For the baseball fan who appreciates the historical aspect of the game, the Chicago Cubs clinching the National League Championship Series on Saturday night with a 5-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers set up a dream World Series against the Cleveland Indians.
Before we get into the final teams remaining, here’s a look at the postseason bracket:
Odds To Win World Series
Odds relayed by Odds Shark
Cleveland Indians: 163-100
Chicago Cubs: 50-59
Predictions
Cubs defeat Indians in seven games for World Series title
These will be two teams with conflicting amounts of rest heading into the World Series. Come Tuesday, the Indians will have had over five days of rest while the Cubs will have had two.
There are opposite views that come up about rest. Some believe a break is good for a weary team that has played over 170 games in a season. Others will say it quells the momentum gained through a busy October schedule.
One thing that is certain is the dominant Indians pitching is coming into the Fall Classic fresh off resounding performances in the American League Division Series and American League Championship Series.
In eight games, they went 7-1 with with a 1.77 ERA while allowing just 15 runs. Though it’s been a makeshift rotation of sorts behind Corey Kluber, Cleveland’s bullpen has been stellar behind Andrew Miller, who struck out 14 batters in 7.2 innings in the ALCS:
However, Cleveland’s offense has struggled in the postseason, batting just .208. They’ve relied on the long ball during October, launching 11 home runs compared to their 26 RBI.
They’re going to be meeting a Cubs team that has allowed just four home runs in 10 postseason games, so that option could be in jeopardy in the World Series.
On top of that, the Chicago offense has ignited to look like the one that led the majors with 4.99 runs per game during the regular season.
After being shut out twice in a row by the Dodgers in Games 2 and 3 of the NLCS, the Cubs scored 23 runs on 33 hits over their last three games.
They’ve also scored 21 more runs than the Indians have this postseason, although the Cubs have played three more games.
But with their ability to get after Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw on Saturday, Cubs bats look unstoppable:
Heading into the Fall Classic, the Chicago Cubs are playing a more well-rounded brand of baseball, which is why they’ll squeak out their first World Series title in 108 years in seven games.
Stats courtesy of MLB.com.
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