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It’s been a while, but with the regular season a distant memory and no more than five games remaining in the 2016 MLB season, the time has come to play some fact or fiction as we prepare for what should be a dizzying, somewhat bizarre hot-stove league during the offseason. 

Cue the Welcome Back, Kotter theme song—or Mase’s last attempt at staying relevant.

While the rumor mill is still warming up, bits and pieces of speculation have been sputtering out of its exhaust pipes like chunks of snow after your neighborhood street plow has kindly encased your car in a cocoon of sludge. 

Can a perennial contender keep its longtime dynamic duo together in the middle of its lineup? Is a veteran-laden club prepared to part with one of its younger assets in an attempt to get even younger? Does “not ruling out a return” actually mean there’s no chance of a player staying with his most recent employer? 

We’ll hit on all that and more in this week’s triumphant return of fact or fiction.

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The Chicago Cubs had no reason to panic after losing Game 1. Although Jon Lester absorbed a defeat pitching against Cleveland Indians ace Corey Kluber, the Cubs had 2015 Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta on the mound in Game 2.

After a shaky first inning in which he walked two batters, Arrieta settled into a comfortable groove and shut down the Cleveland offense. At the same time, Kyle Schwarber and Ben Zobrist got the offense going, and the Cubs evened the World Series with a 5-1 victory.

There was a sigh of relief in the Chicago clubhouse and throughout Major League Baseball. The Cubs were breathing easier because they avoided going home in an 0-2 hole, while the league was happy to get the second game in without a delay.

The game started an hour earlier than originally planned because the forecast called for rain, and if the the game had not reached its conclusion, it could have delayed the World Series even further, as more rain is expected on Thursday in Cleveland.

The Cubs should have a major advantage in Game 3. Not only do they return home to Wrigley Field and their adoring fans, they have Kyle Hendricks on the mound against Josh Tomlin.

Hendricks is a Cy Young candidate as a result of his brilliant 2016 season. He finished the year with a 16-8 record and had a brilliant 2.13 earned run average. He also had a remarkable 0.979 WHIP.

He is also coming off a brilliant performance in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in which he pitched 7.1 innings, allowed two hits, struck out six and did not walk a batter in the Cubs’ 5-0 victory.

Tomlin had a 13-9 record with a 4.40 ERA and a 1.190 WHIP. Tomlin has a 2-0 record in the postseason, having defeated the Boston Red Sox in the American League Division Series and the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS. He has a 0.938 WHIP in the postseason.

Tomlin has performed well in the postseason, but Hendricks had a brilliant season and is coming off a clutch performance against the Dodgers.

The Cubs also have the advantage with hitters like Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez and Addison Russell. Additionally, Schwarber‘s return from the torn ligament that had sidelined him since early April is a remarkable story.

Schwarber has three hits in two games as a designated hitter. It remains to be seen if he will be cleared to play the field in the National League ballpark or whether the Cubs will only be able to use him in a pinch-hitting role.

For the Indians, the strategy is to get an early lead and turn the game over to the bullpen. Andrew Miller, who pitched two innings in Game 1 and was the ALCS MVP, did not pitch in Game 2 and will have the benefit of a day off on Thursday. He should be ready to throw another two innings before turning the ball over to closer Cody Allen.

Of course, that strategy only works if the Indians have the lead in the ninth inning.

Prediction

The Cubs will return to their championship-hungry fans, and they will play well and build up a solid lead.

They will attack Tomlin and give Hendricks a 6-2 advantage, and he will pitch six innings before manager Joe Maddon turns the game over to his bullpen. The never-say-die Indians will cut into the lead, but they’ll still trail by two runs in the ninth.

Their chances will look slim when Aroldis Chapman comes into the game with his 103 mph fastball. However, the Indians will raise their concentration level and mount a rally. Mike Napoli will strike the big blow when he launches a two-run homer onto Waveland Avenue, giving the Indians a two-run lead.

Allen will come in and close down the Cubs. The Indians will stun the Cubs and their fans with an 8-6 come-from-behind victory.

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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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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

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

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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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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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The Cleveland Indians took their first step toward winning a World Series title Tuesday with a 6-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 and can seize a commanding 2-0 lead with another home win Wednesday.

The tandem of Corey Kluber, Roberto Perez and Andrew Miller was far too much for Chicago in Game 1.

Kluber outdueled Jon Lester with six-plus shutout innings. He allowed just four hits and struck out nine Cubs hitters, and he became the first pitcher in MLB history to notch eight punchouts through three innings in a World Series game, per Sports Illustrated.

Miller pitched scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth and danced out of trouble in each, while Perez connected with two home runs for four RBI even though he hit only three long balls all season.

Attention now moves to Game 2 on Wednesday, which will air on Fox. According to Tom Withers of the Associated Press, it will start at 7:08 p.m. ET instead of 8:08 p.m. because of the possibility of late rain in the forecast.

Game 2 Preview and Prediction

The Cubs will turn toward Jake Arrieta on Wednesday with the hopes of tying the series.

It is a testament to the strength of their starting rotation that Arrieta is the No. 3 starter at this point even though he won the National League Cy Young Award last year. He will pitch Wednesday because Kyle Hendricks just threw a gem in Saturday’s Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Arrieta was a machine last year with a 1.77 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 236 strikeouts but saw a decline in his production in 2016. He still posted a solid 3.10 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 190 strikeouts and even had a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds in April.

Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times underscored how much pressure will be on the right-hander when he takes the hill:

That same pressure will be there for Cleveland’s Trevor Bauer.

According to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com, Indians manager Terry Francona said Bauer will start Game 2 even though he pitched a mere 0.2 innings in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series. He had to leave the game against the Toronto Blue Jays because a laceration on the pinkie finger of his pitching hand was bleeding all over his uniform and the ball.

He is not exactly a lights-out pitcher even when fully healthy and finished the 2016 campaign with a 4.26 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. What’s more, his 168 strikeouts were a drop-off from last year’s 170 even though he pitched 14 more innings this season.

Cleveland will need to rely on its bullpen if Bauer struggles, and Miller’s workload from Tuesday’s game could make that a problem. He faced a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the seventh and runners on the corners in the eighth, and he managed to escape each situation without allowing a single run, but he threw 46 high-stress pitches.

That number could limit his availability for Game 2, at least in terms of pitching multiple innings.

Buster Olney of ESPN The Magazine captured why a limited Miller would be a boost for the Cubs:

Chicago’s offense was invisible against Kluber, but this is still a group that scored 10, eight and five runs, respectively, in the last three games of the NLCS. The five runs came off three-time NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw.

Sometimes, one of the best pitchers in the league simply has his stuff, and that was the case Tuesday with Kluber. Don’t read too much into Chicago’s offensive struggles in the small, one-game sample size.

Kyle Schwarber wasn’t even there for those offensive outbursts against the Dodgers but proved his mettle Tuesday with a double off the wall and an impressive walk against Miller. He tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee in April but managed to make his way back for the World Series and will provide another lift in Game 2.

That offense will get to Bauer early and then add on in the middle innings against bullpen pitchers who aren’t named Miller.

Arrieta may not be the unhittable force he was in 2015, but he is still one of the most formidable pitchers in the National League when pitching at his best. He will settle in with the early run support and eventually hand the ball to Pedro Strop, Hector Rondon and Aroldis Chapman in the Chicago bullpen.

Lester summarized Chicago’s mindset after the Game 1 loss and harkened back to the 2-1 deficit it faced in the NLCS, per Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago: “Just like L.A.—everybody counted us out after Game 3. They said we were the worst best team in baseball. We’re not giving up.”

The Cubs already overcame one deficit this postseason and will start their journey toward a second comeback Wednesday.

Prediction: Cubs 6, Indians 3

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The World Series is underway, and while that means an exciting week of baseball to come, it also means we’re just one week away from the start of the MLB offseason.

The end of another season is always met with some level of sadness as winter starts to close in and we once again kick off the countdown to spring training.

However, there’s always a wealth of offseason action to come, and that’s what we previewed here.

Ahead, you’ll find a breakdown of this year’s free-agent class, with players lumped into three categories: under-the-radar free agents, second-tier free agents and top-tier free agents.

We’ve also included a rundown of some notable potential trade candidates as well as made a prediction for the surprise move of the offseason.

Think of this as your primer for another long offseason to come.

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