After the Chicago Cubs’ decisive 9-3 win in Game 6 of the World Series on Tuesday, everything will come down to Wednesday’s Game 7 in a series that has been evenly matched throughout.
The Cubbies will send Kyle Hendricks to the mound, while the Tribe will counter with the man who is arguably the World Series MVP front-runner in Corey Kluber. Both teams will also have stacked bullpens at their disposal; starter Jon Lester and closer Aroldis Chapman will be available for Chicago, while the formidable duo of Andrew Miller and Cody Allen will be waiting in the wings for Cleveland.
Chicago and Cleveland have the two longest World Series droughts in Major League Baseball, so one curse will end Wednesday, while another will continue.
Ahead of the highly anticipated Game 7 clash, here is everything you need to know about when and where to watch the game, as well as what both teams are saying before the pivotal tilt.
Where: Progressive Field in Cleveland
When: Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET
Watch: Fox
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
What the Cubs Are Saying
The Cubs were in a win-or-go-home situation in Game 6, and not only did they play that way, but manager Joe Maddon also managed as if their backs were against the wall.
Despite having a five-run lead in the seventh inning, Maddon brought Chapman into the game two days after he threw 42 pitches. Critics met the move with skepticism since the contest appeared to be well in hand, but Maddon stood behind the decision, according to ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers:
It was just the middle of their batting order. There was just no other way to look at that and feel good, man. That could have been the ballgame right there…I thought the game could have been lost right there if we did not take care of it properly…So he went out there and he was outstanding again.
Chapman has thrown 62 pitches over the past two games, but there didn’t appear to be any concern about his availability for Game 7.
In fact, the Cuban southpaw insisted he will be ready to go when called upon in the winner-take-all spectacle, per Rogers:
I don’t worry about a few extra pitches. I have all the strength and mentality to pitch in this scenario. I’m ready for [Game 7] 100 percent. It’s the last game of the season. You cannot save anything. Time to leave it all on the field.
[…]
I feel blessed that I’m just healthy to pitch in this situation. This is [why] the Cubs brought me over.
How much the Cubs need Chapman in Game 7 will depend on the performance of Hendricks. He didn’t allow a run in his first start of the World Series and allowed just two hits in 7.1 innings in the clinching game of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Per Stats LLC (h/t ESPN.com), the NL Cy Young contender is ready to live out a lifelong fantasy Wednesday:
This is the ultimate dream. You dream of getting to the World Series, winning the World Series. When you’re out in your backyard as a kid, playing Little League at the field with your friends, this is the moment you dream about, Game 7, 3-2, two outs, something like that, bottom of the ninth. But it’s always Game 7 of the World Series.
[…]
I’m just going to embrace the opportunity like I have the rest of this postseason, honestly. Approach it like any other game, simple thoughts, the same old thing.
The Cubs’ bats came to life in a big way in Game 6, with Addison Russell (2-for-5, HR, 2B, 6 RBI), Kris Bryant (4-for-5, HR, RBI) and Anthony Rizzo (3-for-5, HR, 2 RBI) all posting huge numbers.
A similar performance in Game 7 would almost certainly end Chicago’s championship drought, but a tighter game seems likely, which means Hendricks will have to be locked in.
What the Indians Are Saying
After seizing a 3-1 lead and putting themselves on the brink of World Series glory, the Indians dropped two straight and are now in danger of blowing a huge opportunity.
First baseman Mike Napoli said that going to Game 7 isn’t ideal, but he insisted he and his teammates are ready for the challenge, according to Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com: “It is frustrating. We gave ourselves the opportunity to close it out. It’s going to come down to one game. We’re going to come out here and leave it on the field.”
Manager Terry Francona echoed those sentiments and stressed the importance of purging Game 6 from the memory bank, per Zack Meisel of Cleveland.com: “Tonight was a tough night. What it comes down to, we have to go out and win a really important game tomorrow. We’ll be excited to play. You learn from your mistakes and move on quickly, and we’ll do that. It will be exciting to come to the ballpark tomorrow.”
The Indians are 2-0 in games Kluber has started during the World Series, and they will bank on him in Game 7.
According to ESPN’s Lisa Kerney, the Indians are hopeful Kluber can accomplish something that hasn’t been done in nearly 50 years:
It can be argued that Cleveland is at somewhat of a disadvantage since Kluber is working on three days’ rest, but Francona is confident his ace will be good to go, according to Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune: “Conversations with him, the way he treats his body, the way he works his routines. Good players, good pitchers can do special things. He’s in that category.”
Kluber also commented on working on short rest, and after doing so effectively in Game 4, he has little concern about his ability to bounce back for Game 7, per Hoynes:
I spend a little more time doing the different methods of recovery that we have available here. But I still get the same amount of work in between starts, it’s just a little more condensed. I haven’t found much of a difference yet in how I feel when I got out there on three days’ rest as opposed to four.
The 2014 AL Cy Young award winner has a huge challenge in front of him, especially now that the Cubs lineup appears to be firing on all cylinders.
Kluber will have plenty of backup in the form of Miller and Allen, though. The game will be in the hands of Francona in many respects, which isn’t a bad thing for Cleveland, given his championship resume.
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