Wrigley Field will host its first World Series game since 1945 when the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians square off Friday night with the Fall Classic knotted at one game apiece. If the National League Championship Series was any indication, the atmosphere should be electric.
“Tomorrow’s going to be unbelievable,” Indians first baseman Mike Napoli said Thursday, according to the Associated Press’ Jay Cohen. “I watched when they clinched to go to the World Series and how crazy it was and seeing the fans in the streets where they had to have police escorts. You could just see the crowd just part ways.”
With excitement building and the Windy City ready to party if the Cubs take a 2-1 lead behind starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks, here’s a look at when and where you can catch all the action:
What They’re Saying Before Game 3
Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber went 3-for-7 with a double and two RBI as a designated hitter in Games 1 and 2, but his role will be reduced now that the series has shifted back to Chicago.
With the designated hitter out of play, the Cubs determined Thursday that Schwarber would not be able to play the field after he tore two ligaments in his left knee just six months ago.
As a result, he’ll be relegated to pinch-hit duty.
“This is not disappointing at all,” Schwarber said, per the Chicago Tribune’s Mark Gonzales. “It was a long shot at the most. Obviously, I want to be out there for my teammates. It’s the competitor inside me. But facts are facts. I just can’t physically do it. I’ll be ready during the game to pinch hit.”
And according to Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein, it would be too risky for Schwarber to start in the outfield based on the severity of the injury he’s recovering from.
“Medically, the doctors were very convicted there was too much risk in playing the outfield because of the dynamic actions involved, the instantaneous reactions, the need to cut in the outfield, the dynamic athletic moments that are unanticipated in the outfield,” he said, according to Gonzales.
With Schwarber out of the starting lineup, Indians starter Josh Tomlin will attempt to tame a Cubs team that rattled off nine hits and chased starter Trevor Bauer from Game 2 after 3.2 innings.
Take it from Indians manager Terry Francona, though: Tomlin doesn’t figure to be fazed by the size of the stage.
“You talk about his demeanor, attitude or whatever,” Francona said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Toni Ginnetti. “I just think he’s built to pitch good all the time. I think when you get challenged, like [Friday] is going to be an incredible atmosphere, it feels good to send him to the mound.”
The Indians are 2-0 in Tomlin’s starts this postseason, and his cumulative 2.53 ERA against the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays suggests he’ll be able to find success even though he’ll take the mound in a hostile environment.
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