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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Top 6th
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
1 down 5 to go.
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5 Left
Napoli struck out. 2 outs
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4 left
Ramirez singles on a ground ball
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