in the sixth inning Monday. He's 2-3 with a 5.06 ERA and 1.56 WHIP this season.
For his part, Arrieta no longer overpowers hitters like he did in 2015, but his 52.2 percent ground ball rate is part of the success pitching to contact. Arrieta is 4-4 with a 3.77 ERA and 1.37 WHIP after Monday.
Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein downplayed the "showdown" aspect of the matchup. He instead wanted to use this stage to remember what Arrieta meant for a championship team.
"He deserves a warm embrace and a huge tip of the cap for everything he meant," Epstein said. "For all of us, for me personally, helping us all get to places we wanted to go, doing it in such an exciting way."
Maddon fondly recalled the "different cat" that Arrieta was, something that resonates well with Maddon. Their conversations were something that Maddon came to appreciate during the three seasons they shared in Chicago.
What Maddon remembered about Arrieta the pitcher were two starts in particular. There was the complete-game shutout gem on at Minnesota on June 21, 2015 that started Arrieta toward on a historic run that led to his Cy Young award. From that day on, he was 16-1 with a 0.86 ERA over 20 starts to finish the year.
Then there was Arrieta's complete game shutout in the 2015 NL wild-card game in Pittsburgh that marked the Cubs' arrival as a championship contender.
"Had we not won that game, who knows what would've happened the next year, how we would've reacted," Maddon said.
When Arrieta pitched his last game with the Cubs in late October 2017, working into the seventh inning and saving his team's season for one more night, he pitched knowing that it would likely be his final start in Chicago.
Arrieta also pitched with the pride of what he and the Cubs had accomplished together, taking it all in for some more lasting memories. In returning to Wrigley Field on Monday night, they all came back.
"It's kind of something I experienced pretty much from day one here with the fan base," Arrieta said. "Cubs fans all across the country, all across the world, they really respect and appreciate what guys are able to do here for them. It means a lot, it really does. I'll never forget this city, the fan base, the organization, everything they did for me. It was four-and-a-half incredible years of my career.
"It really sinks in what we were able to do here as a team, as an organization, the strides we took to get to where we were. You see what they're able to continue to do as an organization. I'm proud of all those guys over there. I wish them all the best."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
