Kuzul

The World Series is over. Now begins the long, dark, cold road to spring training.

Better fire up the hot stove.

No Major League Baseball will be played in the next few months, but plenty of new homes will be found for free agents and trade targets. ‘Tis the season for wheeling and dealing.

There’s no time like the present to preview it all. Ahead is a breakdown of the best bargain bin, second-level and top-level free agents, as well as a look at the top trade candidates. At the end is a look at which teams figure to be the most active in the offseason market.

Ready? Let’s get to it.

Begin Slideshow

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.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

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After 108 years of waiting, Chicago Cubs fans will witness an epic Game 7 of the World Series tonight, even though their guys will be battling for the championship at Progressive Field in Cleveland. For the Cleveland Indians, it’s been 78 years since their last title, so their fans have done perhaps enough waiting for a lifetime as well. 

In Game 6, Chicago routed Cleveland on its home field, winning 9-2 powered by three home runs from Kris Bryant in the first, Addison Russell in the third and finally Anthony Rizzo in the ninth. The Indians once held a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Cubs, but that seems like ancient history ahead of tonight’s decisive Game 7. 

Pitching has been a major storyline all series, from the Cubs stellar starters to the Indians diabolical bullpen. Tonight, all eyes will be on the starters, 2014 Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber for Cleveland and Kyle Hendricks, a Cy Young candidate this season, for Chicago. 

Before the series, Indians manager Terry Francona told Kluber that he was counting on his ace to take the mound in Games 1, 4 and 7 should they be necessary, and how much Francona has needed to rely on Kluber‘s arm cannot be overstated. Kluber will have to deliver one more time if Cleveland hopes to win tonight in front of its fans. 

In Game 1, Kluber was dominant—he threw six scoreless innings, giving up only four hits while walking no batters and striking out nine. In that game, the Indians offense was dominant as well, scoring six runs in a game where it only really needed one, and Cleveland would win 6-0. 

Then, in Saturday’s Game 4, Kluber posted a similar line. He went six innings again, this time allowing one run on five hits. He fanned six Cubs and walked one. Again, the Indians lineup threw crooked numbers up on the scoreboard to secure the 7-2 victory and push Chicago to the brink of elimination. 

Perhaps most notably in terms of tonight’s game, though, is that Kluber—who will be pitching on just three days rest for the second consecutive start—threw fewer than 90 pitches in both of his starts in the World Series. He threw 88 pitches (59 strikes) in Game 1 and then only 81 (58 strikes) in Game 4. Although tonight will be Kluber‘s third start in just more than a week, the fact that he hasn’t been overworked should be a source of confidence for Francona and the Cleveland fans. 

Kluber has been nothing short of spectacular all postseason long. In his five starts in the playoffs, he’s thrown 30.1 innings and pitched to a 0.89 ERA. Also, per MLB.com, he’s kept his WHIP below one at 0.99. Although Kluber has gone just six innings in both of his World Series starts, he doesn’t necessarily need to do more than that to secure a championship for his squad. 

The ace of the Indians bullpen, Andrew Miller, threw exactly zero pitches in Games 5 and 6, so he will be ready to slot into any jam or inning that Francona needs him to and perhaps go up to three innings. That’s a huge buffer for Kluber to have, knowing that he doesn’t have to go the distance to give his team the best chance to win.

So far in the World Series, Cubs hitters are hitting just .205 off of Kluber, a number they will need to elevate tonight if they hope to break the multitude of curses that may or may not be plaguing their team and their city. 

Kluber‘s adversary in Game 7 will be the wiry Hendricks, who turned in a startlingly great regular season for Chicago. Hendricks led Major League Baseball with a 2.13 ERA in the regular season, which was 0.31 runs per game lower than the next closest pitcher in that category, his teammate Jon Lester. 

Emotions in the playoffs are high—and that’s an understatement. There is perhaps no greater test for a pitcher than to start Game 7 of a World Series when the last seven months of baseball rest on his shoulders. However, Hendricks might just be perfect for the opportunity. 

During a report from Cleveland on ESPN this morning, Pedro Gomez described Hendricks’ demeanor when he pitches. Gomez said that after striking out the side, for example, a time when his teammates would expect him to stomp into the dugout all pumped up, Hendricks strolls in with his head down, seemingly unimpressed with himself. 

While it’s no sin to use the adrenaline that comes with starting a Game 7, Hendricks’ collectedness might come in handy as he battles the Indians in what is sure to be a hostile Cleveland crowd. 

Hendricks has made four starts in the postseason, the most recent coming in Game 3 against the Indians, the first game of the series at Wrigley Field. In that contest, Hendricks lasted only 4.1 innings despite not giving up a run. Manager Joe Maddon‘s quick hook with Hendricks had largely to do with the closeness of the game, in which the Cubs would fall 1-0. 

His best start of the postseason, however, came a round earlier in Game 6 of the NLCS. Hendricks threw 7.1 scoreless innings while opposing Los Angeles Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw. Hendricks surrendered only two hits in that game and struck out six, propelling the Cubs to the World Series. Tonight will not be Hendricks’ first potentially series-clinching start of the postseason. 

There is something that could give Cubs fans pause with Hendricks, however. During the regular season, Hendricks’ numbers varied quite a bit at home versus when he pitched on the road, as he will do tonight. At Wrigley Field, Hendricks’ ERA was a blistering 1.32. When he traveled away from the Friendly Confines, though, it ballooned to 2.95.

Now, an ERA of under three runs per game is nothing to scoff at, especially when you consider that no pitcher in the American League had an ERA less than three. Still, it does suggest that Hendricks may not be as effective when pitching on the road, which could significantly impact tonight’s outcome. The sample sizes are nearly the same, but Hendricks gave up 17 more runs on the road than he did at home. 

Hendricks did pitch his 4.1 scoreless innings in Game 3 at Progressive Field, so there’s no evidence that he can’t be just as dominant tonight, although hopefully for a longer stretch if you’re Maddon. 

These two pitchers enter the most important game of their lives with impressive resumes, and they both possess the ability to pitch deep into this game and potentially shut out the dangerous offenses they’re tasked with oppressing. 

From the standpoint of the pitching matchup, I’d have to give the edge to Kluber and the Indians, based on his body of work this postseason and in the World Series. Having said that, I’m taking the Cubs to win Game 7, mostly citing momentum, history and their blazing bats after Game 6. 

This one could very well be decided late into the night, and that will be because both teams’ starters refused to be outdone.

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For the second time in three years, baseball bettors will be treated to a Game 7 in the World Series, with the road team trying to win again.

This season, it will be the Chicago Cubs looking to win the World Series for the first time since 1908 as small -120 betting favorites Wednesday at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark against the Cleveland Indians.

The Tribe have home-field advantage and last won the World Series back in 1948.

The Cubs have now won two of the first three games at Cleveland following a 9-3 victory in Game 6 on Tuesday after the Indians had taken two of three in Chicago to head home with a 3-1 series lead.

In other words, there has not been much of a home-field edge for either side, and three of the past four World Series have been won on the road, including each of the last two. The San Francisco Giants last did it in a Game 7 two years ago versus the Kansas City Royals, and the Pittsburgh Pirates are the most recent team to win the World Series on the road after trailing 3-1 back in 1979.

Cleveland ace Corey Kluber will stake his claim for MVP honors as he goes for his third win in the World Series. Kluber has stifled the Cubs offensively in his previous two starts, holding them to one run and nine hits over 12 innings with one walk and 15 strikeouts.

While Kluber will be pitching on short rest for the third time in the series, the Indians did not have to use any of their top three relievers in Game 6 and will have a fresh Andrew Miller, Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen all ready to go.

Kluber will be opposed by MLB ERA leader Kyle Hendricks, who will make his first road start of the playoffs, as he has pitched much better at Wrigley Field this year. Hendricks went 7-6 with a 2.95 ERA in 16 outings away from home during the regular season but still held opponents to a .213 batting average.

Hendricks earned the clinching win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS, allowing two hits in 7.1 scoreless innings.

Unlike Cleveland, though, Chicago’s bullpen will not be nearly as strong outside of possibly using starters Jon Lester and John Lackey in relief if Hendricks struggles. That’s because closer Aroldis Chapman has thrown 62 pitches in his last two appearances over three days, making his availability past one inning questionable at best after manager Joe Maddon used him in Game 6 with a five-run lead.

The over has cashed in two of the last three games of the World Series after the under went 3-0 in the first three, according to the Odds Shark MLB Database.

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The Chicago Cubs have won two must-games in a row. If they are going to win their first World Series since 1908, they will have to make it a hat trick.

The Cubs jumped out to an early 7-0 lead in Game 6, thanks in large part to some shaky outfield play by the Cleveland Indians in the first inning and a grand slam by Addison Russell in the third inning. The Cubs came away with a 9-3 victory to tie the World Series at three games each.

The Cubs got on the board in the first inning when Kris Bryant hit a two-out solo home run, and they added two more runs when center fielder Tyler Naquin and right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall let Russell’s fly ball drop between them.

Jake Arrieta was the beneficiary of Cleveland’s generosity and the Cubs’ offensive display, and he gave manager Joe Maddon 5.2 innings of three-hit baseball in which he allowed two earned runs.

However, as one-sided as the game was, Maddon appeared to make a strange move when he brought in closer Aroldis Chapman in the seventh inning with a five-run lead.

Chapman, who had pitched 2.2 innings Sunday in a high-stress situation, pitched into the ninth inning when he was replaced Pedro Strop.

With the seventh game looming, just how much will Chapman have left in the tank?

Game 7 will belong to starting pitchers Kyle Hendricks of the Cubs and Corey Kluber of the Indians. Hendricks had a special regular season and has been sharp in the postseason with a 1-1 record and a 1.31 earned-run average in 20.2 innings. He has struck out 17 batters and walked six.

Kluber has had a dominant postseason as he has compiled a 4-1 record with a 0.89 ERA in 30.1 innings. He has struck out 35 batters and walked just eight.

Hendricks has had one more day of rest than Kluber, but the big pitchers in the Cleveland bullpen are well-rested. Andrew Miller has not pitched since Saturday, while Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw haven’t pitched since Sunday.

“This is the ultimate dream,’’ Hendricks told Bob Nightengale of USA Today. “You dream of getting to the World Series, winning the World Series.”

Kluber was somewhat philosophical about his role. “First, and foremost,’’ Kluber told Nightengale, “it’s been a blast. I think we’ve all really enjoyed ourselves. I think we can take a lot from the way we approached it, not not treating it more than just each game is another game.’’

The Cubs scored three runs in Sunday’s Game 5 victory and then broke out with nine runs in Game 6. Bryant and Anthony Rizzo both hit home runs in the game, and Kyle Schwarber also had a hit batting in the No. 2 hole.

If the Cubs can continue to hit, they should have an excellent chance of ending their 108-year World Series drought. However, the Indians have their pitching set up well for the decisive game, and if Kluber can remain sharp, they will have an excellent chance of winning their first World Series since 1948.

Prediction

The seventh game of the World Series is a special event, and the pitching matchup between Hendricks and Kluber seems somewhat reminiscent of the 1991 Atlanta Braves-Minnesota Twins matchup that featured John Smoltz squaring off against Jack Morris.

The Twins and Morris won that game 1-0 in 10 innings.

This game may not go extra innings, but it should be a memorable battle between two great starters.

However, the Indians have the stronger bullpen, and their top relievers appear to be in an excellent position. Look for the Indians to win the World Series as they earn a 3-2 Game 7 victory.

That will mark the end of Cleveland’s frustration, but the Cubs will go into 2017 with a 109-year dry spell.

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It all comes down to Wednesday night, as the Chicago Cubs will take on the Cleveland Indians in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series with each team looking to end long championship droughts.

The Cubs, having not won the World Series since 1908, battled back to tie the series after being down 3-1, including a massive 9-3 road win on Tuesday night. The Indians, who have not won a world title since 1948, could not contain the Cubs in Game 6, but the team has to feel good with several big names available to take the hill in MLB‘s final game of the 2016 season.

Let us take a look at the schedule for Game 7, as well as a breakdown of this colossal showdown at Progressive Field.

Game 7 Preview

A pair of aces will square off on Wednesday as Chicago sends out Kyle Hendricks to combat Cleveland stud Corey Kluber.

Hendricks led the majors in ERA this season at 2.13, and that strong play has carried over into the playoffs. In four starts, the 26-year-old is sporting a 1.31 ERA despite a modest 1-1 record. He did not allow a run in his lone start of the series, but he was tacked for six hits in just 4.1 innings. 

The Cubs need Hendricks to put in quality work in Game 7, which would equate to about five innings and no more than two runs allowed. Chicago has plenty of arms at its disposal that will be available in the team’s final game of the year, and CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa postulated that another Cubs ace will be a major factor:

In addition to Jon Lester, the Cubs will also have John Lackey available to potentially get a few outs. This could be significant, considering Aroldis Chapman pitched four innings in the last two games. The closer has looked sensational with only two hits and a walk allowed in that span, but will fatigue be a factor if he is needed with the game on the line Wednesday? That is yet to be determined.

Regardless of how it decides on its pitching strategy, Chicago will need its best effort, as Cleveland will deploy its full arsenal of elite arms in Game 7.

Kluber is showing off elite stuff this postseason, flashing a 4-1 mark with a 0.89 ERA in five starts. He is arguably the World Series MVP at this point, allowing just nine hits and one earned run in two starts. His ERA is also historically low, per USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale:

The 30-year-old will be pitching on short rest for the second time in this series, but Cleveland’s early Game 6 blowout loss should actually help take any pressure off Kluber to go deep in Game 7.

The Indians’ dominant bullpen trio of Cody Allen, Andrew Miller and Bryan Shaw should all be fully rested after getting Tuesday night off, and the three’s 2016 postseason numbers suggest Chicago needs to get runs early to have any chance of ending its World Series drought:

This unit essentially cuts the game in half, which means Cleveland only needs four to five strong innings from Kluber before letting the bullpen bring it home. So can Cleveland grab an early lead? Well, shutting down the middle of Chicago’s lineup will be a must.

Kris Bryant is 5-for-8 with two home runs and two RBI in his last two games, while Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell and Ben Zobrist have combined for 11 hits and nine RBI over that span. In Chicago’s recent pair of wins, the rest of the team combined for just four hits. 

Despite the strength of that quartet, the circumstances set up too well for Cleveland.

The team relies on dominant pitching to win close, low-scoring games, and it is boasting a ridiculous amount of firepower on the mound Wednesday. Chicago erupted for nine runs in Game 6, but six of those came off Josh Tomlin, as the Cubs are still struggling to produce consistent offense, particularly against the Indians bullpen.

Expect Cleveland to generate a tight early lead, with the bullpen and rowdy home fans providing enough push to give the team a much-awaited world championship.

Statistics are courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.

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There are no two better words in all of sports than “Game 7,” and that is just for a normal playoff series.

The 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians is no normal series.

The Cubs famously haven’t won a championship since 1908, while Cleveland’s last World Series title came in 1948. One of those teams will end decades of frustration with one single victory on Wednesday at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

Chicago forced Game 7 with a 9-3 victory in Tuesday’s Game 6. It drilled three home runs, one of which was a grand slam from Addison Russell that accounted for four of his six RBI, and received 5.2 innings of solid work from Jake Arrieta.

He allowed only two earned runs, while his counterpart, Josh Tomlin, gave up six in just 2.1 innings.

Everything will be on the line when the two teams take the field on Wednesday. With that in mind, here is a look at the schedule and a breakdown and prediction for what promises to be a tension-fraught battle between two sides looking to end extensive title droughts.

The schedule information is courtesy of MLB.com.

Schedule

Breakdown and Prediction

Starting Pitchers

While Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta entered the 2016 season as household names, Kyle Hendricks was Chicago’s most effective starter throughout the year. He finished the campaign with a 2.13 ERA and sparkling 0.98 WHIP and is a legitimate National League Cy Young Award candidate.

Cleveland will counter with its best starter, who already has two impressive outings in the World Series under his belt. Corey Kluber started Games 1 and 4 and allowed a measly one earned run in 12 innings of work. He struck out 15 and flummoxed Chicago’s bats on the biggest stage.

The only real concern with Kluber from the Indians’ perspective is the notion this is his third start on short rest in this World Series alone. Chicago’s powerful lineup that flexed its muscles on Tuesday already saw him twice in the span of six games and will get another crack at the effective righty with the championship trophy hanging in the balance.

Bullpen

Andrew Miller and Cody Allen watched Chicago’s straightforward victory from the bullpen and never entered the game. While Cleveland clearly would have preferred its two best bullpen pitchers to lock down a win, they will each be fresh and ready to go in Game 7.

On the other side, Aroldis Chapman threw 20 pitches total in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings for the Cubs a mere two days after throwing 42 pitches in Game 5.

That is an enormous advantage for Cleveland, especially if Kluber is able to shorten the game with another stellar outing.

However, Cubs manager Joe Maddon has something of a trump card that Cleveland doesn’t—Lester. The National League Cy Young Award candidate pitched six innings and allowed two runs in a Game 5 victory and finished the season with a 2.44 ERA and 1.02 WHIP.

In the do-or-die Game 7 scenario, Lester will likely be available to pick up any slack for Hendricks or take the contest from the middle innings to the ninth, where Chapman will be waiting. Mike Axisa of CBS Sports suggested as much:

Ultimately, having the Miller and Allen combination fresh and ready behind Kluber is a serious boost for the Indians, but Lester can throw a handful of innings and help Chicago end its 108-year curse.

Offense

It would be justified for Cleveland fans to be concerned with Chicago’s offensive explosion on Tuesday. The Cubs finished with nine runs, and Kris Bryant, Russell and Anthony Rizzo all launched home runs. 

Russell’s was a grand slam to give Chicago a 7-0 lead in the third inning, which essentially ended most of the Game 6 drama.

Last time the Cubs broke out like that, they scored 10 runs in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series and parlayed that into eight runs in Game 5 and five runs in Game 6. Those five runs in Game 6 came against three-time National League Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw, so any thoughts that Chicago can’t hit dominant pitching in the pressure-packed playoffs would be false.

As for Cleveland, it finished fifth in the major leagues in total runs this season and already has two games in this World Series with at least six runs.

It may have been overmatched in Game 6, but Jason Kipnis had three hits and finished a triple short of the cycle. It didn’t score off Hendricks in his Game 3 start, but it did force him from the game after just 4.1 innings of work with six hits and two walks.

Don’t assume the Cubs are the only ones with offensive firepower in this game just because they are the ones with marquee names like Bryant, Rizzo, Russell and Kyle Schwarber.

Prediction

Ultimately, the fact this will be Chicago’s third attempt at Kluber in the World Series will play a factor.

The hitters will have an idea of what to expect and seize an early lead after gaining momentum in Game 6, which will limit the impact Miller can have in the middle innings. From there, Hendricks will prove his 2016 campaign was no fluke and get the ball to Lester in the seventh.

The southpaw will then work two innings before putting the World Series in Chapman’s hands.

The fireballer—who “said he will be available, without limitations,” per Jon Morosi of MLB Network—will close out Cleveland and end 108 long years of suffering from the Cubs fanbase.

Prediction: Cubs 4, Indians 2

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Game 7. In combination, those two words stand as the greatest in the lexicon of sport. So they’re worth repeating: Game 7.

That’s what the 2016 MLB season will come down to: one final game.

Every pitch will be scrutinized. Every ground ball will mean something. Every hit will be followed by unparalleled emotion.

If you’re a baseball fan, you couldn’t ask for more. Unless you’re a fan who lives in Cleveland or Chicago. Then you could ask for a World Series title, which either the Indians or Cubs will walk away with Wednesday night.

But to win the most important game in the histories of each of these long-suffering organizations, both teams will need to hit on the following keys. 

Begin Slideshow

The Chicago Cubs have kept their season alive, but the Cleveland Indians are still one win away from clinching the 2016 World Series.

After the Cubs survived with a 3-2 victory in Game 5, Cleveland still holds a 3-2 lead and now gets to return home for the final two games (if the last one is even necessary). One good game, and the Indians can celebrate their second title for the city in the past few months.

Still, Chicago has been in rough spots before, and the team has the talent to keep things interesting heading into the final two games of the series.

World Series Game 6

When: Tuesday, Nov. 1

Where: Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

Moneyline (via Odds Shark): Cubs (-140), Indians (+125)

Preview

Considering how much talent is in each of these lineups, neither offense has been especially impressive in this series.

While Cleveland is winning games, the squad is hitting just .236 in the series and .212 in the postseason overall. Francisco Lindor (8-for-19 this round) has been excellent, but the rest of the team has lacked the consistency you want from players of this ability.

Middle-of-the-order hitters Carlos Santana and Mike Napoli have only one RBI between them.

There simply hasn’t been much talk about the Indians offense because the Cubs have been much more disappointing. The unit has only produced 10 runs in five games, a far cry from the five runs per game this team averaged in the regular season.

With just two home runs in this stretch, there is clearly a lot of room for improvement.

On the other hand, even the Indians are aware of the team’s ability to get hot at any moment. 

“You don’t want to give lineups like that momentum, or teams to start feeling good about themselves,” second baseman Jason Kipnis said after Game 5, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. “So the best thing to do is kind of put them away before they can do that.”

This puts the pressure on Game 6 starter Josh Tomlin, who is pitching on short rest but should be fine after throwing just 4.2 innings (58 pitches) in his last start. 

While the 32-year-old veteran had an up-and-down season, he has been solid in the playoffs with a 1.76 ERA in three starts. Buster Olney of ESPN noted that a tweak that led to a lot of success:

Tomlin allowed only three baserunners and zero runs in his first start against the Cubs. However, the familiarity going into the second start will be an advantage for the hitters, especially with a little more confidence from the recent win.

Chicago’s lineup won’t explode, but the team should be able to get a few runs across the plate before the bullpen comes in to make a difference.

Meanwhile, Jake Arrieta gets a chance to lead the Cubs to victory for the second time this series after winning Game 2. The reigning Cy Young award winner had one bad start against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series but bounced back well with a no-hit bid into the sixth inning his last time out.

The only catch is that Chicago will need him to pitch deep into the game after Aroldis Chapman went 2.2 innings in Game 5. This shouldn’t be a problem, though, with Arrieta‘s talent and the prospect of using the rest of the offseason to recover.

As long as the offense can provide a little breathing room, the starter can do the rest and help force a Game 7.

Prediction: Cubs 3, Indians 1

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter.

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One of the popular national narratives surrounding the Chicago Cubs is to talk about the 108-year dry spell since their last World Series title.

Another tact is to talk about the Billy Goat jinx that has been associated with the team since 1945, when the goat’s owner supposedly put a hex on the franchise for not allowing his pet into Wrigley Field for the World Series.

One more angle involves the ill-fated 2003 effort of a fan who pursued a foul ball that Chicago left fielder Moises Alou appeared to have an excellent chance of catching. When that ball wasn’t caught by Alou (or fan Steve Bartman, for that matter), the Cubs fell apart.

The current Chicago Cubs don’t care about history or curses. They are preparing to play Game 6 of the World Series at Progressive Field in Cleveland at 8:08 p.m. ET, and their goal is simply to score one more run than the Indians and move on to a decisive seventh game of the World Series.

“We’re too young. We don’t care about it. We don’t look into it,” Kris Bryant told FS1’s Ken Rosenthal (h/t Larry Brown Sports via MSN.com) after the Cubs earned their spot in the World Series by beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.

The Cubs will send 2015 Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta to the mound to face Josh Tomlin. Arrieta was credited with the victory in Game 2 of the World Series, while Tomlin was on the mound in Cleveland’s 1-0 win in Game 3 before turning the game over to the Indians’ outstanding relief pitchers.

The Cubs were behind 3-1 in the series, but they picked up their first World Series win at Wrigley Field since 1945 when they defeated the Indians 3-2 in Game 5.

Bryant keyed a fourth-inning three-run rally with a leadoff home run in that inning, and the Cubs preserved the lead behind the pitching of Jon Lester and Aroldis Chapman.

Chapman came on with one out in the seventh inning and kept the Indians from mounting a rally that would have tied the score or given them the lead.

Chapman had seemed most comfortable in one-inning close-out assignments, but Cubs manager Joe Maddon had talked to him about a longer assignment prior to the game.

“I talked to ‘Chappy’ before the game, so he was aware,” Maddon told the media after the game (h/t David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune).

In addition to having Arrieta on the mound, the Cubs will also have Kyle Schwarber manning the designated hitter role in Game 6. Schwarber, who tore two knee ligaments in early April, has not been cleared to play the field, but he demonstrated his offensive talent by picking up three hits in the first two games in Cleveland.

Schwarber has magnificent power, an excellent eye and the potential to help the Cubs extend the World Series to seven games.

Prediction

Look for Arrieta and Tomlin to both pitch solid games, but neither pitcher will shut down the opposition.

The score will remain tied until late in the game, and that’s when the Cubs will rally and take the lead.

Chapman will once against get the ball and Maddon will ask him to pitch in the the eighth inning as well as the ninth.

The left-handed reliever will be pushed to the limit, but he will get the save and the Cubs will force the series to seven games.

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