Kuzul

Get your 3-1 jokes out of the way now.

Thanks to a 9-3 win over the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on Tuesday night, the Chicago Cubs knotted the World Series at three games apiece and will have a chance to cap a comeback of epic proportions in Game 7 on Wednesday night.

The Cubs entered Game 6 having scored five runs over the last three games, but they dwarfed that total by the time the third inning was over.

Kris Bryant opened the scoring with a two-out solo home run in the first inning off Josh Tomlin:

That was just the start of an offensive avalanche, as Anthony Rizzo and Ben Zobrist followed Bryant’s lead with back-to-back singles and the Indians came unraveled when Tyler Naquin and Lonnie Chisenhall misplayed a fly ball by Addison Russell that plated both baserunners.

The New York Post‘s Joel Sherman broke down Cleveland’s first-inning collapse:

As it turned out, Russell had even more left in the tank.

The Cubs loaded the bases and chased Tomlin one out into the third, and Russell stepped to the plate to deliver a decisive blow:

According to USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale, Russell’s grand slam was the first in franchise history in World Series history and the first by any player in the Fall Classic since the Chicago White Sox’s Paul Konerko in 2005.

Cubs starter Jake Arrieta didn’t allow a hit through three innings, but the Indians threatened in a big way when the bottom of the fourth rolled around.

Mike Napoli singled to score Jason Kipnis, who had led off with a double, and Cleveland proceeded to load the bases with two outs. Naquin, however, struck out.

ESPN The Magazine‘s Buster Olney relayed some telling numbers to emphasize just how much the rookie has struggled against Arrieta in the Fall Classic:

Kipnis slammed a solo homer off Arrieta to cut the Indians’ deficit to 7-2 with two outs in the fifth, and Chicago’s starter recorded three more outs before he walked Chisenhall and was pulled in favor of Mike Montgomery. All told, Arrieta allowed two runs on three hits, three walks and one hit batter and struck out nine.

As ESPN Stats & Info noted, that last figure put him near the top of an esteemed list:

Aroldis Chapman—who recorded an eight-out save in Game 5—entered with two on and two out in the seventh, and he induced an inning-ending groundout, beating Francisco Lindor to the bag by a hair, as Fox Sports MLB showed on Twitter:

Chapman also pitched a scoreless eighth, and Rizzo tacked on a two-run shot to right field in the top of the ninth.

With two straight victories in tow, the Cubs now face the possibility of ending their 108-year championship drought in a Game 7 that will feel somewhat familiar, according to NFL.com’s Don Banks:

Per MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat, a team hasn’t come back from 3-1 down and won a World Series on the road since the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1979.

But in order to do so, Chicago will need to solve Corey Kluber—who will make his second straight start on three days’ rest in Game 7. In the World Series, Cleveland’s ace is 2-0 and has allowed only one run on nine hits, one walk and a hit batter while striking out 15 over 12 innings.

If Kluber turns in another dominant outing, the Indians will be in line to snap their title drought—which dates to 1948.

The Cubs, meanwhile, will counter with Kyle Hendricks. The National League ERA leader played the role of hero in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, holding the Los Angeles Dodgers to two hits in 7.1 innings, but Chicago lost his only World Series start after Cleveland got to him for six hits over 4.1 innings in Game 3.

So, if recent history is any indication, runs should be at a premium with Kluber and Hendricks on the bump.

In other words, expect plenty of drama as tensions rise with a world championship on the line Wednesday night.

Postgame Reaction

Cubs manager Joe Maddon spoke to Fox Sports’ Tom Verducci about his decision to leave Chapman in for 20 pitches:

Later, Maddon told reporters a certain starter will be available in relief in Game 7, according to Pete Byrne of WSBT in Indiana:

Chapman said he’ll be available to pitch as long as necessary, even though he’s assumed a heavy workload of late, per MLB Network’s Jon Morosi:

Indians manager Terry Francona was upbeat despite the loss, via SportsTime Ohio:

“It’s Game 7,” Francona said, according to Newsday‘s Erik Boland. “You’ve got two really, really good pitchers, and it will be exciting.”

“It’ll be exciting to come to the ballpark tomorrow,” he added, per the Toronto Sun‘s Scott Mitchell. “Shoot, I might just wear my uniform home.”

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The Chicago Cubs will live to fight another day after beating the Cleveland Indians 3-2 at home Sunday night at Wrigley Field in Game 5 of the 2016 World Series.

After a somewhat shaky start in Game 1 of the Fall Classic, Jon Lester went six strong innings for Chicago. He allowed two earned runs on four hits and struck out five.

Trevor Bauer started well but lasted only four innings after giving up three runs. Although he struck out seven, a couple of critical mistakes allowed the Cubs to take control.

Jose Ramirez got the Indians on the board in the top of the second with a solo home run to left field. The 24-year-old third baseman hadn’t homered on the road since getting two during a doubleheader on May 23 against the Chicago White Sox.

MLB.com’s Daren Willman showed that Lester couldn’t have placed his fastball much better in the strike zone:

Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan thought the most impressive part of the sequence was the throwing of the home run ball back into the field of play:

Getting the first run was big for Cleveland, considering it hadn’t surrendered a lead throughout the postseason.

Bauer couldn’t maintain the advantage, though, surrendering three runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Kris Bryant led off with a solo home run to left field to tie the game at 1. MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian tweeted the homer brought the Wrigley Field crowd to its feet:

Anthony Rizzo stepped to the plate next and doubled to right field. A single from Ben Zobrist put runners on the corners with nobody out, and Addison Russell plated Rizzo with an infield single. After Jason Heyward struck out, the Cubs loaded the bases on a bunt single by Javier Baez. David Ross then made it a 3-1 game with a sacrifice fly.

Bauer struck out Lester to end the inning. The Ringer thought the Indians dodged a bullet having allowed the right-hander to finish out the inning:

The Cubs rode their luck with Lester a half-inning later and appeared to get a helping hand from home plate umpire Tony Randazzo.

Carlos Santana led off the fifth with a double, and the left fielder moved to third on a groundout by Ramirez. Brandon Guyer came up next and struck out looking on a 3-2 fastball. FanGraphs’ Jeff Sullivan showed the pitch looked off the plate, and he added how much the call impacted the game:

Roberto Perez grounded out to end the threat and maintain Chicago’s two-run lead.

An inning later, Francisco Lindor trimmed the deficit with an RBI single to center field to bring home Rajai Davis. The 22-year-old shortstop has had a great postseason, and Baseball America‘s Ben Badler believes he’s a great ambassador for the game:

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi also shared words of admiration toward Lindor from Cubs manager Joe Maddon:

Lindor got caught trying to steal second to end the inning. Ross made a great throw, and Baez’s quick tag nailed Lindor.

Lester’s issues throwing over to first are well-documented, and the Indians have exploited that in both of his World Series starts. The New York Post‘s Joel Sherman tweeted that Ross and Baez are the perfect combination to eliminate the problem:

The Indians mounted another offensive charge in the top of the seventh, which prompted a surprising move by Maddon.

Carl Edwards Jr. replaced Lester to start the inning. He allowed a single to Mike Napoli, and a passed ball moved Napoli to second base. After Santana flied out for the first out of the seventh, Maddon brought on his closer, Aroldis Chapman.

Chapman struck out Ramirez. He then hit Brandon Guyer with a pitch to put runners on first and second but got Perez to ground out for the final out.

As ESPN’s Jayson Stark noted, the left-hander got out of the jam with blunt force:

Chapman was in another jam in the eighth after allowing Davis to single with one out. The veteran outfielder stole second and then third, putting the tying run 90 feet away from home plate. But Lindor stranded Davis at third after striking out on a 101 mph fastball.

Lindor had little chance of reaching the pitch at the bottom of the zone, as Sullivan argued:

Chapman stayed out for the ninth and sent Napoli, Santana and Ramirez down in order to earn the win.

The series will head back to Cleveland for at least one more game. First pitch in Game 6 is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Josh Tomlin will take the mound for the Indians, with Jake Arrieta going for the Cubs. Tomlin went 4.2 scoreless innings in his first World Series start, while Arrieta allowed one run in Game 2 as Chicago picked up its first win.

A key for the Indians will be that Andrew Miller had Sunday night off, giving him two rest days before Game 6. That should allow the dominant left-hander to potentially go two innings if need be Tuesday.

Of course, Chicago will have the luxury of Kyle Schwarber in the lineup with the designated hitter back in play.

While the Indians remain in the driver’s seat, the Cubs can change that with a victory in Game 6.

Postgame Reaction

Indians manager Terry Francona praised Chapman for pitching the final 2.2 innings, per the Boston Herald‘s Jason Mastrodonato: “Chapman, that was a big ask. And he answered. That was impressive.”

Maddon had prepared for the potential of using his closer earlier than expected.

“I talked to Chapman before the game, and he was aware of being ready in the seventh inning,” he said, according to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball.

The Indians have a bit of a buffer in the event they lose Game 6; Corey Kluber would take the mound if necessary in Game 7. Kluber has been excellent in the postseason, allowing three earned runs in 30.1 innings.

Jason Kipnis would rather Cleveland not have to rely on the 2014 Cy Young Award winner.

“You don’t want to give lineups like that momentum, or teams to start feeling good about themselves,” he said of the Cubs, according to USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale. “So the best thing to do is kind of put them away before they can do that.”

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The Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians are battling for baseball’s ultimate team prize, the World Series, but Rawlings Sports announced the finalists for some of the most coveted individual awards of the 2016 season Thursday. 

Here is a look at the full list of Gold Glove finalists, per Rawlings Sports’ Twitter page:

Rawlings Sports noted the winners will be announced on Nov. 8 during ESPN’s Baseball Tonight.

The list of finalists underscores just how important run prevention is to winning games. The Cubs are in the World Series for a number of reasons, but their league-best defense certainly helped them win an MLB-best 103 games this season.

They have four finalists in pitcher Jake Arrieta, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, shortstop Addison Russell and right fielder Jason Heyward, and the team led all of baseball with 82 total defensive runs saved above average, per FanGraphs.

What’s more, it was a massive gap between Chicago and the rest of the league. The Houston Astros checked in at second place at an impressive 51 total defensive runs saved above average. Still, the difference between the Cubs and second-place Houston (31) was bigger than the one between second-place Houston and eighth-place Toronto Blue Jays (23).

Ninth-place Cleveland (17 total defensive runs saved above average) counts a Gold Glove finalist at a critical position with shortstop Francisco Lindor. Watching him flash the leather against his counterpart, Russell, in the World Series is a treat for defense-oriented baseball fans.  

Elsewhere, the Boston Red Sox have three finalists, with second baseman Dustin Pedroia and outfielders Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts. They won the American League East behind the impressive group.  

The Astros had three finalists as well, with pitcher Dallas Keuchel and outfielders Colby Rasmus and George Springer.

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The Cleveland Indians had home-field advantage entering the World Series because the American League won the 2016 All-Star Game, but the Chicago Cubs seized it Wednesday with a 5-1 victory in Game 2 at Progressive Field.

The series is tied at one game apiece thanks to a strong pitching performance from Chicago. 

Starter Jake Arrieta took a no-hitter into the sixth and allowed just one earned run and two hits in 5.2 innings of work. Mike Montgomery and Aroldis Chapman combined to close the door with 3.1 innings of scoreless work out of the bullpen. 

Cleveland didn’t get nearly as much from its staff. Trevor Bauer started and lasted just 3.2 innings while allowing two earned runs and six hits. It was an improvement from Game 3 of the American League Championship Series when he pitched only 0.2 innings before leaving because a laceration on the pinkie finger of his pitching hand was bleeding on his uniform and the ball.

Zach McAllister also gave up two earned runs from Cleveland’s bullpen. 

Kyle Schwarber and Ben Zobrist led the offensive attack for the Cubs with two hits apiece. Schwarber tallied two RBI and scored a run, while Zobrist scored and added an RBI of his own. Anthony Rizzo and Addison Russell also tallied RBI on Wednesday.

The Cubs could have scored more, but they left 13 runners on base, per MLB.com.

Cleveland received two hits from Mike Napoli and a run from Jason Kipnis, but its offense managed just four hits all game.

The Cubs scored their first World Series run in 71 years in the first inning, when Kris Bryant singled and scored on Rizzo’s double. David Schuster of 670 The Score in Chicago noted it was an important start for the Cubs after being shut out in Game 1 against Corey Kluber, Andrew Miller and Cody Allen:

Cleveland battled back with two walks in the bottom of the frame, but Arrieta escaped the jam with a deep flyout from Jose Ramirez.

Chicago got to Bauer again in the third when Rizzo walked, advanced to second on Zobrist’s single and scored on Schwarber’s hit. Schwarber tore his ACL and LCL in April and was expected to miss the season, but he battled back for the Fall Classic and made his presence known in Game 2. 

Jason Goff of 670 The Score in Chicago reacted to Schwarber’s remarkable comeback:

The Cubs drove Bauer from the game in the fourth after he walked Willson Contreras and allowed a single to Russell, but he did induce a double play from Jorge Soler following Contreras’ free pass to prevent a costly rally.

On the other side, Arrieta didn’t allow a hit through the first four innings despite three walks. Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reacted to his start:

Chicago provided him with additional run support in the fifth, when Rizzo walked and scored on a hit down the line from Zobrist. Right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall slipped on the play, which allowed Rizzo to score easily and Zobrist to advance to third.

Schwarber tacked another on with an RBI single, and Russell drew a walk with the bases loaded to make it 5-0 after a Kipnis error extended the inning.

Tom Fornelli of CBSSports.com was already looking ahead to Game 3 at Wrigley Field, where designated hitting won’t be an option for Schwarber:

The Indians had a comeback story of their own in the sixth, when Danny Salazar worked a scoreless frame out of the bullpen. It was his first appearance since Sept. 9 after he suffered an elbow injury.

Cleveland finally got a hit off Arrieta in the bottom of the sixth, when Kipnis drove one up the middle. Christopher Kamka of CSN Chicago put the starter’s performance into historical context:

Kipnis advanced to third on Francisco Lindor’s groundout and scored on a wild pitch from Arrieta. Cubs manager Joe Maddon removed his starter from the game after he allowed a hit to Napoli, and Montgomery ended the rally by inducing a groundout.

Chicago had the opportunity to break things open in the seventh with bases loaded and one out for Bryant, but Dan Otero entered for the Indians and retired the potential National League MVP with a fielder’s choice. He got Rizzo out as well and kept Cleveland within striking distance at 5-1.

The Indians threatened in the seventh with two runners on and two outs, but Montgomery struck out Carlos Santana. The Cubs reacted to the clutch performance on Twitter:

Montgomery also recorded two outs in the eighth but handed the ball to Chapman after allowing a hit to Napoli. The fireballer struck out Ramirez and sent the game to the ninth, where he retired the side to even the series.

What’s Next?

The Cubs have the opportunity to win the series at home with Games 3, 4 and 5 all at Wrigley Field, but all Cleveland has to do is win one road game to get home-field advantage back.

Game 3 is Friday, and Chicago will send Cy Young Award candidate Kyle Hendricks to the mound. He finished the season with a 2.13 ERA and 0.98 WHIP and pitched a gem against Clayton Kershaw in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series with 7.1 scoreless innings and just two hits allowed.

The Indians will counter with Josh Tomlin, who posted a 4.40 ERA and 1.19 WHIP during the regular season. He has been better in his two postseason starts with just three earned runs in 10.2 innings.

While Chicago has the advantage on paper with the pitching matchup in Game 3, Cleveland has Kluber looming for Game 4 and possibly Game 7 if the series goes the distance. All it would take is one win with someone else on the mound at Wrigley to swing that advantage the Indians’ way.

Postgame Reaction

Cleveland manager Terry Francona underscored just how cold it was Wednesday, via the Indians:

He also talked about Schwarber’s performance, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network: “He’s really good. I can see why Theo sent a plane for him. I would have, too.”

Schwarber put things in perspective, per CSN Chicago’s Cubs Talk: “This is the moment you dream of as kids: Playing in the World Series and winning.”

He was also asked if he will play in Games 3-5 when there is no designated hitter and said, per Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune, “We’ll see where it goes. Nothing set in stone.”

Dexter Fowler responded to the realization the Cubs won their first World Series game since 1945, per Gonzales: “Y’all talk history. We’re just trying to make it.”

Chicago is three wins away from doing just that.

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The Cleveland Indians struck first in a World Series 176 combined years in the making with a 6-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs in Tuesday’s Game 1 at Progressive Field.

It was a showdown of aces with Corey Kluber and Jon Lester on the mound, and the Indians’ No. 1 prevailed. He baffled Cubs hitters through six-plus scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and striking out nine.

Lester couldn’t match him and was pulled after 5.2 innings. He surrendered three earned runs on six hits and three walks while striking out seven.

Kluber had two things Lester didn’t: Roberto Perez on offense and Andrew Miller in the bullpen. Perez hit .183 with three home runs in the regular season but drilled two long balls for four RBI on Tuesday. Jesse Spector of Sporting News put the performance in context:

Miller worked out of a bases-loaded jam with nobody out in the seventh and another sticky situation in the eighth with runners on the corners and two outs. Cody Allen finished the game in the ninth.

Chicago hasn’t won the Fall Classic since 1908, while Cleveland last captured the title in 1948. ESPN Stats & Info underscored the Indians’ victory:

Perez didn’t provide the only offense for Cleveland. Jose Ramirez tallied three hits and an RBI, Francisco Lindor had three hits and a run scored and Brandon Guyer notched an RBI, which was plenty of support for Kluber.

Retired pitcher Dan Haren weighed in on the 2014 American League Cy Young Award winner’s performance:

The Indians wasted little time getting to Lester with a two-out rally in the first. Lindor singled and stole second, Mike Napoli and Carlos Santana walked and Ramirez dribbled an infield hit down the third base line to open the scoring. Lester then hit Guyer to put the Indians ahead 2-0.

JJ Cooper of Baseball America wrote, “When Jose Ramirez tells his grandkids about that RBI, it will be a rope to the wall,” while Jordan Bastian of MLB.com pointed out Guyer is accustomed to getting hit:

One of the primary storylines for the series took center stage in the second when Kyle Schwarber hit with Ben Zobrist on second. Schwarber tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee in April and appeared to be done for the season until he was added to the Cubs roster for the World Series.

But Schwarber struck out, and Kluber worked out of the inning with punchouts of Javier Baez and Chris Coghlan as well. The ace had five strikeouts through two frames, and Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports noted it was business as usual for the formidable righty:

Kluber continued his dominance with three more strikeouts in the third. According to Sports Illustrated, he became the first pitcher in World Series history to tally eight strikeouts through three innings.

CBS Sports MLB highlighted the movement on Kluber’s pitches:

In Schwarber’s next at-bat, he doubled off the top of the right-center field wall in the fourth. While it was to no avail on the scoreboard, it was a testament to his overwhelming talent and hard work in rehab that he did so against one of the league’s best pitchers after missing more than six months.

Perez cleared the left field wall with a blast in the bottom of the frame. His homer gave Cleveland a commanding 3-0 lead, and Jon Tayler of Sports Illustrated noted the unlikely source:

Cubs manager Joe Maddon removed Lester from the game in the sixth with Ramirez on second base and two outs, and Pedro Strop struck out Perez to escape the jam. While they missed a chance to add to their lead, the Indians were still in full control thanks to Kluber.

Tony Andracki of CSN Chicago said the performance was so incredible that Cubs fans may have been instead hoping to take a shot at Miller and his lockdown stuff:

Cleveland manager Terry Francona elected to keep Kluber in to start the seventh but removed him after Zobrist led off with a single.

In came Miller, the American League Championship Series MVP. He walked Schwarber and allowed a single to Baez to load the bases but bounced back, inducing a pop out by Willson Contreras and striking out Addison Russell and David Ross to end the threat.

Troy Renck of Denver 7 speculated Ross would have been better off not swinging at the 3-2 slider he struck out on:

Chicago made Miller work again in the eighth when Kris Bryant walked with one out and Zobrist singled with two outs, but Schwarber struck out as the potential tying run. The only positive from the Cubs’ perspective was the fact Miller threw 46 pitches, which could limit his availability for Wednesday’s Game 2.

Buster Olney of ESPN The Magazine captured just how unhittable Miller has been in October:

Perez all but sealed the game with his three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth, and Allen closed the door.

What’s Next?

Game 2 is set for 7 p.m. ET Wednesday in Cleveland.

The Indians held serve in Game 1, but the Cubs can still earn a split on the road before heading to Wrigley Field for Games 3, 4 and 5. If Cleveland wins, its worst possible scenario would be a 3-2 deficit when it returns home for Game 6 and a potential Game 7.

Jake Arrieta will take the ball for Chicago. The 2015 National League Cy Young Award winner wasn’t as dominant this year as last but finished with an impressive 3.10 ERA and 1.08 WHIP.

Bastian noted that Francona said Trevor Bauer is slated to counter Arrieta. Bauer pitched just 0.2 innings in Game 3 of the ALCS before leaving because a laceration on the pinkie finger of his pitching hand began to bleed profusely.

If he pitches anything like Kluber did in Game 1, the Indians will be in good shape.

Postgame Reaction

The Cleveland Police were in the World Series spirit after the game:

Kluber talked about his outing with Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, via Fox Sports MLB:

Perez discussed his impressive performance with Fox Sports’ Tom Verducci, via Fox Sports MLB:

“We didn’t play as bad as that looked,” Maddon said, per Richard Justice of MLB.com.

Schwarber also looked at things with a glass-half-full approach, per 670 The Score in Chicago: “We’re not going to go press. … We’re here for a reason. We’re a good baseball team.”

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The Chicago Cubs are partying like it’s 1945.

Seventy-one years after the Cubs clinched their last pennant, the National League Central champions set up a World Series date against the Cleveland Indians with a 5-0 Game 6 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. It came behind a two-hit gem from starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks, who struck out six hitters in 7.1 scoreless innings at Wrigley Field on Saturday:

The Cubs’ official Twitter account relayed video of the final two outs as they turned a double play to win the National League Championship Series: 

Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw allowed a grand total of two hits in his dominant Game 2 outing, but the Cubs refused to let the three-time Cy Young winner enjoy similar success Saturday.

Dexter Fowler led off the first inning with a double to right, and Kris Bryant brought him home a few pitches later with a single to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead.

The Cubs may have been content with one run in the first, but things took a turn in their favor when left fielder Andrew Toles dropped a fly ball off Anthony Rizzo’s bat, which moved Bryant to third and put two men in scoring position with no outs.

A sacrifice fly by Ben Zobrist allowed Bryant to score, and the Cubs left the first inning with a 2-0 lead.

The deficit represented uncharted territory for Kershaw, as ESPN Stats & Info noted:

Kershaw had tossed 30 pitches by the time the opening frame ended, which represented his highest first-inning tally since 2011, according to ESPN Radio (via the Chicago Tribune‘s David Haugh).

Kershaw escaped the second inning with just 16 pitches, but the Cubs hit him hard. Addison Russell doubled to lead off the second, and Fowler knocked him in three batters later with a single to left.

With the Cubs in possession of a 3-0 lead, ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers observed that Kershaw did not have his best stuff:

MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy pointed out a statistical disparity that displayed how off Kershaw was:

Meanwhile, Hendricks breezed through the first three innings after striking out five and walking four in an up-and-down Game 2 outing.

The 26-year-old faced the minimum of nine batters through three innings while allowing just one hit, and his command of the strike zone had the Cubs in control, as the New York Times‘ Doug Glanville explained:

Solo home runs by Willson Contreras in the fourth and Rizzo in the fifth put the Cubs ahead 5-0, and at that point, Kershaw was cooked.

With his curveball nonexistent and his slider moving inefficiently, the Dodgers pulled their ace, who allowed seven hits and four earned runs through five innings.

According to the Orange County Register‘s Bill Plunkett, Saturday represented another misstep for Kershaw in a big spot:

Hendricks was brilliant, and his masterpiece set up Aroldis Chapman with five outs remaining.

With their ticket to the Fall Classic punched, the Cubs can turn their attention to the Indians. Cleveland has been off since Wednesday, when it downed the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series.

Although the teams didn’t meet during the regular season, they figure to combine for some theatrics when things get underway Tuesday night at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

While the Indians pitching staff has been the best in the big leagues throughout the postseason, recording a 1.77 ERA while limiting opponents to a .206 batting average, the Cubs have the players to make them pay at the plate.

Considering the Cubs and Indians are seeking to snap championship droughts that span 108 and 68 years, respectively, this year’s World Series should be a sight to behold.

Postgame Reaction

With the pennant in tow, the Cubs took their celebration to the field, as the team’s official Twitter account documented: 

Once the final out was recorded, Rizzo told Fox’s Tom Verducci that he wasn’t letting go of the game ball anytime soon: 

Catcher David Ross was also fired up, as Fox Sports MLB displayed on Twitter: 

“I can’t even describe it right now,” owner Tom Ricketts said, per Haugh. “All I know is we have to win 4 more games.”

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The Chicago Cubs won an MLB-best 103 games in 2016 and were apparently tired of hearing about the doom and gloom surrounding their season facing a 2-1 deficit in the National League Championship Series.

They crushed the Los Angeles Dodgers, 10-2, in Wednesday’s Game 4 at Dodger Stadium to tie the series at two games apiece behind a powerful statement from an offense that finished third in MLB in runs scored this season. It was a drastic change from Games 2 and 3, when the Cubs were held scoreless in two straight losses.

Chicago quickly got to 20-year-old starter Julio Urias, who lasted just 3.2 innings and allowed four earned runs, four hits and two walks. Pedro Baez allowed one earned run from the bullpen, and Ross Stripling gave up the remaining five, four of which were earned.

Addison Russell and Anthony Rizzo each drilled home runs to spearhead the Cubs offense. Rizzo finished with three hits, three RBI and two runs scored, while Russell tallied three hits, two RBI and two runs. Willson Contreras, Jason Heyward, Javier Baez and Dexter Fowler each also added RBI.

Radio personality Jim Rome reacted to the offensive outburst:

Cubs starter John Lackey pitched four-plus innings and allowed two earned runs, three hits and three walks, but the bullpen combination of Mike Montgomery, Carl Edwards Jr., Travis Wood, Pedro Strop and Hector Rondon shut the Dodgers down the rest of the way.

Justin Turner tallied both RBI for Los Angeles in the losing effort.

While the bats were the story Wednesday, the Cubs built early momentum in the field. Contreras picked off Corey Seager on second base from his catcher spot to end the Dodgers’ threat in the first, and Heyward threw out Adrian Gonzalez at home plate in the second. 

Gonzalez was trying to score on Andrew Toles’ single. He was called out on the field, but replay review highlighted how close the play was when Heyward hesitated with the throw and Contreras tagged Gonzalez high. 

CBS Sports MLB underscored just how close the Dodgers came to scoring the opening run:

Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper weighed in on the play:

Chicago finally snapped its scoreless streak at 21 innings in the fourth when Ben Zobrist bunted for a hit, advanced to second on Baez’s single and scored on Contreras’ hit. Baez scored on a groundout from Heyward to make it 2-0, and Russell busted the inning open with a two-run homer to center field.

Russell had one hit the entire postseason coming into Wednesday’s game, and Mike Berman of NBC Chicago recognized the relief as the shortstop was rounding the bases:

Rizzo followed Russell’s example and busted out of his own slump in the fifth with a solo blast to center to make it 5-0. The powerful first baseman had just two hits in this postseason before Wednesday’s game, and Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com responded to the overdue long ball:

The Dodgers drove Lackey from the game in the bottom of the fifth when he walked Toles and Andre Ethier. Howie Kendrick loaded the bases with nobody out with a single off Montgomery, and Turner plated two when his ground ball deflected off the Cubs’ southpaw’s glove. However, Montgomery kept the score at 5-2 by inducing groundouts from Gonzalez and Enrique Hernandez.

Chicago’s offense essentially put the game away in the sixth when it pushed across five runs. Rizzo highlighted the rally with a two-RBI single and a run on Baez’s sacrifice fly that plated two after an error.

Mark Schanowski of Comcast SportsNet Chicago noted Rizzo’s breakout game carried weight that extended beyond Wednesday’s game:

Montgomery pitched a scoreless sixth, and Edwards Jr. and Wood combined to keep the Dodgers off the board in the seventh. About the only thing that went wrong for the Cubs was the fact Edwards left the game with left hamstring tightness, per Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.

Strop made quick work of the Dodgers with a 1-2-3 eighth, and Rondon finished the contest with a scoreless ninth.

What’s Next?

Game 5 is Thursday in Los Angeles.

It will be a critical swing game in the best-of-seven format with the winner a single victory away from the World Series. The series will shift back to Chicago for at least Game 6 after the Cubs’ win, so the Dodgers will need to win Thursday’s contest to avoid a situation where they would have to win two straight at Wrigley Field. 

The Cubs will give the ball to Cy Young candidate Jon Lester, who has been brilliant in the postseason with one earned run allowed in 14 innings. According to MLB.com, the Dodgers will counter with Kenta Maeda, who allowed three earned runs in four innings in his Game 1 start and gave up four earned runs in three innings against the Washington Nationals in the National League Division Series.

However, Los Angeles has Clayton Kershaw looming as a potential option if it wants to use him on short rest. If the dominant southpaw doesn’t go in Game 5, the Cubs would be wise to approach it as a must-win, lest they face Kershaw with a 3-2 deficit in Game 6.

Postgame Reaction

Despite losing by eight runs, Gonzalez still wasn’t pleased that his potential run was wiped out after replay review:

“Let’s be honest. After that, we played a sloppy game,” Gonzalez said when discussing the play, per Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times.

After the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he would use Maeda and not Kershaw for Thursday’s contest, per Arash Markazi of ESPN: “Tomorrow is not an elimination game or a deciding game.”

On the other side, Russell talked about his performance, per David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune: “I’ve been struggling this postseason a little but didn’t panic. My confidence was still there.”

Rizzo said he used Matt Szczur’s bat for his big hits after struggling early in the game, per Haugh: “The first two at-bats weren’t so hot…I hit well with his bat so he has hits in it.”

Cubs manager Joe Maddon was already looking ahead to the next game, per Markazi: “It would be nice to come out on top tomorrow and go home having to win one of two. We’ve been pretty good at Wrigley.”

If his team hits like it did Wednesday, that won’t be a problem.

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Earlier this year, fans in Cleveland watched the Cavaliers carry out a historic comeback from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA Finals. The Indians had no interest in being on the opposite side of a similar comeback.

Ryan Merritt and the Indians bullpen combined for a six-hit shutout, and Carlos Santana and Coco Crisp homered as Cleveland earned a 3-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday to take the American League Championship Series, 4-1.

This is what Periscope was invented for:

The Indians will make their first World Series appearance since 1997, their sixth overall. It’s the third straight year, and the fourth in the last five, that the AL winner has come from the Central division. The Minnesota Twins are the only AL Central team to not win a pennant since the turn of the century.

Cleveland’s win Wednesday was a microcosm of its success across the series. Its pitching staff mowed through a potent Toronto lineup with surprising ease—the Blue Jays scored more than two runs only once in the series.

While the Indians boasted a solid rotation during the regular season, their postseason run has been a staff-wide hot streak. In Game 5, it carried over to Merritt, perhaps the unlikeliest of Cleveland’s heroes.

With one start and 11 innings on his MLB resume—all scattered about in random appearances when Cleveland needed help because of injuries—the 24-year-old hadn’t touched a ball in live action since Sept. 30. His Game 5 start came about thanks to Trevor Bauer’s freak accident with a drone.

No matter.

Merritt looked like nothing short of a seasoned veteran, scattering two hits while striking out three in 4.1 innings of work. He didn’t allow a hit his first time through the order and seemed to fool Toronto’s batters with a deceptive delivery—the speed of his fastball, which barely topped out at 90 mph, wasn’t doing it.

Manager Terry Francona pulled him midway through the fifth after only 49 pitches, though it looked like Merritt could have gone through the order again.

His performance drew deserved praise across the Twittersphere:

With that said, it wasn’t all smooth sailing, as FanGraphs’ Jeff Sullivan pointed out:

It helped that the Indians were able to create separation early. A first-inning Ezequiel Carrera error on a Mike Napoli double allowed Francisco Lindor to score from first with two outs. Jose Ramirez grounded out on the next at-bat, so that run would not have scored otherwise.

The Indians began tacking runs on with the long ball in the third, with Santana nailing a booming shot to right field.

Cue all of the “Smooth” jokes:

Santana has only five hits in 29 at-bats this postseason, but two of them were critical solo shots in the ALCS. He went 1-for-4 on the day.

Crisp hit his second home run in 14 playoff at-bats in the fourth inning. He went 1-for-2 before being pulled for Rajai Davis.

From there, the scoring ceased. Blue Jays starter Marco Estrada settled in and was sensational outside those two mistakes. Estrada gave up only five hits, struck out seven and did not walk a batter in his six innings of work. It was his third straight quality start of the postseason but his second loss in the ALCS. The Jays did not offer him a single run of support against Cleveland.

Toronto’s relievers gave up one hit over the final three innings in another solid effort. Lindor, who went 3-for-4, was the only Cleveland player with more than one hit.

Bryan Shaw, who earned the win; Andrew Miller; and Cody Allen closed the game for the Indians. Miller, the best setup man in baseball, again went multiple innings. He allowed one hit over 2.2 innings of work.

Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball was fawning over Miller, who has not allowed a run over 11.2 postseason innings:

The reliever, who came to Cleveland in a midseason trade with the New York Yankees, was named the ALCS MVP for his four games of flawless work.

Cleveland will now be tasked with bringing home its first World Series championship since 1948 and the city’s second major championship in four months. The Chicago Cubs or Los Angeles Dodgers await—each boasting a higher payroll, a larger talent pool and extreme pressure from management to get the job done.

No matter who it is, the Indians will likely be underdogs—underdogs with a whole lot of fight left.

Postgame Reaction

Francona spoke about his pride in his team, per Mike Axisa of CBS Sports: “I’m honored that we’re going to the World Series because to do it with—we always said if we could do it with this group, it would be so special because this is as close to a family feel as you can get in a postseason setting. So for that part of it, it is beyond feeling good.”

Pitching coach Mickey Callaway thinks the Indians have a complete team: “We’ve got a total team. You don’t come across teams like this often. Everybody chips in, everybody does their part. We’re a balanced lineup. We steal bases—guys got to worry about that. Our pitching is terrific. But these guys work so hard, whether it’s on the mental side of the game, the way they eat, the way they prepare, it’s unbelievable.”

Miller was in an understandably giddy mood: “It’s been special. It’s been a lot of fun. And it’s just—I feel like I’ve said the word ‘special’ a million times in the last 20-30 minutes, but it’s the truth—it’s a blast to be a part of. We have one more big step, but we’re going to the World Series, and that’s what you dream of.”

Merritt said he was a little nervous, per John Telich of Fox 8: “Going into today, I told myself to have fun, enjoy the moment, don’t try to do too much, be yourself, trust in your team, trust in yourself and just go out there and compete. There was a lot of emotion, lot of nerves. Tough to sleep at night.”

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter.

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After a dramatic 1-0 victory in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers cruised their way to a 6-0 win over the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium in Tuesday’s Game 3.

The Dodgers lead the series 2-1 and are two victories away from their first World Series appearance since 1988. 

Starting pitcher Rich Hill set the tone for Los Angeles with a brilliant outing. He pitched six shutout innings and allowed just two hits with six strikeouts. The Dodgers reacted to his pressure-packed performance:

Most of Los Angeles’ offense came off Chicago starter Jake Arrieta, who pitched five-plus innings and allowed four earned runs and six hits. Yasmani Grandal and Justin Turner each took him deep with home runs, and Corey Seager finished with three hits and an RBI.

The Cubs couldn’t match that production, and Baseball Tonight painted a concerning picture for the North Siders:

Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated noted things seemed to be back to normal for the franchise that hasn’t won a World Series since 1908 after it notched 103 victories during the regular season:

Despite the loss, the Cubs were the first to threaten in the second inning when Anthony Rizzo walked and stole second after a handful of pickoff attempts. Jorge Soler then walked, and they each advanced a base on a passed ball, but Addison Russell continued his prolonged postseason struggles with a strikeout. Miguel Montero grounded out to end the inning.

Jayson Stark of ESPN.com pointed out Hill’s escape wasn’t all good news for the Dodgers:

However, Hill settled down after that lengthy inning and stifled the Cubs.

Los Angeles opened the scoring in the third when Andrew Toles singled, advanced to second on a groundout from Hill and scored on Seager’s RBI single. ESPN Stats & Info noted it was a rare hit in that situation for the shortstop:

The Dodgers got to Arrieta again in the fourth when Josh Reddick reached on an infield single and stole second and third base. Grandal then blasted his home run to center, and Matt Spiegel of 670 The Score in Chicago said, “Running game got to Jake. Afraid to bury that curve like he needed to. Hung one, then went with the fastball instead.”

While it was still early in the game, the three runs were enough for Los Angeles with Hill dealing and the Chicago offense mired in a slump. Pedro Gomez of ESPN underscored how dire the situation was for the Cubs after Hill retired the side in the fourth and fifth innings:

Los Angeles gave Hill and the bullpen even more run support in the sixth when Turner drilled a home run and drove Arrieta from the game. He was far from the dominant ace who won last year’s National League Cy Young, and the Dodgers lineup took full advantage with timely power.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts handed the ball to his bullpen with the four-run lead in the seventh, and Joe Blanton pitched a perfect inning in a bounce-back effort after he allowed five earned runs in Game 1.

Chicago relief pitchers Travis Wood and Justin Grimm kept the game at 4-0, and Los Angeles turned to Grant Dayton to start the eighth. He retired two but allowed a double to Dexter Fowler, so Roberts went to closer Kenley Jansen for the four-out finish.

Yahoo Sports’ Big League Stew noted Roberts wasn’t going to risk a late comeback from the Cubs:

Jansen struck out Kris Bryant, and the Dodgers offense put the game on ice in the bottom of the eighth with two more runs off an RBI double from Joc Pederson and an RBI groundout from Grandal. Jansen responded with a scoreless ninth, clinching a 2-1 series lead for the Dodgers.    

What’s Next?

Game 4 is Wednesday in Los Angeles.

The Dodgers have the opportunity to close this series out without ever having to go back to Chicago with two straight home wins. Clayton Kershaw looms as a potential option in Game 5, so a victory Wednesday would be a critical blow to the Cubs.

Los Angeles will start Julio Urias in Game 4. The 20-year-old pitched two shutout innings against the Washington Nationals in the Division Series but has never made a postseason start. He finished his rookie season with a 3.39 ERA and 1.46 WHIP.

The Cubs will counter with John Lackey. The playoff-tested veteran has 24 postseason appearances on his resume with a 3.22 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in those outings. However, he lasted just four innings in his Division Series start against the San Francisco Giants and allowed three earned runs.

He will need to be better Wednesday for the Cubs to avoid a daunting 3-1 hole.

Postgame Reaction

Hill summarized his outing after the win, per Dodger Insider: “It was the biggest game of my career.”

He also praised his catcher for helping him battle through the second inning, per Dodger Insider: “Yas did a great job of getting me back on track.”

On the other side, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said, “It’s about putting this in the waste basket and coming back tomorrow,” per 670 The Score in Chicago.

Maddon described how that can happen, per 670 The Score in Chicago: “We just need to get a couple hits and runs early to kind of get that feeling back.”

Bryant still had confidence after the loss, per Carrie Muskat of MLB.com: “We’ve done it all year. We’re here for a reason. Belief is very powerful, and I think we all have that.”

If that belief doesn’t translate to actual runs, the NLCS will end quickly for the struggling Cubs.

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History says the Cleveland Indians have already made the World Series; all that’s left is the final blow. Just don’t tell that to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Aaron Sanchez threw six innings of one-run ball and Josh Donaldson hit a home run and made a sparkling defensive play as the Blue Jays pulled away for a 5-1 win over the Indians in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series at Rogers Centre on Tuesday. The Indians lead the best-of-seven series 3-1 with Game 5 set for 4 p.m. ET Wednesday in Toronto.

Facing Cleveland ace Corey Kluber, the Jays showed no signs of wilting. Kluber worked five innings while pitching on three days’ rest, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks while struggling with a high pitch count.

Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star highlighted the right-hander’s issues:

Donaldson broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning with a 402-foot home run to left-center field. It was his first of this postseason, though the MVP candidate was 13-for-29 with six doubles and had been Toronto’s offensive anchor entering Tuesday.

Actor Stephen Amell thought it was Donaldson’s Rocky moment:

Donaldson finished the game 1-for-3 and was involved in two more critical moments that helped seal the game for Toronto. He made a diving stop on a hot shot off the bat of Carlos Santana that would have scored Cleveland’s second run in the fifth inning, preserving the Jays’ 2-1 lead.

Indians manager Terry Francona later made the decision to intentionally walk Donaldson to load the bases in the seventh inning, which backfired when the next batter, Edwin Encarnacion, hit a two-run single up the middle to make it 4-1. A number of analysts commented on Donaldson’s heroics and Francona’s decision:

Also helping the cause was Sanchez, who was borderline unhittable for most of the afternoon. The righty allowed just one run on two hits and two walks and struck out five before ceding the game to the bullpen, which did not allow a baserunner over three innings of work. Sanchez’s only real trouble came in the fifth, when Roberto Perez doubled home Coco Crisp, who had walked with one out.

Barry Davis of Sportsnet noted Sanchez was just the second pitcher in franchise history to pitch six or more innings and give up two or fewer hits in a playoff start. Brett Cecil, Jason Grilli and Roberto Osuna each pitched an inning to close it out, with Cecil and Osuna recording two strikeouts apiece.

Encarnacion, Michael Saunders and Ezequiel Carrera each notched a pair of hits for Toronto, and Carrera’s eighth-inning triple set up Kevin Pillar’s sacrifice fly for the game’s final run. Carrera had singled in the fourth inning to account for Toronto’s second run.

The Jays offense, having scored three runs over the first three games, appeared back in form despite the continued struggles of Jose Bautista. Hitting leadoff, Bautista went 0-for-5. He is hitless in five of his last six games.

Bautista even seemed occupied with other matters after the game:

The Indians, meanwhile, have up to three more games to close the series. The 2004 Boston Red Sox are the only team in MLB history to come back from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series.

Ryan Merritt will start Game 5 for Cleveland, while Marco Estrada will take the hill for Toronto. If the Blue Jays can send the series back to Ohio, the sweat might start piling up on the Indians’ brows.

Postgame Reaction

Grilli discussed the success of the bullpen with reporters: “We go about our business the same way, and it’s working. Our job is to put our hitters at the plate as much as possible. Keep the momentum on our side because I know we have every bit of confidence in them.

“If we do that, we’ve got a really good chance to win every ballgame.”

Donaldson talked about his message to teammates before the game, per the Associated Press (via the Guardian): “I’m not going to give too much away of what I had to say, but just more so getting everybody’s attention and focus and understanding. I mean, everybody knew coming into today how important today was. But at the same time, I just wanted to kind of reiterate that and let the boys know that I was coming to play today.”

Of his defensive gem, Donaldson said: “I was locked in. It helps when you have a guy like Sanchez in the zone, where you can really focus in on a certain area of the strike zone. And I was able to get a really good read off the bat, and I was fortunate enough to be able to make the play.”

Kluber said pitching on short rest didn’t affect him: “I felt fine. I don’t think it physically affected me. I made a mistake to Donaldson. We’re one win away from the World Series, and that’s what we’re focused on.”

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter.

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