This is the 32nd deciding game in World Series history which seems remarkable only if you don’t think the 2 best teams always advance (and they don’t, another way of looking at the same statistics is that flukes and mismatches are the norm, representing almost 70% of all cases).
Baseball fans tend to be numbers fans also because there are just so many of them. They pretend it’s an indicator of rationality and predictability but these very same people will then turn their Caps inside out if their team is behind; refuse to bathe, shave, or wash their clothes; or believe in goat curses.
Honey, I hate to say it, but what you smell is you. Get a shower and brush your teeth why not. The reason they call it ‘Magical’ thinking is that there is no cause and effect that connects your ‘Good Luck Socks’ to what happens between the foul lines.
In this game however, the past is the future as each team has made some critical compromises to arrive at this point. Sure, Corey Kluber is a future Hall of Famer but is the 6th time the charm or is 30+ Innings (12 in this Series) more than enough? The Indians have a Bullpen too.
On the Cubs side Hendricks is a lot fresher, but has a lot of No Decisions and as many Losses as Wins. Sure his ERA is 0.00, but it’s based on 4 Innings and doesn’t include 6 scattered Hits. I don’t think he looks all that overpowering though the numbers say different. Chapman is the next Rivera, you heard it here first, but can he come back after last night’s work?
Well the answer is yes. He came in in the 7th but left in the 9th and he didn’t throw an unusually high number of pitches. Just another day at the Ball Park for him regardless of what the announcers say. The rest of the Bullpen ain’t much, but they have a bunch of lightly used starters who’ll be playing golf tomorrow win or lose.
So, we shall see. I won’t tell you I’m rooting for the club with the 108 year drought because of Bill Murray but it’s true enough and we shall see.
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Vent Hole
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First Pitch Strike
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Solo Shot. Cubs 1 – 0
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Infield Single
Not a discouraging start!
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Fly Out. 1 Gone
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Another Fly. 2 Out
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Steal
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Bottom 1st
The Game so far
The Top of the 1st with Corey Kluber pitching for Cleveland
The first pitch to Fowler was a strike, on pitch #4 he hit a lead off Home Run
Kyle Scwarber singles;
Kris Bryant flies out to right field
Anthony Rizzo flies out to center. 2 outs
Scwarber steals 2nd
Corey Zobrist flies out to center to retire the side
Cubs 1 – Cleveland 0
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First Pitch Fly Out
Bottom of the 1st Kyle Hendricks pitching for the Cubs
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KO. Out 2
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Throwing Error. 1 On
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Force. Top 2nd
Carlos Santana flies out to right
Jason Kipnis struck out 2 outs
Francisco Lindor to first on throwing error
Napoli grounds out to end the 1st ining
Cubs 1 – Cleveland 0
Top of the 2nd Inning: Corey Kluber pitching for Cleveland
Addison Russell pop fly to left.
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Pop. 1
Willson Contreras flies out to left. 2 outs
Jason Heyward flies out to center to retire the side
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Foul. 2
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Bottom 2nd
Bottom of the 2nd. Kyle Hendricks pitching for the Cubs
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A Leadoff Error
Jose Ramirez singles on a line drive
Ramirez picked off at 1st
Lonnie Chisenhall singles o a liine drive to left
Rajai Davis grounded into a double play to end the 2nd inning
Cubs – Cleveland o
Top of the 3rd. Corey Kluber pitching for Cleveland
Javier Baez flies out to left
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Long Fly. 1
Dexter Fowler flies out to right. 2 out
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Another. 2
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Out going for 2nd. Bottom 3rd
Kyle Schwarber singles on a line to left, out at 2nd to retire the side
Bottom of the 3rd. Kyle Kendricks pitching for the Cubs
Coco Crisp lead off double
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Leadoff Double
Roberto Perez bunts, out at 1st. Crisp to 3rd
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Sacrifice Bunt
Carlos Santana singles to left. Crisp scores to tie the game
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RBI Single. Tied at 1
Jason Kipnis singles on a ground ball, Santana safe at 2nd with 1 out
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Error. 2 On 1 Out
Lindor flies out to left. Runners hold 2 outs
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Big Fly Out. 2 Done
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Top 4th
Napoli lines out to end the 3rd inning
Cubs 1 – Cleveland 1
Top of the 4th inning Corey Kluber pitching for Cleveland
Kris Bryant lead of single
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Single. A good start
Rizzo hit by pitch. 2 on No outs
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HBP
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Fielder’s Choice. Corners
Zobrist singles, Rizzo out at 2nd. Bryant to 3rd
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RBI Sacrifice. Cubs 2 – 1
Russell sac fly to center. Bryant scores. Zobrist to 2nd
Cubs 2 – Cleveland 1 2 outs
What a slide!
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RBI Double. Cubs 3 -1
Contreras doubles on a fly to center. Zobrist scores
Cubs 3 – Cleveland 1 with 2 outs
Heyward pops out to infield to retire the side
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Bottom 4th
Bottom of the 4th. Kyle Hendricks pitching fo rthe Cubs
Ramirez grounds out
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Out at 1st
Chisenhall flies out to left
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Fly. 2
Rajai Davis flies into right to end the 4th
Cubs 3 – Cleveland 1
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Top 5th
Top of the 5th. Corey Kluber pitching for Cleveland
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Leadoff Solo Shot. Cubs 4 – 1
Baez lead off solo Home Run
Cubs 4 – Cleveland 1
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Ladies and Gentlemen… Kluber has left the building.
Cleveland pitching change: Andrew Miller in for Kluber
Fowler singles on a ground ball to left
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And a Single. No Out
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Double Play
Scwarber grounds into a double play. 2 outs
Bryant walked with 2 outs
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2 Out Walk
Rizzo RBI double
Cubs 5 – Cleveland 1 with 2 outs
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RBI Double. Cubs 5 – 1
Zobrist flies out far left center to retire the side
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Bottom 5th
Bottom of the 5th. Kyle Hendricks pitching for the Cubs
Crisp grounds out
Perez struck out. 2 outs
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Ground Out 1
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KO. 2
Santana walked
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2 Out Walk.
Cubs pitching change Jon Lester in for Hendricks
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Error. 2nd and 3rd
Kipnis grounds into a double. Santana tp 3rd with 2 outs
Wild pitch. 2 RBI’s
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Wild Pitch. 2 Runs Score. Cubs 5 – 3
Cubs 5 – Cleveland 3
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Top 6th
Lindor struck out to end the 5th innng
Cubs 5 _ Cleveland 3
Top of the 6th Andrew Miller pitching for Cleveland
Russell fouls out
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Pop Foul. 1
David Ross Home Run in his final game.
Cubs 6 – Cleveland 3
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Solo Shot. Cubs 6 – 3
Heyward grounds out. 2 outs
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Out at 1st. 2 Out
Baez struck out to retire the side
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Bottom 6th
Bottom of the 6th. Jon Lester pitching for the Cubs
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Leadoff KO. Good for him.
Napoli Struck out
Ramirez grounds out . 2 outs
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Gunned down at 1st. 2
Brandon Guyer, hitting for Chisenhall, singles on a ground ball to left
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Top 7th
Davis grounds out into a fielder’s choice to end the 6th inning
Cubs 6 – Cleveland 3
Top of the 7th. Andrew Miller pitching for Cleveland
Fowler with a leaf off single
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Leadoff Single
Nice start to the 7th
Schwarber flies out to left. Fowler holds at 1st. 1 out
Cleveland pitching change: CodyAllen in for Miller
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Line Out
Allen obsessed with trying to pick off Fowler.
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Strike Out/Throw Out Double Play. Bottom 7th
Bryant out on swinging strike Fowler caught stealing 2nd for qa double play to retire the side
Cubs 6 – Cleveland 3
Bottom of the 7th.Jon Lester pitching for the Cubs
Crisp flies out to left
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8 Left
Perez walked with 1out
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1 Out Walk
Naquin in running for Perez
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Sacrifice
Santana grounds out Naquin to 2nd
Kipnis struck out to end the 7th inning
Cubs 6 – Cleveland 3
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Top 8th
Top of the 8th. Cody Allen pitching for Cleveland
Rizzo out at 1st on a wild pitch
Zobrist grounds out. 2 outs
Russell pop fly to retire the side
Bottom of the 8th. Jon Lester pitching for the Cubs
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Bottom 8th
Lindor grounds out
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5 Left
1 down 5 to go.
Napoli struck out. 2 outs
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4 left
Ramirez singles on a ground ball
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Another fucking Error. 1 On 2 Out
Cubs pitching change: Aroldis Chapman in for Lester for the last 4 outs
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Chapman In
Guyer RBI doubles to right center field. Ramirez scores
Cubs 6- Cleveland 4
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RBI Double. Cubs 6 – 4
Shit.
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2 RBI HR. Tied at 6
Davis RBI Home Run to tie the game
Crisp singles
Can they bring Lester back?
Yan Gomes struck out to end the inning
Cubs 6 – Cleveland 6
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A Single
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Top 9th
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O-Ren Ishii: You didn’t think it was gonna be that easy, did you?
The Bride: You know, for a second there, yeah, I kinda did.
Top of the 9th. Cody Allen pitching for Cleveland
Ross lead off walk
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And a Walk to Leadoff
Chris Coghlan running for Ross.
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Force. 1 Down
Heyward to first on a ground ball. Coghlan out at 2nd. 1 out
Cleveland pitching change: Bryan Shaw in for Allen.
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Stolen Base. Error. Runner on 3rd.
Heyward steals 2nd advances to 3rd on a throwing error
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KO. 2 Down
Baez out on a foul bunt
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Bottom 9th
Fowler fouls out to retire the side
I can’t believe they are sending Chapman back out there.
Bottom of the 9th. Aroldis Chapman pitching for the Cubs
Santana flies out to center on a full count
Kipnis struck out. 2 outs
Lindor flies out to right to end the 9th inning.
On to the 10th
Cubs 6 – Cleveland 6
And the season goes into extra innings.
Top of the 10th. Bryan Shaw pitching for Cleveland
Rain delay.
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Top 10th
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Extra Inning Single
With Shaw pitching for Cleveland. Schwarber with a lead off single
Bryant sac fly to center. Schwarber to 2nd
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Sacrifice. Runner to 2nd
Rizzo intentionally walkedRizzo intentionally walked
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Intentional Pass
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RBI Double. Cubs 7 – 6
Zobrist RBI double to take the lead. Alamora running for Schwarber scores. Rizzo to 3rd
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Another Intentional Walk
Russell intentionally walked bases loaded with 1 out
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RBI Single. Cubs 8 – 6
Motero singles Rizzo scores
Cubs 8 – Cleveland 6
Cleveland pitching change: Trevor Bauer for Shaw
Heyward struck out 2 outs
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KO for 2
Baez flies out to retire the side
Cubs 8 – Cleveland 6
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So… Indians need 2 in 3 Outs.
Bottom of the 10th Carl Edwards pitching for the Cubs
Far too exciting.
Napoli struck out. 1 out
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2 Left
Ramirez grounds out. 2 outs
Guyer walked
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And… A Walk
Davis RBi single
Cubs 8 – Cleveland 7
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RBI Single. Cubs 8 – 7
Cubs pitching change: Mike Montgomery in for Edwards
Michael Martinez grounds out to end the game
The Cubs Win!!!!
How about that!
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108 Years of Futility- Gone. Cubs 8 – 7 Final.