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Fresh off his historic start in Game 1 of the World Series against the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians ace Corey Kluber has gotten the nod from manager Terry Francona to start Game 4 on Saturday, Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller reported Wednesday.

Francona also added that Kluber will go for Game 7 if necessary, via Matt Snyder of CBS Sports. 

Kluber helped the Indians take a 1-0 series lead by striking out nine batters over six innings without allowing a run Tuesday.

His performance was headlined by a dominant start as he became the first pitcher in World Series history to strike out eight batters in the first three innings, via the Fox telecast: 

He also set an Indians World Series record for strikeouts in an entire game, surpassing Orel Hershiser in Game 1 of the 1995 series against the Atlanta Braves and Jaret Wright in Game 7 of the 1997 Fall Classic against the Florida Marlins, both of whom fanned seven. 

More importantly, Kluber threw just 88 pitches on the night, which could go a long way with just three days of rest. 

The 30-year-old has only started a game on three days’ rest once in his career, and it came earlier in the postseason. After throwing 100 pitches in Game 1 of the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays, Kluber returned for Game 4 and went five innings, allowing two runs on four hits as the Indians lost 5-1. 

But given the way the powerful Cubs offense had such difficulty getting to Kluber, it’s only natural that Francona and the Indians will want to roll out their ace as much as possible in the World Series. After all, this was a Cubs team that had scored 23 runs in the final three games of the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

What makes Kluber so difficult is his deception on the mound. With the same windup and release point for each of his pitches, it’s all but a guessing game for batters to try to decipher whether his pitch will stay true like a fastball or perform a last-second, severe break like his devastating cutter. 

It makes Games 2 and 3 that much more important for the Cubs now that the ace they couldn’t touch is looming in Game 4. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

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The Chicago Cubs tied the World Series with a 5-1 Game 2 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

In a lengthy four-hour contest moved up due to weather concerns, the Cubs collected nine hits and eight walks. Every starter reached base, including Kyle Schwarber, who continued his highly improbable comeback with two RBI singles.

Despite struggling to throw strikes early, Jake Arrieta took a no-hitter into the sixth. He allowed one run over 5.2 frames to earn his first victory of the postseason.

Trevor Bauer, meanwhile, lasted only 3.2 innings for the Indians. While he experienced no issues with his injured finger, he relinquished six hits, two walks and two runs during his brief start.

The Fall Classic now heads to Wrigley Field for the first time since 1945 at a 1-1 stalemate.

FINAL SCORE: Cubs 5 – 1 Indians

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The World Series schedule is always announced in advance, and as soon as the All-Star Game is completed and the home-field advantage is assigned to the victorious league, it’s simply a matter of filling in the teams that are champions of their respective championship series.

Once the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians had established themselves as league champions, we knew they would play Game 2 of the World Series at Progressive Field Wednesday night at 8:08 p.m. ET.

That was the case, but not anymore. Major League Baseball, in receipt of a weather report that indicated rain was likely later on Wednesday night, switched the start time to 7:08 p.m. with the hope the Cubs and Indians will complete the game before heavy rain forces a halt to the action.

Fox will televise Game 2.

After Cleveland jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the series behind the dominant pitching of Corey Kluber, the Indians will try to stretch their advantage to 2-0 behind Trevor Bauer. The Cubs, who want to even the World Series at 1-1 before returning home to Wrigley Field for Friday’s Game 3, will send 2015 Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta to the mound.

Bauer will have to overcome a cut on the pinkie finger of his pitching hand, as well as the Cubs’ sluggers. He lasted just 21 pitches when he started Game 3 of the American League Championship Series before he was removed because his injured finger was bleeding.

Bauer told reporters he was confident he would be able to pitch in the World Series without incident, but he also said he was confident that his finger would not bleed prior to his ill-fated ALCS start.

“I wouldn’t take the mound if I didn’t feel confident I’d be able to pitch and help the team,” Bauer explained to reporters. “So, yeah, I’m confident like I was back then too.”

Arrieta had an 18-8 record with a 3.10 ERA during the regular season, but he has not been on top of his game this postseason. He takes a 4.91 postseason ERA into his start Wednesday night.

Arrieta explained that pitching in the World Series was his motivation for playing baseball. 

“It’s why you play the whole season,” he told reporters. “To hopefully be in this position to be one of the last two teams standing with an opportunity to win a World Series for your organization, your city, for your team, friends and family. So it means a ton.”

While the Cubs lost Game 1, they got a lift from the return of Kyle Schwarber, who doubled off Kluber and drew a walk off reliever Andrew Miller. Schwarber had not played since suffering two torn knee ligaments in an early-April game at Chase Field in Arizona.

The Indians got a boost in the series opener from catcher Roberto Perez, who clubbed two home runs. He had hit three home runs during the regular season but morphed from light-hitting catcher to Game 1 hero with his performance Tuesday night. 

“Oh, I don’t think I’ve ever had a night like that,” Perez told reporters.

Despite the six-run loss, the Cubs remain confident. Shortstop Addison Russell told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times that the team fought harder than the score indicated. 

“I think there’s a sour taste in our mouth tonight, because I think that we put up a better fight than that,” Russell said. “I went outside my approach and kind of pressed a little bit. But you turn the page. You stay hopeful and you get better tomorrow.”

If the Cubs don’t get better, they will be in an 0-2 hole when they return home to the Windy City, and that’s something they want to avoid.

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Jose Fernandez and two of his friends smelled of alcohol after divers pulled them from the wreckage following their fatal boat crash in September, a search warrant affidavit revealed, according to Julie K. Brown of the Miami Herald. 

Brown noted: “The toxicology tests for the young men are complete but have not been released by state investigators, citing an exemption in the public records law for open criminal investigations. Nor have the autopsies been released.”

The affidavit also indicated that the driver of the boat was going at a fast speed and operating the vessel with “recklessness” that was “exacerbated by the consumption of alcohol,” per Brown.

Per the affidavit, one of the men involved in the crash had a receipt from the American Social Bar & Kitchen, a waterfront bar in Brickell. Fernandez and the two friends arrived there at 12:55 a.m., according to Brown’s report.

Fernandez and his two friends, Emilio Jesus Macias and Eduardo Rivero, died in the early morning of Sept. 25 when the pitcher’s boat, “Kaught Looking,” ran into the rocks of the Government Cut north jetty. 

It is unknown whether Fernandez was the driver of the boat; however, according to Brown, most of Fernandez’s acquaintances believe he was driving “since he had just met Macias and Rivero’s friends say he had little boating experience.”

Fernandez spent the entirety of his MLB career with the Miami Marlins and was considered one of the best young pitchers in baseball.

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The awakening of the Cleveland Indians’ bats gave them a 6-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs and a 1-0 lead in the World Series Tuesday, but the teams are back in action Wednesday night, when the Cubbies have a chance at redemption.

Cleveland rode the dominance of starter Corey Kluber and reliever Andrew Miller into the driver’s seat; however, Chicago is unlikely to see either of them in Game 2, which means it has a golden opportunity to even things up.

Ahead of Wednesday’s pivotal Game 2, here is a look at the top odds and bets to consider, as well as a prediction for which team will come out on top.

Where: Progressive Field in Cleveland

When: Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET

Watch: Fox

Odds and Prop Bets

Cubs Player to Watch: Jake Arrieta

Jon Lester wasn’t his dominant self in Game 1, which adds pressure on Jake Arrieta to regain his Cy Young form in Game 2.

Arrieta won the National League Cy Young Award last season, and although his numbers were great this year (18-8 with a 3.10 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 190 strikeouts), he faltered a bit down the stretch.

The 30-year-old veteran went just 6-4 with a 3.69 ERA during the second half of the regular season, which was solid but far from the form he displayed previously.

His up-and-down nature has carried over into the playoffs, too, as he struggled in his National League Division Series start against the Los Angeles Dodgers by allowing six hits and four earned runs in five innings.

He can’t afford a similar outing in Game 2, especially since history is already working against the Cubs, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

The entire roster is counting on Arrieta to toss a gem Wednesday, and that includes Lester following his shaky performance, per Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times:

Arrieta‘s career postseason ERA of 4.11 may not inspire a ton of confidence, but he does boast a 1.01 WHIP and 38 strikeouts in 30.2 innings, which suggests some bad luck has been involved.

Despite his playoff inconsistencies, Arrieta seems ready to take the ball in the biggest game of the season to this point, according to Paul Skrbina of the Chicago Tribune.

“It’s why you play the whole season to be in this position,” the pitcher said. “It means a ton.”

A 1-0 deficit is already difficult to come back from, so the Cubs can’t afford to drop Game 2 as well.

Chicago’s bats will have to contribute to make that happen, but if Arrieta gives the Cubs length and quality, that will go a long way toward leveling the series.

Indians Player to Watch: Trevor Bauer

After being forced to exit his American League Championship Series start against the Toronto Blue Jays after just 0.2 innings due to a bleeding cut on his pinkie suffered while working on a drone, Trevor Bauer will take the mound for the Tribe.

While Bauer’s hand was a bloody mess against the Jays, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported that the injury appears to have improved:

In addition to that, Bauer insisted he feels good and ready to compete on the biggest stage in baseball, according to Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune.

“I feel confident every time I take the mound,” he said. “I wouldn’t take the mound if I didn’t feel I’d be able to pitch and help the team.”

Although the Indians are up 1-0, Bauer is facing a ton of pressure to go deep in the game due to Cleveland’s bullpen situation.

Miller threw 46 pitches Tuesday, so one can only assume that manager Terry Francona would rather not have to turn to him again.

Closer Cody Allen could potentially be available for multiple innings, but that would still require a long outing for Bauer or strong performances from some of Cleveland’s less heralded relievers.

Bauer went just 4.2 innings and allowed six hits, three earned runs and two home runs in the division series against the Boston Red Sox, which won’t cut it in Game 2.

The Cubs are a sleeping giant offensively with big bats such as Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell and Kyle Schwarber waiting to break out.

If Bauer can last against that lineup, it will go a long way toward ending Cleveland’s World Series championship drought.

Game 2 Prediction

Although Game 2 isn’t a must-win situation for the Cubs in a technical sense, the uphill climb toward winning the World Series would be steep if they fall behind 2-0.

Chicago has a deep enough starting rotation and lineup to overcome any deficit; however, talk of curses and “the same old Cubs” is bound to pop up if they are unable to tie the series in Game 2.

The pitching matchup appears to favor the Cubs despite Arrieta‘s hit-and-miss form as of late, especially since Bauer was poor down the stretch and has yet to turn in a strong playoff start.

Chicago also has too much hitting talent to stay down for long, while Cleveland isn’t going to get two home runs from catcher Roberto Perez every game like it did in Game 1.

The Cubs are better built to deliver consistent offensive performances, and their starter has a better chance to go deep in the game Wednesday.

The biggest key is the possibility that Miller may not even be available for the Indians, so if Chicago can knock Bauer out fairly early, that will put Cleveland at a disadvantage.

With the stakes at their highest so far this season, the Cubs will come through and deliver a victory in Game 2 to even up the series as it heads back to the Windy City.

Game 2 Prediction: Cubs 5, Indians 1

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Game 1 of the 2016 World Series went to the Cleveland Indians thanks to timely hitting and a stellar pitching performance by Corey Kluber, who along with relievers Andrew Miller and Cody Allen kept the Chicago Cubs off the scoreboard in a decisive 6-0 victory.

While winning the series opener is far better than losing it, it’d be premature to anoint the Indians as world champions. The Cubs are plenty capable of winning four of the next six games to make the Tribe’s Game 1 success a fleeting memory.

But before either team can think about embarking on a late-October winning streak, there’s Game 2 to deal with, which will pit Chicago’s Jake Arrieta (18-8, 3.10 ERA) against Cleveland’s Trevor Bauer (12-8, 4.26 ERA).

Bauer, who injured his pinky finger while repairing a drone and was limited his last time out, insists his injured digit won’t be an issue. We’ll find out whether he’s right soon enough.

What follows are the keys for each team finding success when the action gets underway from Progressive Field on Wednesday night.

Cubs: Attack, Attack, Attack

Chicago adopted a more patient approach at the plate in 2016, leading baseball with a franchise-record 656 walks and the National League with a .343 on-base percentage, second in the majors to Boston’s .348 mark.

“The more opportunities you’re going to get, the better off you’re going to be,” Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo explained to the Chicago Tribune‘s Mark Gonzales earlier this month. So it’s no surprise to see that Rizzo and his teammates were more productive when they took the first pitch of an at-bat.

Per FanGraphs, the Cubs were also one of the most productive teams against fastballs, generating more than 70 runs above average when faced with a heater. Guess what Bauer loves to throw, regardless of batters’ handedness, to start an at-bat?

According to Brooks Baseball, Bauer throws gas on the first pitch roughly 70 percent of the time. 

If that wasn’t enough reason for the Cubs to come out swinging in Game 2, there are also these numbers to consider:

That’s a massive drop in production—nearly as massive as Roberto Perez’s two home runs in Game 1.

For the Cubs to find success against Bauer in Game 2, they have to attack him as soon as they step into the batter’s box. There’s no mystery as to what he’s likely to start them off with.

That’s great news for the top of Chicago’s order, as Dexter Fowler, Kris Bryant, Rizzo and Ben Zobrist, who went a combined 3-for-15 with a walk and four strikeouts in Game 1 (Zobrist had all three hits), all fare well against heat.

Indians: Exploit the Matchup

As David Adler wrote for MLB.com, Cleveland has had success against Arrieta in the past, with the 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner pitching to a 8.69 ERA over four career starts against the Tribe, which is “more than two runs higher than his next-worst mark” against any other team. 

While only one of those starts came during Arrieta’s time with the Cubs—a five-inning stint on June 16, 2015, in which he allowed four earned runs while issuing six walks—the Tribe seem to have a good idea of how to attack the 30-year-old right-hander.

There’s also the issue of Cleveland’s baserunning prowess, which was a factor in Game 1 with Jon Lester on the mound. Opponents stole 23 bases against Arrieta during the regular season, tied for the fifth-highest total in baseball.

To combat that, Cubs manager Joe Maddon is considering starting rookie Willson Contreras behind the plate rather than Miguel Montero, Arrieta’s usual battery mate. 

“The facts are the facts,” Maddon told the Chicago Tribune‘s Paul Skrbina before Game 1. “They run, and Willson is one of the best young throwers in the game. You have to balance out how comfortable you think Jake’s going to be throwing to him versus Miggy.”

But here’s the thing: Arrieta isn’t comfortable with Contreras behind the plate.

While Contreras is a better hitter than Montero, there’s little difference between the two when it comes to controlling the running game with Arrieta on the mound.

Between Arrieta’s shaky history against the Indians, his recent struggles (a 4.97 ERA over his last five starts, including the playoffs) and the possibility he’ll be throwing to a catcher he doesn’t have a great rapport with, the stars are aligned for the Indians to jump out to an early lead in Game 2.

Both Teams: Ride Their Starters As Long as Possible

The threat of rain is very real in Game 2—enough for MLB to bump the first pitch up by an hour to try to stay ahead of the inclement weather.

According to the hourly forecast on Weather.com, the rain is only going to intensify as the night goes on. Don’t count on the game being called after only five or six innings—there’s a better chance of Albert Belle and Sammy Sosa coming out of retirement than there is of a rain-shortened World Series game.

But a lengthy rain delay is likely, and there’s a chance the weather could get bad enough for the umpires to suspend play until Thursday, which is supposed to be a travel day as the Fall Classic moves to Chicago for Games 3, 4 and, if necessary, 5 at Wrigley Field.

Whether it’s late Wednesday night or Thursday, both teams are going to need to lean on their bullpens to finish things up in Game 2. Accordingly, it would behoove each for Arrieta and Bauer to pitch as deep into the game as possible, something neither has been able to do with much success of late.

Arrieta lasted only five innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series, while Bauer has yet to finish five full innings this postseason, lasting only two-thirds of an inning in Game 3 of the NLCS due to his bleeding pinky.

Cleveland figures to be without its most valuable reliever, Miller, who threw 46 pitches in relief of Kluber in Game 1. That could give the Cubs the advantage in a rain-delayed contest.

Should the game be postponed to Thursday, we could see Danny Salazar take the hill for the Indians. Salazar, who hasn’t pitched since Sept. 9 due to a strained forearm, is expected to be on a strict pitch count.

No matter what Mother Nature has in store, one thing is for sure—the pitchers who start Game 2 won’t be the ones who finish it.

Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs.

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The Chicago Cubs played like they had not been in a World Series since 1945 as they fell to the Cleveland Indians 6-0 in Game 1 Tuesday.

But despite that loss, the Cubs remain slight favorites to win the series at most sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark and are listed as -155 chalk (bet $155 to win $100) to take Game 2 Wednesday.

Chicago will turn to 2015 National League Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta (0-1, 4.91 ERA in two starts this postseason) in an effort to even the series before heading to Wrigley Field for three games over the weekend.

The two outings for Arrieta (game log) in the playoffs both took place on the road and resulted in losses, but he went 11-3 with a 3.59 ERA in 15 regular-season starts away from home as opponents hit just .203 against him.

Cleveland will be hard-pressed to duplicate ace Corey Kluber’s performance in Game 1 after he set a World Series record by striking out eight batters in the first three innings.

Trevor Bauer will head to the mound next and hopes to last longer than his latest outing, which totaled less than an inning against the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS because stitches came loose on his pinky finger that was injured in an incident with a drone.

Bauer (game log) went 6-4 with a 4.73 ERA at Progressive Field during the regular season.

If Bauer cannot stay in the game again, the Indians have a solid option out of the bullpen in former starter Danny Salazar, who could throw up to 70 pitches after coming back from a forearm injury and being added to the postseason roster. Like designated hitter Kyle Schwarber for the Cubs, Salazar could be an X-factor in this series.

Schwarber had a fairly impressive Game 1 in his return from a gruesome knee injury that had sidelined him since the first week of the season, hitting a double with a walk and two strikeouts.

Cleveland manager Terry Francona improved to 9-0 in World Series games with the victory following two sweeps with the Boston Red Sox. Another betting trend in the Tribe’s favor is that the Game 1 winner has gone on to win the World Series 17 of the previous 19 years, including six straight.

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Jake Arrieta, line one is for you. It’s destiny calling—and it’s urgent.

Don’t worry. We’re not going to get too melodramatic after the Chicago Cubs‘ dispiriting 6-0 loss to the Cleveland Indians in Game 1 of the World Series at Progressive Field on Tuesday.

Wednesday’s Game 2, which will begin an hour early at 7:08 p.m. ET on Fox because of the threat of rain, isn’t a must-win for Chicago.

It’s a best-of-seven series; the math is simple.

It is, however, a really-should-win, as well as an opportunity for Arrieta to overcome his checkered postseason past.

Overall, Arrieta owns a 4.11 ERA in 30.2 career playoff innings. That screams mediocrity, but the story is far more complex.

All of Arrieta’s postseason appearances have come over the past two seasons with Chicago. In the 2015 National League Wild Card Game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he twirled nine shutout innings with no walks and 11 strikeouts.

That same year, Arrieta won the NL Cy Young Award with a 1.77 ERA and 236 strikeouts in 229 innings. Still, he wobbled in his next two postseason starts.

He surrendered four earned runs in 5.2 innings in Game 3 of the division series against the St. Louis Cardinals, which the Cubs ultimately won 8-6. Then he gave up four earned runs in five innings in a Game 2 loss in the National League Championship Series to the New York Mets.

The Cubs were swept in that series. As for Arrieta, the sample-size explanation jibed at the time.

Arrieta, however, slumped in the second half of 2016 and particularly in September and October, when he allowed 27 hits, 11 walks and 15 earned runs in 29.1 innings.

That fecklessness leaked into the playoffs. He yielded 12 hits and six earned runs in his starts in Game 3 of the division series versus the San Francisco Giants and Game 3 of the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, both Cubs losses.

Chicago maintained its momentum and nailed down the franchise’s first pennant since 1945 thanks to an offense that leads all postseason qualifiers with 48 runs scored and a pitching staff that has gotten superlative performances from the likes of Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks. 

Lester went unbeaten in the Cubs’ series against San Francisco and Los Angeles, rekindling the October magic that defined his stint with the Boston Red Sox, but he took the loss in Game 1 of the World Series.

Hendricks, meanwhile, mustered a sparkling performance in the clinching Game 6 against the Dodgers on Saturday, facing the minimum number of hitters through 7.1 shutout innings.

Skipper Joe Maddon and the Cubs brain trust, however, opted to push Hendricks back to Game 3 of the World Series, likely to afford him extra rest and exploit the 1.32 ERA he posted at Wrigley this season.

With veteran John Lackey locked in for Game 4, that leaves Arrieta on the hill for Game 2. Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi suggested the Cubs’ rotation was set up “nicely.”

It’s hyperbole to say Arrieta is all that stands between Chicago and a 2-0 series deficit. Indians relievers Andrew Miller and Cody Allen, however, demonstrated again Tuesday that an early Tribe lead is nearly insurmountable.

Cleveland ace Corey Kluber threw six shutout innings and made strikeout history, so dish credit in his direction.

Miller and Allen, though, recorded the final nine outs, six via strikeout. They’ve now combined for 22.1 scoreless playoff frames in 2016 with 39 whiffs.

Arrieta’s directive is to tamp down early offense. He needs to keep Cleveland off the board and give the Cubs a chance to draw first blood, neutralizing the threat of the Miller/Allen two-headed demon.

Arrieta posted a 3.59 ERA on the road this season compared to a 2.62 mark at home. So Maddon isn’t exactly playing the splits.

Instead, it’s time for the 30-year-old right-hander to conjure the guy who won the Senior Circuit’s highest pitching honor a season ago and authored two of MLB‘s last three no-hitters.

“It’s why you play the whole season,” Arrieta said, per Paul Skrbina of the Chicago Tribune. “To be in this position.”

Arrieta’s drop-off wasn’t the result of some cataclysmic event. He sported a 1.56 ERA at the end of May. Overall, however, his command fizzled, as he issued 76 walks in the regular season compared to 48 in 2015.

“It’s hard to repeat what he did last year,” Cubs catcher Miguel Montero said, per USA Today‘s Josh Peter. “He hasn’t pitched as well, but the stuff is still there.”

The point is, he’s not broken. He’s merely on the fritz. This is the time of year when unlikely heroes rise and stars wake from their slumber.

Locked and loaded as they were in Game 1, Indians hitters own a .219 postseason average. That number drops to .209 against righties.

“I would say the only problem Jake Arrieta has is excellent levels,” super-agent Scott Boras said of his client Oct. 18, per Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. “It’s the old story. Most people have a penthouse. He happens to have two or three floors. That’s where Jake is. Any one of the floors, we’re fine with.”

The Cubs would be fine with a quality outing and a chance to hand it off to their own pen, including flamethrower Aroldis Chapman.

Arrieta’s counterpart in Game 2, right-hander Trevor Bauer, is no sure bet as he recovers from a freak drone injury. 

Arrieta has every opportunity to be the better starter. He has a shot at high-profile redemption and an automatic pass to the annals of Cubbies lore.

Destiny is calling. Now, we need an answer.

All statistics current as of Tuesday and courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted. 

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After the Cleveland Indians took a 1-0 World Series lead with a 6-0 Game 1 victory, the Chicago Cubs will now try to even things up in Game 2.

Corey Kluber was outstanding to start things off for Cleveland, racking up nine strikeouts in six shutout innings before the bullpen finished off the shutout. Roberto Perez was also key, hitting two home runs with four RBI from the No. 9 hole in the lineup.

This is just one game in a best-of-seven series, but the pressure is now on the Cubs to bounce back and avoid falling into too deep of a hole before returning home.

World Series Game 2

When: Wednesday, Oct. 26

Time: 7 p.m. ET

Where: Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio

TV: Fox

Live Stream: FoxSportsGo

Preview

Chicago’s offense was a big disappointment in Game 1. Ben Zobrist did his job going 3-for-4 on the day, but the rest of the team ended up just 4-for-30 (.133 batting average).

Perhaps the most notable statistic was the 1-for-11 mark with runners in scoring position.

We have seen this lineup turn things around in a hurry, especially with elite hitters like Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, but the series isn’t off to a great start. On the plus side, the hardest part might be over for the time being.

Matt Spiegel of 670 The Score discussed the necessary strategy:

The Indians are planning on turning to Trevor Bauer in Game 2, although a lot rests on the right-hander’s pinkie.

Bauer’s last start came in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, but he was taken out after facing four batters when his finger started bleeding all over the mound. The pitcher had injured himself fixing a drone earlier in the week and his stitches opened up when he started pitching.

He remains confident going into his next start, however, much to the excitement of manager Terry Francona, per Jordan Bastian of MLB.com:

While Francona was unsure about whether Bauer or Josh Tomlin would start Game 2, he made up his mind Tuesday, according to Mike and Mike.

The Cubs might have more confidence with their starting pitcher as Jake Arrieta takes the mound. The 2015 Cy Young Award winner wasn’t great in his last outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers (four earned runs allowed in five innings), but he had a 3.10 ERA during the regular season with a .194 opponent batting average.

Although he hasn’t been as consistent lately, the 30-year-old starter has good enough stuff to give Cleveland’s offense trouble all game long. Even red-hot hitters like Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez can be slowed down by the talented starter.

While the Indians have the usual advantage in the bullpen, this might not be the case Wednesday after Andrew Miller was forced to throw 46 pitches across two innings in Game 1. According to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com, he hasn’t thrown this much in relief since 2011.

It’s difficult to imagine the lefty getting back onto the mound just one day after such a workload.

Cleveland has other capable relievers, but anyone who isn’t Miller is a relative drop-off considering what he has done this postseason (zero runs in 13.2 innings).

Look for Chicago’s hitters to bounce back while Arrieta does enough to help the Cubs pull even in the series. 

Prediction: Cubs 6, Indians 2

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The Cleveland Indians were able to take an early series lead with a 6-0 win in Game 1 of the 2016 World Series, and the Chicago Cubs will look to avoid a difficult two-game hole on Wednesday in Game 2.

The Indians used a quick start and some dominant pitching to earn the comfortable victory, as a two-run first inning was all the team needed. Wednesday’s contest will also be moved up early due to rain concerns later in the night, per MLB.

Let us take a look at the television and live-stream schedules, the latest odds and some comments from both teams ahead of Game 2.

Jake Arrieta is set to take the hill in Game 2, as he tries to rediscover the dominant form that had him penciled in as the Cy Young favorite at the beginning of the season.

Arrieta was 9-0 with an ERA under 2.00 through May, but he has faltered slightly ever since. The 30-year-old went 9-8 for the rest of the season, but he still finished with a solid 3.10 ERA. 

That slide has continued a bit in these playoffs, where Arrieta has two starts for an 0-1 record and a 4.91 ERA in just 11 innings. The Cubs need their star pitcher to turn it around on Wednesday, but they also need some offense and a strong arm behind the plate. As a result, Chicago manager Joe Maddon is contemplating whether to play Arrieta‘s preferred catcher, Miguel Montero, or the more skilled Willson Contreras.

“The facts are the facts,” Maddon said, per Paul Skrbina of the Chicago Tribune. “They run, and Willson is one of the best young throwers in the game. You have to balance out how comfortable you think Jake’s going to be throwing to him versus Miggy.”

Of Chicago’s three catchers, including David Ross, Contreras led the team by throwing out just over 37 percent of runners attempting to steal, while Montero threw out just under 11 percent and Ross posted roughly a 27 percent success rate. The Indians were fourth in the majors with 134 stolen bases in the regular season, but they have just four in nine games in these playoffs.

Of the two under consideration to start Game 2, Contreras has been far better offensively, hitting .282 in the regular season and .409 in the postseason compared to the .216 and .111 respective marks from Montero.

Adding a surprise bat into the World Series lineup in Kyle Schwarber could also get Arrieta some needed run support. The pitcher is certainly confident, as was relayed by ESPNChicago.com’s Jesse Rogers before Game 1:

Chicago president Theo Epstein also expressed assurance in the young Schwarber, praising the 23-year-old’s rigorous rehabilitation from an early-season knee injury, per the Chicago Tribune‘s Paul Sullivan.

“He did unbelievable job as a rehabbing player, and we weren’t going to take the opportunity away from him,” Epstein said. “He’s also a special talent and a special kid, and if anyone can contribute in a World Series environment after only four or five days of live pitching, it’s probably him.”

Schwarber did not show much rust on Tuesday, going 1-for-3 with a double and a crucial walk off Andrew Miller in the seventh inning to help load the bases.

On the other side, Trevor Bauer will start for the first time since his first-inning exit against the Toronto Blue Jays on Oct. 17. Yet, he does not anticipate his lacerated finger to cause problems again, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick:

Bauer will have a tough act to follow, as Corey Kluber was sensational in Game 1, going six innings, allowing no runs and four hits, and setting a franchise record with nine strikeouts in a World Series game, per SportsCenter.

As ESPN.com’s Andrew Marchand reported before Game 1, Cleveland manager Terry Francona is hoping he can get quality outings from his first three starters, which also includes Josh Tomlin. This would allow Kluber the opportunity for a possible Game 7 start, but Francona needs his other starters to help.

“It’s not just one guy can handle it and maybe come back early,” Francona said, per Marchand. “Because once you do that, then the other guys pretty much have to, too, [or] you’re really not helping yourself.”

While Kluber and the Cleveland bullpen were the catalysts for the win, the team did score six runs behind a breakout performance from catcher Roberto Perez. He went 2-for-4 on Tuesday, including two historic home runs, per USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale:

Perez’s teammates took notice of Perez’s play, as Miller noted that the mostly unproven player deserves his current playing time, per Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.

“He should be a star catcher,” Miller said. “He’s going in that direction. He’s that good behind the plate defensively.”

Francisco Lindor, who also had a big night by going 3-for-4 with a walk, said that despite Perez’s abysmal .183 average this season, the catcher had the potential for this type of outing, per Rosenthal.

“Remember, he went a long time without playing,” Lindor said. “He just needed time. If you take away the first 70 to 100 at-bats, he had a good offensive year.”

Still, even with the 15 total strikeouts and shaky pitching in Game 1, Ross believes the Cubs can build from this loss and improve against Cleveland’s top guys as the series progresses, per MLB.com‘s Jordan Bastian and Carrie Muskat.

“We knew [the Indians’ formula] going in,” Ross said about facing Kluber, Miller and Cody Allen, “but I think the moral of the story is we got to see those guys on Day 1. Hopefully, that will pay off later.” 

Chicago better hope it can bounce back, as its streaky postseason offense once again did the team in. With some uncertainty around how well Arrieta will pitch and which Cubs lineup will appear, it looks like it could be a tough Game 2 for the visitors.

Chicago did show that it can improve against aces when seeing them again, as it solved Clayton Kershaw to clinch the NLCS from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yet, the series could be spinning out of control for the Cubs by the time Kluber returns to the mound for Game 4.

Statistics are courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted. Game 2 odds courtesy of Odds Shark.

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