Tribe tripped up by Arrieta as Series draws even By Jordan Bastian and Carrie Muskat / MLB.com | 2:45 AM ET CLEVELAND -- In what will be one historic World Series no matter the outcome, Jake Arrieta flirted with a different kind of history, carrying a no-hitter into the sixth inning on a brisk Wednesday night at Progressive Field. Arrieta went 5 1/3 innings before allowing a hit, and combined with Mike Montgomery and Aroldis Chapman on a four-hitter to spark the Cubs to their first win in the World Series since Oct. 8, 1945, a 5-1 victory over the Indians that evened the best-of-seven Fall Classic at one win apiece. Game 3 is set for Friday night, when Wrigley Field hosts its first World Series game in 71 years. "Wrigley, it's going to be -- you know, it's always good. It's always crazy good, but I'd have to imagine a little bit more than that, especially coming back at 1-1," Cubs Joe Maddon said. "I think the folks will be jacked up about the win tonight. But it is, it's the finest venue there is in professional sports and maybe in all of sports. ... But now having a World Series to root for, it's going to be incredibly special." Being tied in the Series isn't new territory for Maddon. In 2002, he was a on the Angels, who lost the first game of each of their three postseason series, yet rallied each time to win the World Series. Of the 57 times the Fall Classic has been tied 1-1, the winner of Game 2 has gone on to win the World Series 29 times (50.9 percent). In the past 10 instances since 1993, it's happened twice -- those Angels and the '09 Yankees. "It kind of felt like a must-win for us," Chicago's Kris Bryant said. "You don't want to go home down two games. We know we play pretty good at home. Our fans are going to be pretty excited for the first World Series game there in what, 71 years? So I'm sure it'll be a nice atmosphere." Arrieta's 5 1/3 hitless innings were the most to begin a World Series game since the Mets' Jerry Koosman went six innings in Game 2 in 1969. The Cubs right-hander was two outs shy of matching the team's longest no-hit bid in the World Series, done in 1906 by Ed Reulbach, who threw six no-hit innings in Game 2 against the White Sox. "He had so much movement on his ball, and he was kind of effectively wild," Indians slugger Mike Napoli said of Arrieta. "He hit the corners when he needed to, and then you can't really sit in an area because he was moving the ball all over the place. He did a good job. He shut us down for five innings without even getting a hit." Arrieta found himself in the same mess as Game 1 starter Jon Lester. Both got two outs to start the game, but then walked Francisco Lindor and Napoli back to back. Lester gave up two runs on Tuesday night en route to a 6-0 loss, but Arrieta escaped when he got Jose Ramirez to fly out. "I kind of had my foot on the gas a little too much at the start, trying to do more than I needed to," Arrieta said. "Then I really got back to just executing good pitches towards the bottom of the strike zone." Arrieta was cruising through five innings, but he lost his no-hit bid and the shutout in the span of three batters in the sixth. Jason Kipnis doubled with one out, moved up on a grounder and then scored on a wild pitch. Napoli singled on Arrieta's 98th pitch, and Maddon went to Montgomery. The reigning NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers were in attendance, including LeBron James, but they couldn't help the Indians. Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer, making his first postseason start since the bloody finger episode in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, was knocked out after 3 2/3 innings. The Cubs made the right-hander work, and he needed 87 pitches in the abbreviated outing. "They never let him settle into the game," Tribe manager said. "You've got to give them a lot of credit. ... As a staff in general, we worked behind a lot tonight, a lot more than is helpful. I think some of their hitters deserve credit for that also." Kyle Schwarber continued his dream postseason, collecting two hits and driving in two runs for the Cubs, while Anthony Rizzo provided a spark with an RBI double in the first. Rizzo drew a walk with two outs in the third and scored on Schwarber's , and then he battled Zach McAllister in a 10-pitch at-bat in the fifth, fouling off five straight pitches before drawing a walk and scoring on Ben Zobrist's triple. "They're going to make a movie about him," Bryant said of Schwarber. Maddon is counting on the kids, and they came through. The Cubs became the first team to win a World Series game with six players under 25 in the starting lineup. "I don't really think about these guys as that young," Maddon said. "Addison [Russell] really swung the bat well again tonight. Up and down, I don't focus on that. I mean, before the game I heard [of the record], and of course I realized that. But game in progress, you're so able to speak with them, and if you need to make any adjustments, they can hear you. They can slow it down to the point where they can hear you." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED First things first: With one out in the first, Bryant singled and Rizzo battled Bauer in a seven pitch at-bat, eventually lining a double down the right-field line. Bryant tallied and became the first Cubs player to score a run in the World Series since Peanuts Lowrey in Game 7 in 1945. Zobrist then worked a 10-pitch at-bat against Bauer, before flying out to left. The Indians' starter was able to strike out Schwarber to end the inning, but he needed 29 pitches to get through the first. This Series will have plenty of "firsts" for the North Siders, by the way, as Rizzo is the first Cubs player to drive in a run in the World Series since Bill Nicholson doubled in Lowrey in that Game 7. "That's our goal," Maddon said about scoring first. "That's our mantra on a nightly basis. If you look at this playoff run for everybody, the team that scores first normally has a pretty good advantage. We want to do it all the time." He's back: The Cubs had two outs and two on when Schwarber came to bat in the third against Bauer, who fell behind, 3-0. The Cubs' slugger smacked a single to center to score Rizzo, and added an RBI single in the fifth. His comeback is storybook. He was hitless in four at-bats before he was lost for the regular season with a left knee injury on April 7, but he is 3-for-7 in the World Series. "He jacks everybody up," Maddon said of Schwarber's return to the lineup. "Those couple big hits he got, again, really Rizzo really responded to it well. The whole group did. It makes your lineup longer. It makes it thicker. It makes it better. Zobrist is seeing better pitches right now because of that, too, I believe." Said Schwarber: "I want to help this team get to the ultimate goal. I want to have a good at-bat every time I go to the plate." Action in right: Indians right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall was involved in two plays that led to Cubs runs. In the first inning, when Chisenhall collected Rizzo's double into the corner, he spun and fired the ball to second base. Bryant scored all the way from first, but Statcast™indicated he likely would have scored no matter where Chisenhall threw the ball. Then with one out in the fifth, Chisenhall slipped and fell while chasing down a hit by Zobrist. That mishap allowed Zobrist to leg out a triple, scoring Rizzo and giving Chicago a 3-0 advantage. "I think Lonnie thought he had a chance at second," said Francona, referring to the play in the first inning. "We were set up to go home. That's probably where the ball should have gone. I think Lonnie thought that the runner conceded the run and thought he had a legitimate chance to get him, and actually came pretty close." Kipnis' costly error: With two outs and Schwarber on second in the fifth, Willson Contreras sent a sharp routine grounder to second base. The ball ate up Kipnis, who bobbled it and no longer had a play at first. Contreras reached on the error and clapped his hands repeatedly in celebration. Reliever Bryan Shaw then issued consecutive walks -- the later coming with the bases loaded against Russell. Kipnis' miscue forced Shaw to throw 13 additional pitches and helped the Cubs to a three-run inning that put the Tribe in a 5-0 hole. Kipnis made a second error in the seventh on a missed catch, following a highlight-reel diving stop by Lindor up the middle. "It was a bad game, for me at least," Kipnis said. "I've had them before. I'll have a short memory on it. It's not the end of the world. That one cost us a run. The other one didn't. All I can do is have a short memory and move on. It's cold out there. You've got to keep the blood moving, and the plays need to be made." Kipnis ends no-hit bid: Arrieta cruised into the sixth, holding Cleveland to an 0-for-16 showing on the night by the time Kipnis stepped in with one out in the inning. Chicago's starter fired a 1-1 , which Kipnis ripped up the middle with an exit velocity of 103 mph, per Statcast™. As the ball bounced into the right-center gap, Kipnis turned the hit into a hustle double, even with a banged-up left ankle. He then moved to third on a groundout by Lindor and scored on a wild pitch. In a span of nine pitches, Arrieta lost his no-hitter and shutout. "I don't want anybody no-hitting me in my own backyard," Kipnis said. "It doesn't matter if it's the World Series or the regular season. [Arrieta] was sharp tonight. He painted and moved the ball around and pitched a good game." QUOTABLE "No, it's not that easy, first off. Baseball's a crazy game. It will do crazy things to you, but this is the moment that we all look for when we were little kids, to play in the World Series and win it. We just took a small step today, but we've still got a long way to go." -- Schwarber, on his quick comeback SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS • Game 2 of the World Series was the first game this postseason, out of 30, that did not include a . • Walking dread: Tribe gives Cubs easy access • With the loss, Francona dropped to 9-1 in the World Series as a manager. He was the only manager in Major League history to win each of his first nine games in the Fall Classic. The nine-game winning streak is the third longest in history for a manager, trailing only Joe Torre (14) and Joe McCarthy (10). • With six K's in Game 2, Arrieta passed Kerry Wood (38) for sole possession of first on the Cubs' all-time postseason list with 44. • Indians struck out eight Cubs in Game 2, marking the 11th consecutive postseason game with at least eight punchouts, dating back to the 2013 AL Wild Card Game. That streak is tied with the Dodgers (2014-16) for the longest such run in postseason history. • Cubs pitchers combined to fan 12, setting a franchise record for the most in a World Series game. The previous high was 10, done in Game 5 in 1908 and Game 3 in 1932. • Chapman became the first Cuban-born to pitch in a World Series game since Orlando Hernandez did so for the White Sox in Game 3 of the 2005 Fall Classic. WHAT'S NEXT Cubs: After an off-day, the series shifts to Wrigley Field, where Kyle Hendricks will get the start in Game 3 on Friday. The right-hander, who led the Major Leagues in home ERA, was the winning pitcher in the Game 6 clincher of the Championship Series on Saturday, throwing 7 1/3 shutout innings against the Dodgers. Indians: Right-hander Josh Tomlin will take the ball for the Tribe in Game 3 on Friday. Tomlin has won both of his postseason starts, posting a 2.53 ERA. He beat the Red Sox in the AL Division Series clincher, and then he tamed the Blue Jays in Game 2 of the ALCS.

Game 2 doesn't go according to plan for Tribe By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com | @castrovince | 12:26 AM ET CLEVELAND -- It was creeping across the radar, a big green blob threatening the big green field of play. The forecast was foreboding enough that the start time for Game 2 of the World Series was moved up an hour, and the looming rain turned out to be an ideal metaphor for the storm that was approaching an Indians team whose run to this Fall Classic was nearly -- and, evidently, unsustainably -- free of flops. The flop arrived on a bone-chilling, staff-rattling night in a 5-1 loss at Progressive Field, and now this best-of-seven Series between two teams trying to make history is tied at one win apiece. "That game wasn't televised, was it?" joked second baseman Jason Kipnis, whose two errors were only part of the ugliness displayed by the home club. "Because it would be pretty embarrassing." Well, Cleveland did avoid getting no-hit by Jake Arrieta, despite early signs to the contrary, so that was a positive. But that was quite literally the only high point of a loss that was the antithesis of everything that got them here. How the Indians got here was a tried-and-true formula of staking their starters to early leads, getting those starters at least through the fifth, and then handing it over to Andrew Miller and Cody Allen in the bullpen. The Tribe had scored first in seven of its first nine games this postseason and won all seven of those games. Cleveland's pitching staff had allowed just 15 runs in nine games. It's hard to keep up that kind of pace, and it's doubly hard when the dude on the mound has only thrown 21 pitches in the past 19 days. Trevor Bauer looked rusty, and it was not hard to put a finger (pun intended!) on the problem here. When it's three weeks into the October journey, and you've accumulated more pinkie stitches (10) than innings pitched (5 2/3), you are not especially well aligned for an awesome outcome. Bauer wasn't awesome. The Tribe's offense wasn't awesome. The result wasn't awesome. It's not a Series-killing loss, by any stretch of the imagination. But it is confirmation that the challenges faced by the Indians' staff aren't as easily surmounted as they made it look in the first two rounds. You could watch this one and understand why Cleveland announced beforehand that Corey Kluber will be starting Game 4 and, if necessary, Game 7 on short rest. His seamless 88-pitch effort in Game 1 is the kind of stabilizing solution they need to ride for all it is worth. Kluber has thrown 24 1/3 innings in four starts this postseason. The rest of the Tribe's rotation is responsible for just 24 innings in six starts. "He's got two more starts," Cleveland manager Terry Francona said of Kluber. "Man, you can rest for a while [after that]." Back when Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco hit the shelf in succession in September, there stood the potential for restless nights for the Indians. But it's Bauer's finger issue that has been the chief source of intrigue, because everything associated with Bauer's spot in the rotation has fallen under the category of "TBD." How deep can he go? How sharp will he be? How much will the 'pen have the cover? All of these things were unknowns going into the Series. The way the 'pen pieced it together when Bauer's Game 3 start of that American League Championship Series became a memorably bloody mess after just two outs still stands as the signature scene of the Tribe's MacGyver-like October. But when Bauer required 87 pitches to get 11 outs -- allowing a pair of runs in the process -- on Wednesday, the troubleshooting guide turned up only blank pages. "I just wasn't sharp, for whatever reason," Bauer said. Bauer's outing was a slog, setting the tone for a game that would take four hours and four minutes to complete. The strongest argument for a pitch clock would be a study of his pace with runners aboard, and the Cubs had at least one of those in every inning he pitched. And with the offense unable to mount so much as a base hit against Arrieta until the sixth, the margin for error was miniscule. The metaphorical rains came in the fifth, before the literal ones arrived later in the night. Francona's bullpen finally betrayed him, not that it proved to matter much given the state of the bats. Zach McAllister walked Anthony Rizzo with one out and gave up an RBI triple to Ben Zobrist on a ball misplayed by Lonnie Chisenhall in the right-field corner. Bryan Shawrelieved McAllister and gave up an RBI single to make it 4-0. And when Kipnis extended the inning with a two-out error, the Cubs capitalized by loading the bases on Jorge Soler's walk and then bringing home their final run on Addison Russell's four-pitch walk from Shaw. "We gave up nine hits, eight walks, two errors, and we only gave up five runs," Francona said. "We're probably pretty fortunate, because there was traffic all night. For us to win, we generally need to play a clean game, and we didn't do that." Well, at least the Indians didn't have to stage a simulated session afterward to get their relievers some necessary work, as they did after Game 2 of the ALCS at this ballpark. This was an "all hands on deck" affair on the part of the 'pen, and so it was an opportunity -- albeit an unwelcomed one -- to shake off the rust for the lesser-used and lesser-known members of the relief corps. Of course, the Tribe's game plan revolves around us not even seeing those lesser-known members of the relief corps. On the non-Kluber days, Cleveland needs early offense and a five-and-fly before the bullpen door swings open and a giant lefty comes out to the mound to lock down the lead. Bauer and the bats couldn't make good on that game plan in Game 2. And for the first time this postseason, inclement weather arrived for the Indians.

Wrigley awaits for Game 3 (Fri., 8 ET, FOX) By Andrew Simon / MLB.com | 10:32 AM ET With the first two games of the World Series in the books, the Indians and Cubs are tied at a game apiece and the Fall Classic now shifts to Wrigley Field for the next three games, beginning with Friday's Game 3. It's a venue change that could have big implications, beyond the loss of the designated hitter in a National League ballpark. It also means that the wind could take center stage and alter the course of the World Series.

Tomlin's 'new' curve could cause Cubs fits in Game 3 By Mike Petriello / MLB.com | @mike_petriello | 10:00 AM ET You don't have to dig too deeply to figure out what Josh Tomlin's strategy is likely to be against the Cubs in Game 3 of the World Series on Friday night. The soft-tossing righty, who averages only 88.3 mph on his four-seam , has made it pretty clear already this October. Tomlin is going to throw . He's going to throw lots of them. He's going to do it because it's how he gets to the best version of himself, and he's going to do it because it may just be the best way to neutralize the excellent Cubs lineup. Since coming up with Cleveland in 2010, Tomlin has made 124 regular-season and postseason appearances of at least 10 pitches or more; for most of that time, he's relied on his four-seamer and cut fastball, sprinkling in the curve only about 10 to 15 percent of the time. If you look at those 124 starts and sort them by highest percentage, look what jumps out immediately: Tomlin's highest single-game curveball percentage from 2010-16 42.4 percent -- Oct. 15, 2016 (American League Championship Series Game 2) 33.8 percent -- Oct. 10, 2016 (AL Division Series Game 3) 29.9 percent -- July 23, 2016 25.3 percent -- July 20, 2011 25.0 percent -- Sept. 20, 2016 Anything stand out to you? It should. The only two times in Tomlin's career that he's thrown the curve more than 30 percent of the time came in his two 2016 postseason starts -- his two most recent starts -- against powerful Boston and Toronto lineups. He did that because the Blue Jays came in with a curveball problem, putting up the worst average (.161) in the Majors against curves, and because the Red Sox crushed , finishing No. 1 in batting average (.305) and second in slugging (.501) on them. So Tomlin identified opposing strengths and weaknesses, and in those two curveball-heavy starts -- both Cleveland wins -- Tomlin managed to get through 10 2/3 innings while striking out 10 and allowing only three runs. Guess what: The Cubs may have a similar weakness. Lowest team exit velocity against curveballs, 2016 84.3 mph -- Cubs 84.5 mph -- Reds 85.1 mph -- Yankees 86.2 mph -- Giants / Phillies The Cubs have just a .201 average (the eighth lowest) on curves, and if you're now rightfully thinking that you only worry about exit velocity and average when contact is made, well, Chicago had a 32.1 percent contact rate when swinging at curves -- which is the lowest in the Majors. So if Tomlin were to throw curves because the Cubs maybe don't handle curves well, that alone would be reason enough. But there's more to it than that, because this isn't the same curve Tomlin has been throwing for years. It's different. It's better. And as you could see on the top five curve-heavy games we showed above, it's not only been in the playoffs. Tomlin increased his curve usage late in the season. Perhaps you can see why, if we show you his Statcast™ spin rate by month on the pitch: That's a pretty noticeable change, one that seems to have taken place specifically before his Aug. 15 start against the Red Sox. More spin on a curveball is usually a good thing, as it leads to more movement (usually downward, though it depends on the particular spin's direction). For example, the Majors hit only .156 on curves above 3,000 rpm, as compared to .215 on curves below that mark. Since that Aug. 15 game, Tomlin has managed 8.5 inches of vertical movement, compared to 6.7 last season. Looking just at the postseason, he averaged nine inches against Boston and 10 against Toronto. Also since that game, his 2,855 rpm spin rate ranks in the top 5 percent of curveballs. Perhaps most importantly, Tomlin is taking that extra movement and he's keeping it down. Look at where his curveballs ended up in the regular season as compared to what they've done in the postseason. They were down before, but now they're really down. That's important, of course, because you want the curve down. It's extremely difficult to do anything with a pitch like that, and so far, the Cubs haven't done anything with the curves, following up regular-season struggles with more non-productive plate appearances in October, especially the World Series. In Game 1, Cleveland pitchers Corey Kluber and Cody Allen threw 29 curves, allowing only a David Ross single while getting four batted-ball outs and 14 called or swinging strikes. In Game 2, Trevor Bauer and Jeff Manship threw 20 curves, generating seven called or swinging strikes, two infield outs and a Dexter Fowler single. The curve may be Anthony Rizzo's weakest pitch (.169 average against, only three homers), to choose one example. It may be Tomlin's newest secret weapon, the one that helped him put up a 1.69 ERA in five September appearances and handle two good teams in the playoffs. It will absolutely be worth watching on Friday. Mike Petriello is an analyst for MLB.com and the host of the Statcast podcast. He has previously written for ESPN Insider and FanGraphs.

Finger fine, but Bauer exits G2 start in 4th By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | 1:35 AM ET CLEVELAND -- The wound was clean, but the threat still existed. Even as the cameras zoomed in and focused on the stitched-up pinkie on Trevor Bauer's right hand, it was fair to wonder if the ugly cut might again break open and drip blood on baseball's biggest stage. Though the finger did not pose any problems on Wednesday night, the vulnerability of the Indians' rotation was on full display in a 5-1 loss to the Cubs in Game 2 of the World Series at Progressive Field. Cleveland has been using a patched-up staff to overcome a series of setbacks, but the threat of things falling apart has never been more prominent than now. Even so, "I don't think there's any lack of confidence," Indians ace Corey Kluber said. With an 8-2 record this October and an American League pennant in its possession, Cleveland has every right to remain confident, even with the Fall Classic knotted, 1-1, as the series shifts to Wrigley Field. Finding ways to win in the face of adversity has been the signature attribute of this club. It is why -- without Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazaroccupying rotation slots -- the Tribe has made it this far. The Cubs, however, have a clear advantage when it comes to their deep rotation, and it is why Chicago seemed to shrug off the Game 1 defeat at the hands of Kluber on Tuesday night. After Bauer's Game 2 outing, which consisted of 3 2/3 slow and draining innings, the idea of getting much farther looked even more daunting for Cleveland. Consider that Kluber has logged 24 1/3 innings with a 0.74 ERA in his four postseason starts, but the rest of the rotation has combined for 24 innings over six games. That is why Kluber is the projected starter for not only Game 4, but also Game 7should the Series go the distance. "You want everybody being healthy, but we believe in all the guys in here," Roberto Perez said. "We have a really good team. Guys are stepping up in a big way. We've just got to come back in Game 3 and play baseball like we've been doing." Game 3 on Friday will be started by right-hander Josh Tomlin, who is 2-0 with a 2.53 ERA this postseason. The precision-based strike artist also has a 1.93 ERA dating back to the start of September, so his recent run began before he stepped onto the October stage. That said, he allowed 36 home runs in 30 games this season, and it remains to be seen if the stiff Lake Michigan wind will be blowing out at Wrigley. As for Bauer, he had only logged 21 pitches in the 19 days leading up to his Game 2 start against the Cubs. Those tosses came in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, which he was forced to exit four batters into his start after his lacerated pinkie opened and bled on his uniform and spikes, and on the mound. How was the finger on Wednesday night? "Totally fine," Bauer said. Bauer was curt during his postgame media session, offering succinct replies to each question sent his way. He may have had more pitches thrown (87) than words spoken, as he labored with his command in his third October outing. He allowed two runs on six hits, ending with two strikeouts and a pair of walks. In the cold conditions -- game-time temperature was 43 degrees -- he struggled to get a feel for his curveball. "That's an uncontrollable variable," Bauer said. "You have to work through it." Whether it was because of the elements, the injury or the lack of work, Bauer simply did not look like himself. "It wasn't his best night," Perez said. "Those things are going to happen." But the Indians just can't afford to have it happen much more. After Tomlin starts on Friday, Cleveland plans on sticking with its three-man rotation on three days' rest the rest of the way. That puts Kluber on deck for Game 4, followed by Bauer and Tomlin again in Games 6 and 7. The Indians really do not have much of a choice, either. A fractured right hand has Carrasco unavailable. Salazar returned from a right forearm injury on Wednesday and turned in a scoreless sixth inning, but manager Terry Francona said he is not an option to start. Rookie lefty Ryan Merritt is being kept in the bullpen as insurance for an outing gone awry. Cleveland's resolve has been tested plenty, but this is the final exam. "We knew playing the Cubs we were going to get challenged," Francona said. "The things that have happened -- physical things -- you just do the best you can and you try to win the game. That's kind of what we always do. They beat us tonight. It wasn't because somebody had a bad finger. They just played better than us." Jordan Bastian has covered the Indians for MLB.com since 2011, and previously covered the Blue Jays from 2006-10. Read his blog,

Scuffling offense catches up to Indians in G2 By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com | @AnthonyDiComo | 12:56 AM ET CLEVELAND -- Measured in decibels, perhaps Wednesday's highest-octane moment at Progressive Field occurred in the sixth inning of Game 2 of the World Series. Jason Kipnisshot a one-out, bases-empty double up the middle, where it skipped between two Cubs on its way to the right-center-field gap. The Cleveland faithful roared and whooped and hollered, lifting signs and raising fists. No matter that the Indians were already trailing by five runs at that point, well on their way to a 5-1 loss and a 1-1 Series tie. No matter that the Cubs were actively siphoning momentum from them. "I don't want anybody no-hitting me in my own backyard," Kipnis said. "It doesn't matter if it's the World Series or the regular season." For a time, it seemed as if Jake Arrieta might accomplish that feat, setting down the Indians with what Mike Napoli called an "effectively wild" approach. Arrieta's 5 1/3 no-hit innings were the deepest anyone has taken a no-hit bid in a World Series game since the Mets' Jerry Koosman made it through six innings in Game 2 in 1969. And while Kipnis' hit may have solved that problem, it did little to address Cleveland's greater concern: aside from historically light-hitting catcher Roberto Perez's Game 1 outburst, the Indians have scored three runs over their first two World Series games. Since the start of the American League Championship Series, in which their pitching carried them, they have averaged 2.7 runs per game. "I think you've seen us in these playoffs where we haven't hit so well and somehow have still found ways to win games," Kipnis said. "Tonight, the other team just did a good enough job of scoring more runs than we did, and it came back to haunt us without hitting." There has been no singular culprit. Through two World Series contests, Carlos Santana is 0-for-6. Kipnis is 1-for-9. Lonnie Chisenhall is 1- for-6, and his replacement in the later innings of Game 2, Rajai Davis, is 1-for-7. Overall, the Indians are batting .219, surviving until now thanks to razor-sharp pitching. But they know they cannot keep living on that knife's edge. Not against the Cubs, who have countered with nothing but elite arms so far this Series -- it was Arrieta, Mike Montgomeryand Aroldis Chapman on Wednesday, each at least as effective as the last. "Whether they get a hit or not really doesn't affect the way you continue to approach that lineup, especially with a five-run lead," Arrieta said. "I wanted to stay aggressive and continue to allow these guys to put the ball in play on quality pitches in the bottom of the strike zone." The Tribe did have its chances, with Kipnis scoring on a wild pitch in the sixth inning, and Jose Ramirez lifting a deep fly ball that died just shy of the warning track in the first. But Cleveland needs more than almost-got-'em threats and one-run rallies. Napoli suggested continuing to grind out at-bats, as the Indians did in forcing Arrieta to throw 98 pitches over 5 2/3 innings. Francisco Lindor espoused small ball -- "get on base, move the guys over." Kipnis offered an even simpler solution. "We've just got to have better at-bats," he said. "We don't need to make it any more difficult or any more confusing than it is. See the ball up, swing at strikes, get guys on base. We just didn't do that tonight." Anthony DiComo has been a reporter for MLB.com since 2008. Follow him on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo and Facebook, and listen to

Kipnis shrugs off uncharacteristic mishaps By Jane Lee / MLB.com | @JaneMLB | 1:45 AM ET CLEVELAND -- A messy scene unfolded Wednesday evening at Progressive Field, where the Indians lost their grip on the type of fundamentally sound play that got them to this point. And that was before a blanket of rain mushed the field. Cleveland's pitchers lacked control, issuing eight walks, and so did its defense. Lonnie Chisenhall had his mishaps in right field, while second baseman Jason Kipnis was charged with two errors in a 5-1 Game 2 loss to the Cubs that evened this World Series at one win apiece. Kipnis, a steady hand at the position for much of his career, bobbled a potential inning-ending grounder that resulted in an unearned run in the fifth, then scuttled a would-be spectacular play jump-started by middle-infield partner Francisco Lindor in the seventh. The gaffes sandwiched -- and dwarfed -- Kipnis' hustle double in the sixth, which gave the Indians their first hit of the night against Cubs starter Jake Arrieta and resulted in their lone run, with Kipnis later scoring on a wild pitch. "You know what? It was a bad game, for me at least," Kipnis said. "I've had them before. It's not the end of the world. All I can do is have a short memory and move on. Things happen, it's cold out there, you gotta keep the blood moving, and there are plays that need to be made." First-pitch temperature registered at 43 degrees, but Kipnis would use neither the conditions nor his bum ankle, mildly sprained during Cleveland's American League pennant-clinching celebration last week, as an excuse. It was such an unusual sight to behold, though, considering how well the Indians had done in producing tight, tense and well-played games in weeks prior. Cleveland's defense had just one error in its previous nine playoff contests. Game 2 exposed the club's sluggish offense, which came away with only four hits. Kipnis, who was just 5-for-37 this postseason before his double, acknowledged as much. "I think you've seen us in these playoffs where we haven't hit so well and somehow have still found ways to win games, and tonight the other team just did a good enough job of scoring more runs than we did, and it came back to haunt us without hitting," Kipnis said. "It's obviously a frustrating time to be in a slump, when your team needs you the most, so it's nice to finally check in, but I'm going to need more than one hit if I'm gonna help this offense go." While Kipnis cost the Indians an opportunity to escape the fifth unscathed -- instead putting runners at the corners for right-hander Bryan Shaw, who walked each of his next two batters to bring in the inning's third run -- he also noted he cost Lindor "a Top 10 highlight, I know that." With none out in the seventh and a runner at first base, Lindor showed off his athleticism with a stellar diving stop on a sharp grounder off the bat of Addison Russell, making a backhanded flip toward second base, only for Kipnis to miss it. "Outstanding play," Kipnis said. "One of those ones, I went to the bag, it was a high throw, but to expect him to go behind his back and hit me in the chest is ridiculous. I tried to push off and just missed it out of my reach." "It's just part of the game," Lindor said. "It happens. Of course he wanted to make the play." The Indians pitched around this one, but it still punctuated an awry night the club would do well in not replicating when the Series moves to Chicago on Friday. "For us to win, we generally need to play a clean game," Indians manager Terry Francona said, "and we didn't do that." Jane Lee has been a reporter for MLB.com since 2010. This story was not subject to the approval of or its clubs.

Walking dread: Tribe gives Cubs easy access By Ben Weinrib / MLB.com | 2:31 AM ET CLEVELAND -- The Indians were unable to do in Game 2 of the World Series what they did so sucessfully in Game 1: limit walks. The Cubs were the only team to average more than four walks per game this season, and the Tribe issued only two free passes to take Game 1 of the Fall Classic. But with eight walks in Game 2 on Wednesday, the Indians lost, 5-1. For Cleveland to reclaim the edge, it will need to avoid putting so many runners on base. Five of the Indians' seven pitchers issued walks, which directly contributed to three of the Cubs' runs. Anthony Rizzo walked twice, scoring on Kyle Schwarber's third-inning single and Ben Zobrist's fifth-inning triple. And Addison Russell coaxed a bases-loaded walk to cap the three-run fifth. "We walked way too many guys today," said right-hander Bryan Shaw, who walked two, including Russell, in two-thirds of an inning. "I think that it's just one of those days for us. We'll bounce back this weekend with the starters that we have going and a little more rest, and I think we'll be ready to go." The Cubs ranked fourth in the Major Leagues with 3.96 pitches per plate appearance during the regular season, and they continued their patience in Game 2. Chicago worked the count and knocked out Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer after he threw 87 pitches in 3 2/3 innings and forced the staff to throw 133 pitches through five innings, 196 overall. "We've been tough on pitchers all year and gotten a lot of pitchers in high counts early in the game, and that was a key for us tonight," said Zobrist, who walked once. "Guys just battled. After last night, we wanted to come out and get on the board early. Rizz did that in the first inning for us [with an RBI double], and that was huge. We put a lot of good at-bats together against Bauer early on and made them go to their bullpen." The Indians walked eight or more batters only five times during the regular season, and unsurprisingly, they won just one of those games. They are 3-10 when they walk six or more batters and 20-30 when walking four or more batters. Avoiding walks will be key for the Tribe to stay out of its bullpen, which has been heavily taxed at times this postseason. Overall, walks weren't a problem during the regular season -- Cleveland ranked seventh in the Majors with 2.87 walks per nine innings -- and they haven't been in the postseason either (29 in 89 innings). "It's always important," said right-hander Zach McAllister, who walked one in two-thirds of an inning. "When you're not commanding the ball the way that you need to, it gives their team more of an advantage. Everyone down there has good stuff, but we need good stuff in the strike zone. "It's just knowing you've got to execute pitches in the zone. We saw the other day that they can be patient, but at the same time, they can be somewhat aggressive. If you execute a good pitch, you're probably going to be successful." Ben Weinrib is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Salazar shakes off rust in relief appearance CLEVELAND -- Indians right-hander Danny Salazar hadn't pitched since Sept. 9 due to a right forearm strain, but he proved he was ready to contribute with his first professional relief appearance Wednesday. Although he didn't factor into the decision in the Cubs' 5-1 win over the Indians in Game 2 of the World Series, he showed he will be a major weapon moving forward. A surprise addition to the World Series roster, Salazar tossed a scoreless sixth inning with two walks and no strikeouts. "I was nervous the first time they said 'Danny go warm up,'" Salazar said. "But after I threw like two pitches, it was back to normal, feeling the way I used to feel like when I threw in my 'pen before the game." Earlier in the week, Indians manager Terry Francona said that Salazar could throw upwards of 65-70 pitches. However, with Salazar having only thrown in a handful of simulated games in Arizona during his rehab, it was important for him to get a short outing in during a real game. "We pitched him to try to keep the game where it was and to shake off some rust," Francona said. "I think we were able to do that, because you could see that the ball came out really well, but he wasn't commanding great." Salazar threw 19 pitches, but only eight were strikes. His fastball velocity (94.1 mph) was mostly on par with his season average (94.7), but faded throughout the inning. He only incorporated his as a secondary pitch, eschewing his slider (7.9 percent of regular-season pitches) and curveball (5.1 percent). Salazar ran into trouble after recording two quick outs by walking Ben Zobrist and Kyle Schwarber on eight pitches. But after a mound visit from pitching coach Mickey Callaway, Salazar calmed down and coaxed a flyout from Javier Baez. • Shop for Indians World Series and AL champs gear "[My command] started good, and then I got a little bit too excited, getting back out there," Salazar said. "I tried not to let my velo go down. I was pulling some pitches, but then I felt great." Although Salazar held a 3.87 ERA over 25 starts this season -- earning his first All-Star nomination -- Francona said he foresaw Salazar's future appearances this Series also coming out of the bullpen. But with one relief appearance under his belt, Salazar is ready for his next challenge. "It's good to throw and get that confidence back," Salazar said. "I'll be ready for next time." Ben Weinrib is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Tribe heads to Wrigley seeking edge in Game 3 By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com | 12:53 AM ET The ivy is changing from green to red, an awesome autumnal attribute the public has rarely seen. The corner of Clark and Addison will finally be bustling with activity in the final days of October. The World Series is coming to Wrigley Field on Friday night, and it is coming with the Cubs and the Indians knotted at one win apiece in a fascinating Fall Classic matchup with historic implications. In picking up the split at Progressive Field -- the Cubs did what all teams aim to do when they open a best-of-seven series on the road -- Chicago has the opportunity to swing this Fall Classic in its favor on its home turf. Considering it has been 71 long and painful years since this particular turf last hosted a game of this magnitude, one imagines the conditions will be fervently in the Cubs' favor. "It's going to be electric," Kyle Schwarber said. "It's going to be really, really loud." After his 2-for-4, two-RBI showing in the 5-1 victory in Game 2 on Wednesday night, some of the loudest cheers will be sent in Schwarber's direction. The question is whether they'll be rooting for him as part of the introduction of the bench or the starting lineup. That Schwarber is even suiting up for this Series is a medical marvel, given that he had major surgery on his left knee a bit more than six months ago. That he's shown no signs of rust at the plate, while slotted in as the designated hitter in Games 1 and 2, is a baseball marvel that could force manager Joe Maddon's hand in his lineup construction in the National League park. "I honestly don't know [what will happen]," Maddon said after Game 2. "That's something I'm waiting to hear from our medical side, because obviously he looks good. He looks good at the plate. Running the bases, he looks pretty good so far. … There's nothing about watching him that tells me that he's inhibited right now." Left field will be an area of intrigue on both sides. The Indians are entertaining the idea of playing Carlos Santana, their regular DH, in left field for just the second time in his career. Santana played left from the sixth inning on in a loss to the Red Sox on Aug. 12, 2012. That would be an iffy defensive proposition, to say the least, but Cleveland was weighing the pros and cons of keeping the bats of both Santana and Mike Napoli in the lineup. "We want to keep every option open," Tribe manager Terry Francona said. The starting pitchers for Game 3 were much easier to decipher. The Indians will send Josh Tomlin to the mound opposite the Cubs' Kyle Hendricks. The latter is an NL Cy Young Award candidate who has picked up precisely where his rousing regular season left off. Hendricks has a 1.65 ERA in 16 1/3 postseason innings. Tomlin, meanwhile, has been one of those surprise stars October tends to churn out. Injuries to Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar thrust Tomlin into a more prominent rotation role than expected, and he's delivered two strong starts against the tough lineups of the Red Sox and Blue Jays, allowing three runs in 10 2/3 innings. And if you think the Cubs returning home to Wrigley for the World Series is a great story, consider what's going on in Tomlin's world. His dad, Jerry, hasn't watched him pitch in person since a rare condition left him paralyzed from the chest down in mid-August. The elder Tomlin was released from the hospital last week, and he will be in attendance for Game 3. This Series has presented us with no shortage of satisfying subplots, but the games themselves have both been blowouts so far. The Indians locked down that loaded Cubs lineup with their two best weapons -- Corey Kluber and Andrew Miller -- in Game 1, but Chicago, behind a strong start from Jake Arrieta and a sudden offensive upswing against Trevor Bauer and the bullpen, turned the tables against a sloppy Tribe team in Game 2. Game 3 looms as a potentially important swing spot. The team winning Game 3 of a 1-1 World Series has gone on to win it all on 37 occasions (64.9 percent of the time), including 11 of the past 14 instances. For what it's worth, the home team has won Game 3 after a 1-1 tie just 45.6 percent of the time, and only three times in the past 10 tries. Of course, for the Cubs, this is no ordinary home game. This is a game generations of fans have pined and pleaded for, and their prayers have finally been answered. Wrigley is finally getting its time in the World Series spotlight. "It's the finest venue there is in professional sports, and maybe in all of sports," Maddon said. "Now, having a World Series to root for, it's going to be incredibly special." Anthony Castrovince has been a reporter for MLB.com since 2004. Read his columns and follow him on Twitter at @Castrovince. This story

DYK: Arrieta's historic no-hit bid By Andrew Simon, Matt Kelly and Manny Randhawa / MLB.com | 1:27 AM ET After dropping Game 1 of the World Series, the Cubs bounced back on Wednesday night, with a 5-1 victory over the Indians at Progressive Field. The series-evening triumph was the first World Series game win for the franchise since Game 6 of the 1945 Fall Classic on Oct. 8, 1945. That's a span of 25,952 days, which is a numerical palindrome (the same number forwards and backwards). The upcoming Game 3 could be the real decider, though. In World Series with a 2-3-2 format, which was established in 1925, 43 series have been tied 1-1 going into Game 3. Teams that have won Game 3 at home have won 16 of 23 series, while teams that have won Game 3 on the road have won 14 of 20, for an overall series record of 30-13. However, the last two teams to win Game 3 after a 1-1 split (the 2014 Royals and 2013 Cardinals) went on to lose the Series. Here are some other facts and figures to know about Game 2: Arrieta keeps Tribe bats quiet • Jason Kipnis recorded the Indians' first hit of the night with a one-out double in the bottom of the sixth. That ended Jake Arrieta's no-hit bid at 5 1/3 innings, the third-longest by a Cubs pitcher in World Series history, following Ed Reulbach's six-inning bid in Game 2 of the 1906 World Series and Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown's 5 2/3-inning bid in Game 4 of that same Fall Classic. • Arrieta's 5 1/3 no-hit innings gave him the longest no-hit bid by any pitcher for any club in the World Series since the Mets' Jerry Koosman lasted six no-hit innings in Game 2 of the 1969 Fall Classic. • With his first of the game and 39th in his postseason career, Arrieta broke a tie with Kerry Wood for the most in Cubs history. After picking up six strikeouts on the night, Arrieta now has 44, nine ahead of teammate Jon Lester in his Cubs career. • Arrieta, two Cubs relievers and seven Indians pitchers combined for the first game out of 30 this postseason without a home run allowed. Chicago's bats wake up • Anthony Rizzo's first-inning RBI double gave the Cubs their first lead in a World Series game since Stan Hack clubbed a walk-off double in the bottom of the 12th inning to win Game 6 of the 1945 Fall Classic against Detroit. • With two outs in the top of the third, Kyle Schwarber singled on a 3-0 pitch from Indians starter Trevor Bauer to bring Rizzo home and give the Cubs a 2-0 lead. It was the first RBI hit on a 3-0 count in the World Series since Trot Nixon of the Red Sox knocked a run-scoring double in Game 4 of the 2004 Fall Classic and only the second RBI to come on a 3-0 count in Cubs postseason history. Mark Grace's sacrifice fly in Game 4 of the 1989 NLCS was the first. • Schwarber knocked in another run with an RBI single in the top of the fifth, giving him a total of 10 RBIs over his first two postseasons. Schwarber is now one of four Cubs in history with at least 10 postseason RBIs, and three of them were in Chicago's lineup Wednesday night: Schwarber, Kris Bryant and Javier Baez. Aramis Ramirez is the fourth. • Ben Zobrist tripled in Rizzo for the Cubs' third run of the game with one out in the fifth inning. Zobrist, who is 35, became the oldest player to triple in the World Series since the Yankees' Ruben Sierra in Game 4 of the 2003 Fall Classic. Sierra, 38, hit a game-tying two-run triple in the ninth inning against the Marlins. • Chicago kept the pressure on when Addison Russell drew a four-pitch walk from Cleveland's Bryan Shaw with the bases loaded in the fifth to extend the Cubs' lead to 5-0. It was the first bases-loaded walk issued by Shaw in his six-year career. Impressive Indians streaks snapped • For the first time in his managerial career, Indians skipper Terry Francona lost a World Series game. At 9-0, Francona had the longest career- opening winning streak in history. He still ended up with the third-longest streak at any point, behind Hall of Famers Joe Torre (14) and Joe McCarthy (10). • Before Wednesday, the Indians had allowed one run in 36 innings over their previous four postseason home games, going back to Game 2 of the AL Division Series against the Red Sox. But on this night, they surrendered two runs in the first three innings and five total. • The Indians trailed for more innings in Game 2 (all nine) than they had all postseason entering the night (eight). Little frigid out there • The thermometer in Cleveland read 43 degrees when Bauer delivered the first pitch, making Game 2 the coldest World Series contest since Game 3 of the 2006 Fall Classic between the Tigers and Cardinals in St. Louis. Cleveland still holds the distinction of hosting the coldest World Series game on record: Game 4 in 1997, which featured snow flurries and a first-pitch temperature of 35 degrees. • Bauer needed 87 pitches to compile 11 outs and left trailing, 2-0. Bauer is only the third pitcher in World Series history to throw at least 87 pitches in less than four innings of work, joining Tim Wakefield of the Red Sox in Game 1 of the 2004 World Series and Livan Hernandez of the Giants in Game 3 of the 2002 Fall Classic. • Bauer and six Indians relievers combined to throw 196 pitches, equaling the fourth-most delivered by any team in a World Series game that lasted the standard nine innings since 1993, and the most since the Rockies needed 197 pitches in Game 1 of the 2007 World Series. Andrew Simon is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @AndrewSimonMLB.

Tale of the Tape: Game 3 starters on a roll By Joe Trezza / MLB.com | October 26th, 2016 Wrigley Field will host its first World Series game in 71 years Friday, when two right-handers square off in what will be a pivotal Game 3 for two franchises looking for their first championship in decades. The World Series tied at a game apiece, the Cubs turn to one of the best pitchers in baseball in Kyle Hendricks. He opposes Indians starter Josh Tomlin, who is coming off two impressive starts already this postseason. Tomlin is 2-0 with a 2.53 ERA in 10 2/3 innings this October, having beaten the Red Sox in Game 3 of the American League Division Series and the Blue Jays in Game 2 of the AL Championship Series. Hendricks struggled in the NLDS against the Giants, but rebounded to the tune of a 0.71 ERA over two NLCS starts against the Dodgers. He faced one over the minimum in 7 1/3 innings in his last outing, earning the win in Chicago's NLCS-clinching Game 6. Here's how the two right-handers match up in advance of Game 3. Season stats Tomlin: 13-9, 4.40 ERA, 174 IP, 118 K Hendricks: 16-8, 2.13 ERA, 190 IP, 170 K • Shop for World Series gear: Cubs | Indians Josh Tomlin, Indians Tomlin against the Cubs 2016: Did not face Career: Has never faced Loves to face: Ben Zobrist, 2-for-19, 3 K Hates to face: Tomlin has only faced three Cubs players, and Zobrist is the only one with more than five at-bats against him. Game breakdown Why he'll win: Tomlin last pitched in Game 2 of the ALCS, on Oct. 15, meaning he'll be on 12 days' rest when he pitches Friday. That's a lot of extra rest, and Tomlin has excelled on extra rest throughout his career. His ERA when pitching on six or more days of rest was 1.97 in five starts this season, compared to his 4.98 ERA in 24 other starts. Over his career, his ERA drops more than half a run, from 4.55 to 3.90, in such situations. Pitcher beware: Batters actually hit Tomlin for a better average the first time through the lineup, which is unusual and implies he doesn't benefit from unfamiliarity as much as most. Eleven of the Cubs' 14 position players are yet to face Tomlin in their careers, but the numbers suggest this might not hinder their approach against him at all. Bottom line: The Indians likely won't need more than the 5 2/3 innings Tomlin pitched in Game 2 of the ALCS, especially if their lights-out bullpen continues its near flawless postseason. The reliable, veteran Tomlin pitched that deep 19 times this season, so there's little reason not to expect an at least solid night. Kyle Hendricks, Cubs Hendricks against the Indians 2016: Did not face Career: Has never faced Loves to face: Coco Crisp is the only Indians player with any experience against Hendricks. He's 0-for-3. Game breakdown: Why he'll win: Because whether you know it or not, Hendricks is an ace, despite flying under the radar for much of the year. On a staff with Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta, it was Hendricks who won the Major League ERA title, in just his second full season. His 2.13 ERA in 190 innings led all pitchers, and his 0.98 WHIP placed second, by mere decimal points. The Cubs have an unassuming ace to unleash in Game 3. Pitcher beware: The changeup is a major part of Hendricks' success. He throws the pitch 27 percent of the time, more than all but one pitcher in the Majors. The Indians may be able to turn that strength into a weakness. Four Cleveland starters hit over .300 against this season. Bottom line: After hiccupping in his first start this October, Hendricks regained his dominant regular-season form in the NLCS. He'll ride that momentum into the raucous environment at Wrigley Field, where Hendricks (1.32 home ERA) loves to pitch. The Indians will likely have their hands full.

Tomlin to take stage in historic G3 at Wrigley By Jane Lee / MLB.com | @JaneMLB | 1:06 AM ET CLEVELAND -- When the World Series shifts to Wrigley Field for Game 3 on Friday, the Indians will be hoping to get more of the same from right-hander Josh Tomlin, the unheralded veteran who has enjoyed tremendous success on the postseason stage this month. Tomlin, 32, will stand opposite Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks with the series tied, 1-1, in a setting baseball hasn't seen since 1945 -- that's the last time Wrigley Field hosted a World Series game. The historic element that weighs on this affair is not lost on Tomlin, but his appreciation of such things is trumped in significance by the person who will be in attendance for it all. In a sea of overjoyed Cubs fans will sit Tomlin's father, Jerry, released from the hospital just last week. Jerry, who has been paralyzed from the chest down since mid-August because of a rare condition called an arteriovenous malformation, which required emergency surgery, watched both of his son's first postseason starts from his room at the Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation in Dallas. "I may have to break every rule in the book," Jerry said a few days ago in an interview with MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince, "but I plan to get there one way or another, brother. If they have to throw me on somebody's back and carry me, I'm going to get there." It won't come to that. Just days ago, Jerry got the green light to travel to Chicago, where father and son will share an experience that transcends the game. "He's my best friend," Tomlin said. "I don't think he's missed a game, either on TV or coming to a game, that I can remember." Tomlin, to this point, has seamlessly blended in with the rest of Cleveland's steadfast pitching staff, providing two strong starts against a pair of vaunted lineups in the Red Sox and Blue Jays. He picked up wins on both occasions, most recently holding Toronto to one run on three hits in 5 2/3 innings in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series. Tomlin, who struck out six and walked two in the outing, thoroughly dominated the Blue Jays, befuddling them with a curveball they consistently drove into the ground. Tomlin, typically a cutter-heavy pitcher, greeted Toronto with more curveballs than he did on any other occasion all season while facing 22 batters, and only two Blue Jays hit the ball in the air. Throwing more curveballs, of course, doesn't guarantee success; the pitch has to be well located. But Tomlin has mastered this. A similar game plan should serve him well against the Cubs, who had the lowest average exit velocity against curveballs during the regular season at 84.3 mph, according to Statcast™. Tomlin finished the regular season with a 4.40 ERA -- a 1.69 ERA over his final five outings -- and he's given up just three runs in 10 2/3 innings this postseason. Jane Lee has been a reporter for MLB.com since 2010. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Game 2 played without weather interruption By Alyson Footer / MLB.com | @AlysonFooter | 1:44 AM ET CLEVELAND -- It was 43 degrees when Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer threw the first pitch of Game 2 of the World Series at Progressive Field on Wednesday, and it didn't get much better, weather-wise, from there. Still, though the Cubs and the Indians played through cold, damp conditions, the worst-case scenario -- heavy rain during the game -- never happened. It held off just long enough for Chicago to prevail, 5-1, in a four-hour, four-minute affair that evened the World Series at one win apiece. On Tuesday, Major League Baseball made the decision to move Game 2 up an hour, to avoid being caught in a storm that was supposed to begin sometime around 11 p.m. ET on Wednesday. That decision proved to be a prudent one. Minutes after the game was complete, the skies opened up, almost at the exact time the weather reports had predicted. Though it didn't pour during the game, the conditions weren't exactly comfortable. The dugouts were heated, but on the field, it was cold. How cold was it? "I mean, it was so cold, I tried to go to the bathroom in the fourth inning and I couldn't," Indians manager Terry Francona deadpanned. "That tells you enough." Game 2 tied for the second-coldest World Series game of the Wild Card Era, just slightly warmer than the first-pitch temperature of 35 degrees in Game 4 of the 1997 World Series between the Marlins and Indians, also in Cleveland. Moving forward, extreme chilliness shouldn't be a problem. According to accuweather.com, the forecast for the rest of the World Series, in both cities, appears to be favorable. When the Cubs and Indians assemble on Friday to play the first World Series game at Wrigley Field in 71 years, the weather conditions are expected to be downright balmy -- a high of 68 degrees, with "periods of sun." Coldest World Series games (Wild Card era, 1995-) Temp Year Game City

35 1997 Game 4 Cleveland

43 2016 Game 2 Cleveland

2006 Game 3 St. Louis

44 2006 Game 2 Detroit

2012 Game 4 Detroit

45 2007 Game 3 Colorado

2005 Game 2 Chicago (AL)

46 1997 Game 5 Cleveland

47 1997 Game 3 Cleveland

2006 Game 5 St. Louis

2008 Game 5* Philadelphia

2009 Game 6 New York (AL)

2012 Game 3 Detroit *- First day of suspended game Saturday's forecast is about the same, while on Sunday, it's expected to be a little cooler, but no rain is forecasted. Sunnier skies are expected in Cleveland for Games 6 and 7, if the World Series extends that far. If those prognostications prove accurate, it looks like Wednesday presented the worst of the weather. Cubs starter Jake Arrieta, who took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in Game 2, admitted that the elements presented a challenge. Arrieta rode a stationary bike between innings and tried to keep moving in an effort to avoid cooling down too much. "I think keeping my hand as warm as I could in between innings to not lose feel in the fingertips, because for, not even just a starting pitcher, but for a pitcher, you want to have that consistent feel off your fingertips," Arrieta said. "Especially on your breaking ball, to maintain consistency with how you execute those pitches." Bauer, who was lifted with two outs in the fourth, offered no excuses for the weather contributing to his short outing. "Tough conditions to play in on all sides of the ball," Bauer said. "You've got to work through it." Teammate Jason Kipnis, who made two errors, also shrugged off weather as being a factor. "World Series, we've got heaters and stuff like that," Kipnis said. "It shouldn't slow you down. [The Cubs] got through it enough to score five runs." As the game enters the final innings, fans don their rain gear as a severe storm moves toward the Cleveland area Alyson Footer is a national correspondent for MLB.com. Follow her on Twitter @alysonfooter. This story was not subject to the approval of

Tribe great Baerga leads Game 2 festivities By Lindsay Berra and Alyson Footer / MLB.com | October 26th, 2016 CLEVELAND -- Carlos Baerga, a member of the Hall of Fame and the Tribe's 1995 American League championship team, threw out the first pitch prior to Game 2 of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field on a rainy Wednesday night. Baerga received a loud ovation from the sold-out crowd and, despite the wet weather, wound up and tossed a perfect strike.

Kipnis brings quirky stance to WS stage CLEVELAND -- There is a statue of Rod Carew on a street corner on the southwest side of Target Field in Minneapolis. Every time Jason Kipnis walks by the bronzed likeness of the Twins great, with his bat frozen in time and parallel to the ground, the Indians second baseman has the same thought. "I laugh every time," Kipnis said. "I say, 'I know what you're going through, buddy.'" Fans of the Indians are familiar with Kipnis' unique batting stance, but a much wider audience was introduced to it during Cleveland's 6-0 win over the Cubs in Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday. What began as an experiment in the Minor Leagues to improve Kipnis' bat speed has turned into a permanent quirk every time the second baseman settles into his stance in the batter's box. Before every pitch, Kipnis pulls his right arm back and keeps it close to his chest, with the bat resting in his fingertips. Kipnis' left palm is facing skyward, as the bat extends flat behind him. It is reminiscent of the starting point for former players Mickey Tettleton and Carew. Even Cal Ripken Jr. used the parallel-bat style at one point during a career filled with a variety of stances. When the pitcher shifts into his delivery, Kipnis then raises the bat to get into hitting position. "I've tried almost every Spring Training to stop doing it," Kipnis said, "just because I had never done it my whole career. And now, once I get to pro ball, I develop a tick that I have to do. Now, like I can't even go to [a sports store] and pick up a bat and not do it. I'm like, 'Let me see this bat,' and I'll lean it back. I just have to do it." Kipnis, who was selected by the Indians in the second round of the 2009 MLB Draft, said he began trying the approach early in his Minor League career. He does not remember which hitting coach was working with him at the time, but Kipnis does recall the idea behind it. Kipnis said he had a bad "bat wrap." Back then, the bat was above his left shoulder and deep in his palms, leading to a long swing. "I laugh every time in Minnesota when I walk by that statue. I say, 'I know what you're going through, buddy.'" --Kipnis, on Carew statue After a taste of pro ball, Kipnis realized he needed to speed things up. That led to dropping the bat and moving it into his fingertips. "You can have a bat wrap when you're facing high school pitching," Kipnis said. "These guys throw a little harder. I needed more time to see pitches and just shorten the swing. It was one of the adjustments I had to make to keep going through this game." Since being called up from the Minors during the 2011 season, the 29-year-old Kipnis has been a constant part of Cleveland's offense. The two-time All-Star enjoyed arguably his best campaign this year, batting .275 with a career-high 23 home runs to go along with 41 doubles, 82 RBIs, 91 runs and 15 steals. Through it all, Kipnis has featured one of the most recognizable stances in the game. "That was the start of it," Kipnis said of the adjustment made in the Minors. "And the last I've ever seen of a regular swing." Jordan Bastian has covered the Indians for MLB.com since 2011, and previously covered the Blue Jays from 2006-10. Read his blog,

Kluber to start Game 4 on short rest By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | October 26th, 2016 CLEVELAND -- The decision really was not much of a decision at all for Indians manager Terry Francona. Ace Corey Kluber gives Cleveland the best chance to win, so Francona always planned on using the right-hander as often as possible during the World Series against the Cubs. Prior to Game 2 of the Fall Classic on Wednesday, a 5-1 win by the Cubs that evened the Series at one game apiece, Francona just made it official: Kluber will return on short rest to start Game 4 on Saturday at Wrigley Field. If the World Series goes the distance, the Tribe's Cy Young-caliber leader will return again on short rest for Game 7 on Nov. 2 at Progressive Field. This was always the plan. "That was probably Plan A," Francona said. "We tried to look at our team and how we best set up, and what's in our best interest to win four games before the Cubs do? That's how we came to this conclusion." Before Francona was willing to announce Kluber as the probable starter for Games 4 and 7, though, the manager wanted to see how the right- hander got through the World Series opener on Tuesday night. Kluber was brilliant, spinning six-plus shutout innings with nine strikeouts and no walks during a 6-0 victory in Cleveland to give the Tribe a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Fall Classic. The other result of Kluber being handed the ball up to three times -- twice on three days' rest -- means that starters Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin will face a similar challenge. Bauer, who took the loss in Game 2, would then be slotted in to return on short rest for Game 5 on Sunday at Wrigley Field. Tomlin, who is the planned starter for Game 3 on Friday, would be the tentative starter (also on short rest) for Game 6 next Tuesday. "That's the way we're set up, but we can always change it," Francona said. "If [Bauer and Tomlin don't go on short rest], now all of a sudden, you're sacrificing. You have one or two pitchers going short, and you're still pitching a bullpen day. So that doesn't necessarily help us as much as we want to. We tried to think it through ahead of time." If the World Series goes the full seven games, Kluber could become the first pitcher since 2001 (Arizona's Curt Schilling) to pitch in Games 1, 4 and 7 in a Fall Classic. The last pitcher to start three games in a World Series was Chris Carpenter, who did so with the Cardinals in 2011 (Games 1, 5 and 7). A couple factors fueled the Indians' confidence that Kluber could handle the task. First, Kluber only logged 88 pitches in his Game 1 win over the Cubs. Thanks to the early lead by Cleveland's offense, and the presence of Andrew Miller and Cody Allen in the bullpen, Francona was able to pull Kluber after six-plus innings. Beyond that, the Tribe was also impressed with how Kluber performed while working on three days' rest in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the Blue Jays. "Early in the game, I think his legs got tired," Francona said, "because he thought he had to generate more. Then, he realized he was throwing exactly like he always does. So I think the idea that he's already done it, I think he'll be a lot more at ease with it." During that Oct. 18 outing, Kluber went five innings, allowing two runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and two walks in a hard-luck loss. The righty averaged 93.7 mph on his , 90.9 mph on his cutter and 85.4 mph on his curve, while pitching on short rest for the first time in his career. Those rates were right in line with Kluber's season averages of 93.4 (sinker), 90.1 (cutter) and 84.6 (curveball). Overall this postseason, Kluber has gone 3-1 with a 0.74 ERA and 29 strikeouts against seven walks in 24 1/3 innings. Historically, though, pitchers have not fared as well on short rest in October. In the Wild Card era (since 1995), there have been 30 Cy Young Award winners, including Kluber, who have pitched on three or fewer days of rest. As a group, they have gone 9-12 with a 4.26 ERA. Their teams have gone a combined 12-18 in those games. "He's ready to go," Francona said. "We still wouldn't have done it, if we didn't think it was the right thing to do. And part of that is the workload the starters have had lately hasn't really been [overbearing]. This has been Kluber's least amount of pitches this month, just because when they're winning, we go to the bullpen, and if they're losing, we take them out. So, I think they're all situated to handle it." Tomlin has only started on three days' rest once in his career. On July 31, 2010, the righty returned after an abbreviated layoff and turned in 5 1/3 innings with only one run allowed against the Blue Jays. Bauer has never started on short rest, but he did work on three days' rest following a start once out of the bullpen this year. On July 1 in Toronto, he logged five shutout innings to close out a 19-inning win. "Trevor's a guy that can pitch all the time," Francona said. "Tomlin, we were a little concerned. He's been pitching great, but he doesn't have the biggest frame in the world. But he hasn't pitched that much, so I think we're OK." Jordan Bastian has co Bryant: Schwarber’s at-bats ‘almost not human’ Daryl Van Schouwen CLEVELAND — Kyle Schwarber played in his first major league baseball game in 6 1/2 months on Tuesday night. In Game 1 of the World Series. It was storybook stuff, indeed, for the Cubs postseason star of 2015 who hit five playoff homers as a rookie before suffering what was thought to be a season-ending knee injury in the third game of this season. After striking out against Corey Kluber on a 3-2 pitch his first time up, Schwarber came within inches of sixth career postseason homer his second time up, hitting a double off the top of the right-center field wall. And with that, Schwarber became the first position player to get a hit in a postseason game without getting one during the regular season. “Nerves? Yeah, they were there,’’ Schwarber said. “After that first at-bat everything slowed down. “Overall, a good day.’’ Aside from a 6-0 Cubs loss, it was an impressive personal achievement on a whirlwind day for Schwarber, considering Kluber set a World Series record by striking out eight Cubs in the first three innings. Not to mention Schwarber’s mammoth layoff. “It was unbelievable to take six months off and have a great walk off [Andrew] Miller and a double off [Corey] Kluber,’’Bryant said. “It’s almost not human.’’ Questions about Schwarber’s health were answered by doctors and by the way Schwarber ran the bases in two tuneup games in the Arizona Fall League. With that, manager Joe Maddon said the decision to activate him and bat him fifth was “easy.” “The biggest thing was doctors said he could do this,’’ Maddon said. “With him, anything is possible. He’s shown that.” Schwarber said he first thought being ready for the World Series might happen “about six days ago.” “It probably hasn’t hit me,” he said before the game. “Probably once I hit that line a lot of emotions will come pouring out and I’ll probably cry at some point today.’’ After the game he said the tears came close during the National Anthem. Left-hander Rob Zastryzny was left off the roster to make room. Maddon wasn’t ruling out the possibility of Schwarber doing more than being a pinch hitter when the series shifts to Chicago without the DH. “Let’s watch him the next two nights and see how he moves,” Maddon said. Maddon didn’t think the speed of the game would be too quick for Schwarber, and he was right. “If you make a mistake against him the way the win’s blowing, it could go far to right field,’’ Maddon said. “I have a lot of faith in the guy. “He’s definitely not afraid and he definitely feels he’s ready.’’ Indians manager Terry Francona was convinced Schwarber was “ready.” When Schwarber came up with a runner on first and no outs in the seventh, he pulled Kluber in favor of ALCS MVP left-hander Miller. Schwarber laid off some close pitches and coaxed a walk. “In Arizona I tracked probably 1,300 pitches off a pitching machine,” Schwarber said. “I tried setting it to the nastiest setting I could to get a really sharp break and train my eyes all over again.” Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 10.27.2016 Rozner: Rizzo leads Cubs' grinding offense to big win Barry Rozner CLEVELAND -- You could see it in their eyes Tuesday night. After the Cubs' Game 1 defeat, their words and demeanor suggested something larger was at play, that the Cubs knew something about this World Series that didn't show up on the scoreboard in the first nine innings. They talked ad nauseam about their good at-bats and how they were seeing pitches and grinding it out. They were so confident it was as if they were saying, "Sure, we lost a game … but don't be surprised if we get the next four." One down, three to go. Grinding doesn't even begin to describe what the Cubs did to seven Cleveland pitchers in a 5-1 Game 2 victory at Progressive Field Wednesday night, forcing them to throw 196 pitches as the Cubs tied the World Series at a game apiece. Led by Anthony Rizzo, who was preaching the positives Tuesday night, it was almost cruel after awhile Wednesday night, though the Cubs make no apologies for their approach. "It's how we play the game," said Ben Zobrist. "We won 103 games and got to the World Series this way." Considering his mangled finger and Trevor Bauer's record of late, the biggest threat the Cubs faced Wednesday was not history or any of the other ridiculous narratives chasing the team through the 2016 postseason. It was probably the rain. And the clock. But you'll forgive the Cubs for laughing at the suggestion that they speed up their pace of play, see fewer pitches and try to beat the weather. Please. Picture Theo Epstein as Jack Nicholson, saying, "I run my unit how I run my unit." The Cubs do what they do and they do it better than anyone, driving up pitch counts and driving the opposition batty, wearing them down and beating them up. "I liked the at-bats last night," said Cubs manager Joe Maddon. "I thought it would carry over." Rizzo gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead when he drove home Kris Bryant in the first with a double into the right-field corner, but his most impressive at- bat came in the third when he worked a two-out, 0-2 count into a 6-pitch walk. On a 1-1 pitch, Zobrist singled up the middle and when Kyle Schwarber hammered a 3-0 fastball into center for an RBI single, the Cubs had turned nothing into something again. "That was huge," said Zobrist. "That was kind of a turning point there. And when (Rizzo) does that and sees so many pitches, it makes it easier for the rest of us." It was still 2-0 when they chased Bauer from the game after only 3Ҁ innings and 87 pitches, not to mention nearly 90 minutes of play, which was the real concern. The first six innings took just under three hours, but pace of play is the price you pay for this offense, and this offense is why the Cubs are in a position to win the World Series at Wrigley Field this weekend. "I thought we did a good job (Tuesday) night," Rizzo said. "It just didn't show up until tonight." Rizzo was at it again in the top of the fifth when he drew a 10-pitch walk and scored on a Zobrist triple into the corner, giving the Cubs a 3-0 lead, and Schwarber followed with his second RBI single up the middle in as many at-bats. Addison Russell walked to score another and the Cubs had used a 43-pitch fifth to expand the lead to 5-0 as they continued to bleed the Cleveland pitching staff. So the Cubs came closer to getting their offense motoring again in Game 2, but they also know that in two games they've gone 4-for-23 with runners in scoring position and left 22 runners on base. When they start to cash in on those, they could start putting up some big numbers again, even in the cold weather. "We got Bauer out of there, but didn't have a lot of runs," Maddon said. "If we finish it off and score some runs, we can make it a little easier." What the Cubs knew after one game of this series is what they knew while they struggled in parts of the first two postseason series, that if they stay with what they do well, pitchers will eventually give in and give them something to hit. That's what happened in Game 2, just as they seemed to know it would after Game 1. And while the World Series is tied at 1-1, it doesn't feel much like it. All you have to do is look into the Cubs' eyes to see it. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 10.27.2016 Schwarber's spark gets Chicago Cubs going Bruce Miles Kyle Schwarber may be taking baby steps in his recovery from knee surgery, but his legend is growing by leaps and bounds. Schwarber added to it Wednesday night, and it again came at a most opportune time for the Chicago Cubs. He had a pair of run-scoring singles and a walk as the Cubs evened the World Series at one game apiece with a 5-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Now that they have wrested homefield advantage away from the Indians, the Cubs could win the World Series by taking all three games at home this weekend. Schwarber, who had 5 home runs in the postseason as a rookie last year, continues to leave baseball people slack-jawed by his exploits. It wasn't until last week that Schwarber was even cleared to play baseball, and now he finds himself in the World Series. It looks like he has both his swing and his eye at the plate back. It can't be that easy. "No, it's not that easy, first off," he said. "Baseball's a crazy game. It will do crazy things to you, but this is the moment that we all look for when we were little kids, to play in the World Series and win it. We just took a small step today, but we've still got a long way to go." What Schwarber's left-handed bat has done is transform the Cubs' lineup. It also has given a spark to a team that would seem not to need one. After all, the Cubs won 103 games in the regular season before beating the Giants and the Dodgers in the National League playoffs. "You saw, he jacks everybody up," manager Joe Maddon said. "Those couple big hits he got again, really, (teammate Anthony) Riz really responded to it well. The whole group did. It makes your lineup longer." The Cubs got going quickly against Cleveland starting pitcher Trevor Bauer. With one out in the first inning, Kris Bryant singled and came home on Rizzo's double. Schwarber's first RBI single came in the third. The Cubs chased Bauer after 3Ҁ innings and 87 pitches. They scored three times in the fifth, with Schwarber adding another run-scoring single. The beneficiary was starting pitcher Jake Arrieta, who got the win by working 5Ҁ innings and giving up 2 hits and a run. Arrieta had a no-hitter until giving up a double to Jason Kipnis with one out in the sixth. The Cubs' starting pitcher, a workout freak of some legend, marveled at Schwarber's rehab from knee surgery he underwent in April after an outfield collision during the first week of the season. "You just look at Kyle, and we've all watched him continue to progress throughout his rehab, and you can't say enough about him," Arrieta said. "I said this a few days ago, but he's in the training room and the weight room four, five, hours a day. He's in a constant sweat." He may put Cleveland pitchers into a cold sweat this weekend if doctors clear him to play the outfield. The Cubs will work out Friday at Wrigley Field, and Schwarber may take flyballs in left field to test the knee. So far, he has not been cleared to play the field. "We'll see where it goes," he said. It's going back to Wrigley Field, just where Maddon likes it. "It's always good," he said. It's always crazy good, but I have to imagine a little bit more than that, especially coming back at 1-1. I think the folks will be jacked up about the win tonight. But it's the finest venue in professional sports and maybe in all of sports." As for Schwarber, he maybe be feeling little or no pain these days. He's certainly feeling no pressure. "Hey, man, I'm living the dream," he said. "We're playing in the World Series. What else can you ask for? I'm just going to keep riding the wave 'til it ends." Daily Herald Times LOADED: 10.27.2016 World Series Game 2: Kyle Schwarber returns from injury to spark Cubs to 5-1 win over Indians By Michael Beaven Published: October 27, 2016 CLEVELAND: The “remarkable” return of Kyle Schwarber continued Wednesday night in Game 2 of the World Series at Progressive Field. Schwarber, who suffered a serious knee injury on April 7, is back and putting together quality at bats in October for the Chicago Cubs, a 5-1 winner over the host Indians. The result pulled the Cubs even with the Indians as the World Series transitions to Wrigley Field for Game 3 on Friday night in the Windy City. “I’m living the dream,” Schwarber said. “We’re playing in the World Series, what else can you ask for? I’m just going to keep riding the wave till it ends.” Schwarber, 23, contributed two hits and two runs batted in Wednesday as both the Cubs, Indians and the 38,172 spectators tried to stay warm on a chilly and rainy night. “We’ve all watched him continue to progress throughout his rehab, and you can’t say enough about him,” said Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta, who earned the win Wednesday. “I said this a few days ago, but he’s in the training room and the weight room for four, five hours a day. He’s in a constant sweat. He’s working extremely hard. To even be able to put himself in this position to be on the World Series roster, and to contribute the way he has is remarkable. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Wednesday’s game was not exactly a beautiful baseball game as it took four hours and four minutes to play nine innings. There were 13 walks, two errors, 10 pitchers used and several meetings on the mound. And then there was Schwarber, who is 3-for-7 in the World Series as a designated hitter with two singles, two walks, two RBI, a double, a run scored and four strikeouts. Schwarber appeared in two regular season games in 2016 before suffering a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee and a sprained left ankle when he collided with teammate Dexter Fowler in the outfield while tracking a fly ball against the host Arizona Diamondbacks. Schwarber underwent knee surgery on April 19 in Dallas and missed the remainder of the regular season. Fast forward six months, and now Schwarber is batting fifth in the Cubs lineup after a recent two-game stint in the Arizona Fall League. “I think he’s really good,” Indians manager Terry Francona said of Schwarber. “I can see why [Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein] sent a plane [to Arizona] for him. I would, too. That’s a lot to ask, but special players can do special things.” Tuesday night, the Indians won 6-0 with key performances from Corey Kluber, Robert Perez, Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez and Andrew Miller. The Cubs were the story Wednesday night with Schwarber, Arrieta, Fowler, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist, Javier Baez, Addison Russell leading the charge. “He jacks everybody up,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of Schwarber, a native of Middletown, Ohio. “Those couple big hits he got, again, really Rizzo really responded to it well. The whole group did. It makes your lineup longer. It makes it thicker. It makes it better. Zobrist is seeing better pitches right now because of that, too, I believe. “So we knew what it would be like all year long. We didn’t have it. And now we’re going to have it in a short spurt right now, and it’s kind of fun. It’s a great weapon to have.” “You see how he’s taking pitches that are just borderline. . . . He’s really seeing the ball well. And that’s the part that’s probably the most amazing part. Hitting the ball is one thing, but you can see he’s not jumpy. He’s seeing borderline pitches, staying off a ball, he’s not check swinging and offering. That’s the part that’s really impressive to me.” Maddon said Schwarber was cleared to hit during within the past seven to 10 days. “It was right while we were playing the Dodgers [in the NLCS],” Maddon said. “We were in Los Angeles. . . . Theo came to me and said that he’s been cleared to hit by the doctor. And we didn’t even ask; the doctor said it to us. “I’m here to tell you, it wasn’t on my radar screen at all. . . . I kept encouraging him for next year. We were not expecting him to be ready for the playoffs right now.” Maddon said the Cubs will work out Thursday at Wrigley Field and that Schwarber might take some fly balls in practice, and could start Game 3 in left field on Friday. Moving from an American League ballpark to a National League ballpark eliminates the DH. “That's something I’m waiting to hear from our guys, from our medical side, because obviously he looks good,” Maddon said. “He looks good at the plate. Running the bases he looks pretty good so far. I talked to him there before his last at-bat. I asked him if he got on base if he was good to go. He said, yes, and I said, okay, fine. Good to go as far as running. I said, ‘Just make sure you stay smart with it.’ And there’s nothing about watching him that tells me that he’s inhibited right now.” Schwarber acknowledged his return to action has brought “a lot of excitement.” He was asked about playing left field, and said he wasn’t sure how things will play out. Schwarber said each day in his rehab has been a “constant grind.” “There were days I just wasn’t feeling it,” Schwarber said. “My teammates picked me up and I had some guys come over and say to me, ‘World Series, you’re going to be back,’ things like that. I’d just laugh it off. Then when it came to reality, it was a shock.” Schwarber was an impact rookie in the 2015 playoffs, batting .333 (9-for-27) with five home runs, six runs scored, eight RBI in nine appearances. … Inspirational kid … Schwarber is wearing a green wristband to honor youngster Campbell Faulkner. “He’s a kid that I met down in Arizona,” Schwarber said. “Hes got a rare genetic disease, and I met him my first Spring Training. Really young, smart kid, and he’s just always got a big smile on his face. You know, that draws your attention to him. He’s living life to his fullest, even though he’s got something to overcome. “We’ve grown a relationship over the last two years, and I actually got to see him when I was in Mesa playing in the AFL, and it was great to see him. We stay in contact through email. He’s a smart kid, man. The kid’s, I think, got an IQ of like a college kid.” … “Balmy” night … Francona was asked what he thought about the crisp temperatures in the 40s Wednesday, and said “balmy.” He then continued and shared: “It was cold. I mean, it was so cold I tried to go to the bathroom in the fourth inning and I couldn’t. That tells you enough.” … Henry Aaron Award … Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and Hank Aaron were in attendance at Progressive Field, and recognized Bryant and David Ortiz as the recipients of this year’s Henry Aaron Award. “This is the 18th year that Major League Baseball has given the outstanding offensive player in each league the Henry Aaron Award,” Manfred said. “And we do that to honor two of our great players, one on each end here today. But we also do it as a tribute to Hank Aaron, and it’s important to remember that. I look forward to Game 2 of the World Series each year, because Hank is religious about being here with us, which we really appreciate. He’s a great gentleman. He’s a great ambassador for our game, and he’s one of our greatest players, so I really appreciate him being here with us tonight.” Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 10.27.2016

Cubs 5, Indians 1: Ryan Lewis’ 22 Walk-Off Thoughts on Trevor Bauer, Danny Salazar, Jason Kipnis By Ryan Lewis Published: October 27, 2016 Here are 22 Walk-Off Thoughts after the Indians fell to the Chicago Cubs 5-1 in Game 2 to even the World Series 1-1. 1. After Corey Kluber’s performance in Game 1, Jake Arrieta evened the score in Game 2, taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning. No pitcher had taken a no-hitter deeper into a World Series game since 1969. 2. The story of the Indians’ offense this postseason hasn’t been an act of overpowering opposing pitchers. It’s been about just doing enough with some timely hitting to support a strong pitching staff. The Indians ran into a former Cy Young winner Wednesday night, and the offense ran cold. Jason Kipnis broke up the no-hit bid with a double to center field. 3. Said Kipnis, “I don’t want anybody to no-hit me in my backyard. Doesn’t matter if it’s the World Series or the regular season. He was sharp tonight. Some were bad at-bats, and probably my at-bats, and other times you just have to give credit. He painted and moved the ball around well and pitched a good game.” 4. But, it wasn’t a positive night for Kipnis. He committed two errors defensively, one that led to a run and one that denied Francisco Lindor of what would have been a sure-fire highlight-reel play. 5. It wasn’t a positive night for the Indians’ defense, period. The Indians had been fairly clean through the postseason, but Game 2 was sloppy. Kipnis’ two errors were compounded by Lonnie Chisenhall’s bad decision in the first inning to throw to second base instead of the cut-off man and then his trip later in the game that allowed Ben Zobrist to round second for a triple. For the first time in October, the Indians’ defense was a liability. 6. Said Indians manager Terry Francona, “I think Lonnie thought he had a chance at second. Probably we were set up to go home. That's probably where the ball should have gone. I think Lonnie thought that the runner conceded the run and thought he had a legitimate chance to get him and actually came pretty close. … Yeah, we gave up nine hits, eight walks, two errors, and we only gave up five runs. We're probably pretty fortunate because there was traffic all night. For us to win, we generally need to play a clean game, and we didn't do that.” 7. Kipnis has been dealing with a low ankle sprain sustained during the celebration in Toronto. He says it wasn’t a factor in his play. 8. “No. I’m not going to use it as an excuse,” Kipnis said. “I can’t do that. That wouldn’t be right. I have it good enough, I have it taped up enough to move around. I should be making plays.” 9. Either way, Kipnis has been in a slump at the wrong time, and it’s come after one of his most consistent regular seasons. 10. “It’s frustrating. It’s obviously a frustrating time to be in a slump, when the team needs you the most. It’s nice to finally check in and get one hit and hopefully we can build some momentum off that. But we’re going to need to get more than just one hit if we’re going to help this offense go.” 11. The good news for the Indians is that Trevor Bauer’s pinkie didn’t force his early exit for a second time. The bad news was he still couldn’t complete four innings. Bauer went deep into the count with nearly every hitter and struggled to finish innings. It cost him in the third, when he was one strike away with an 0-2 count and ended up allowing a walk and two singles to put the Cubs up 2-0. 12. Said Francona, “They never let him settle into the game. You've got to give them a lot of credit. I thought in the first inning Rizzo had a really good at-bat. As a staff in general, we worked behind a lot tonight a lot more than is helpful. I think some of their hitters deserve credit for that, also. They didn't chase. They had a lot of deep counts. Shoot, I think it was until we got to Otero we didn't have anything less than 19 pitches for seven innings, that's tough.” 13. Bauer said after the game he had trouble finding the feel on his curveball. He ended up throwing some in the cage in-between innings. On such a cold night, he struggled with it and racked his pitch count up to 87. 14. “It’s tough on a cold night,” Bauer said. “There was no moisture in the air, really. It's slippery. It's hard to get a feel for it. I went up to the cage after the second inning and threw 20 or 30 of them and got the feel for it. I thought I was pretty good after that.” 15. The good news for the Indians is that Bauer got through his start and will be an option to pitch Game 5 in Chicago. But they will also need Bauer to find his feel for his final start of the season. 16. Game 2 was also the postseason debut of Danny Salazar, who allowed no hits but walked two in one inning of work. The reports were mostly positive, as he hit 95 on the radar gun. 17. Said Roberto Perez, “He was awesome. He threw strikes even though he walked two batters. He got two outs and he probably sat back a little bit, relaxed a little bit. But after that I thought he settled down again and went after hitters.” 18. Said Salazar, “I got nervous, the first time they said, ‘Oh, Danny. Go warm up.’ But after I threw like two pitches, it was just back to normal, feeling the way I used to feel when I was throwing my pen before the game.” 19. Salazar still has the potential to be available to start a game for the Indians should something unforeseen happened—pitching coach Mickey Callaway said he’s stretched out to throwing 65-70 pitches. But for now, it appears as though he’ll remain the bullpen. 20. Said Francona, “We pitched him to try to keep the game where it was and to shake off some rust. I think we were able to do that, because you could see that the ball came out really well, but he wasn’t commanding great. I think there’s potentially five games left. I think we’re probably better served using him out of the bullpen.” 21. Wednesday night was the Indians’ sloppiest game of the postseason. Now, the series turns to Wrigley Field, in which the Indians also have the dilemma of how to keep Carlos Santana’s bat in the lineup. He took some fly balls in left field Monday night but has all of four innings there in his major-league career to his name. 22. The Indians are going on the road in a tied series throwing pitchers on short rest starting in Game 4 against baseball’s best team this season. They’ve responded all October to their backs being against the wall and the odds being against them. That’s never been truer than now. In eleven of the last 14 instances with a 1-1 series, the winner of Game 3 went on the win it all in 11 of them. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 10.27.2016 Marla Ridenour: Failure to execute winning formula costs Indians again By Marla Ridenour CLEVELAND: Since the postseason began, the Indians have painstakingly followed their formula for victory. Grab the early lead, get four to five innings out of their starting pitcher, then turn it over to the bullpen, led by relievers Andrew Miller and Cody Allen. In Wednesday night’s Game 2 of the World Series against the Chicago Cubs, the blueprint went awry for only the second time in the playoffs. And just like the last time the Indians failed to execute the formula, it resulted in a loss. Right-hander Jake Arrieta, the 2015 National League Cy Young winner, limited the Indians to one run on two hits in 5Ҁ innings as the Cubs evened the series with a 5-1 victory at Progressive Field. It was Tribe manager Terry Francona’s first loss in the World Series after a 9-0 start, unprecedented in major-league history. On the bitterly cold night, Francona could be faulted for little, except for sticking with struggling right-hander Trevor Bauer.

After an eight-day layoff following his two-thirds of an inning “bloody finger” stint Oct. 17 in the American League Championship Series, Bauer struggled with his curveball and didn’t seem on the same page with catcher Roberto Perez. Bauer threw 29 pitches in the first inning, 22 in the second. The Indians needed blood. They needed the 10 stitches in Bauer’s pinkie — cut in a drone accident — to bust open just as they had against the . Bauer’s laboring was a buzz-kill for the sellout crowd, which included the Cavaliers’ LeBron James, J.R. Smith, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, Richard Jefferson and Iman Shumpert. Bauer’s pace seemed to lull the Tribe’s bats to sleep as well. With Bauer’s excruciating effort, it didn’t take long for the Cubs to blow up the Indians’ blueprint. With one out in the first, Kris Bryant singled to center and Anthony Rizzo doubled him home. The Indians had a chance to revive their plan in the bottom of the first after Arrieta issued two-out walks to Francisco Lindor and Mike Napoli. But Jose Ramirez flied out to the warning track in center field. For Indians fans, that will be the what-if moment of Game 2. In the third, Bauer had two outs and an 0-2 count on Rizzo before giving up a walk and two singles and the Cubs boosted their lead to 2-0. That was all Arrieta needed. Bauer departed after 3Ҁ innings and the Cubs tacked on three more in the fifth. Even a relief appearance by right-hander Danny Salazar, sidelined since Sept. 9 with a strained forearm, failed to excite. Wednesday showed why Cubs manager Joe Maddon was so upbeat after the Game 1 loss. He felt confident that his team could hit against any Tribe starter not named Corey Kluber. He knows that with Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco sidelined with a broken hand, he has the stronger starting staff. “I’m a believer. I know we’re going to be fine,” Maddon said Tuesday night. “I’m not disappointed by any means except for the fact that we did not win. The guy tonight [Kluber], he’s in a different league. So if we can continue to work these same kind of at-bats, I feel good moving forward. And that’s not to denigrate anybody we’re going to face.” After right-hander Josh Tomlin takes the mound Friday in Game 3, it will get tougher for the Indians to follow the formula, which had previously failed them only in a 5-1 loss at Toronto in the ALCS on Oct. 18. Francona will go with Kluber in Game 4 on short rest, even though statistics don’t favor a quality start. (Most recently, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw wasn’t nearly as sharp his second time out on short rest in the NLCS.) Francona must also debate whether he wants to bench Bauer for Salazar in Game 5. The circumstances of the series will help Francona decide, but my gut instinct says loyalty be damned. The Indians need to get back to the blueprint that got them to the World Series. They must get timely hits. They must steal more bases, an area where the Cubs’ starters are vulnerable. They must be more aggressive at the plate in the early going. They must play better defense. They must put themselves in position for Miller and Allen to carry them. The odds were against them against the Red Sox and Blue Jays and they made the formula work. There’s still time. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 10.27.2016 Indians offense stalls in 5-1 loss to Chicago Cubs in Game 2 loss; World Series tied 1-1 By Ryan Lewis Published: October 26, 2016 The Indians’ offense ran cold against Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta in a 5-1 loss in Game 2 Wednesday night that evened the World Series 1-1. After the Indians enjoyed Corey Kluber’s strong outing in Game 1, Arrieta and the Cubs returned the favor in Game 2 to send the series to Chicago at a game apiece. It marked the first time this postseason the Indians haven’t led a series after Game 1. It was also their first postseason loss at Progressive Field. Arrieta, last season’s National League Cy Young Award winner, took a no-hitter into the sixth inning that was broken up with a double to center field by Jason Kipnis. Arietta’s no-hitter bid of 5 1/3 innings was the longest in the World Series since 1969. By the time Kipnis ended it, the Cubs had already built a 5-0 lead. Kipnis advanced to third on a groundout off the bat of Francisco Lindor and scored on a wild pitch to represent the Indians’ only offense of the night. Though Kipnis, dealing with a low ankle sprain, also committed two errors in the field. Indians starting pitcher Trevor Bauer was able to stay away from any trouble with his pinkie finger, but he still wasn’t able to last long into the game. Bauer quickly racked up a high pitch count and was taken out after 3 2/3 innings and 87 pitches, the third shortest World Series start in Indians history. The Cubs struck quickly in the first inning against Bauer. Kris Bryant singled with one out and Anthony Rizzo doubled to right field. Lonnie Chisenhall’s throw went to second base instead of the cut-off man, denying any potential play at the plate. In the third, Bauer was one strike away from ending the inning but couldn’t escape it without damage. Bauer had two outs and an 0-2 count but then lost the strike zone and walked Rizzo. Ben Zobrist followed with a single to put runners on the corners and Kyle Schwarber ripped a single back up the middle to make it 2-0. The Cubs pulled away in the fifth while the Indians still searched for their first hit. With Zach McAllister on the mound and Rizzo on first, Zobrist drove a ball to right field. Chisenhall slipped while trying to play the carom off the wall, giving Zobrist an RBI-triple. Schwarber then added his second RBI-single of the night, this one off Bryan Shaw. Shaw, with the bases loaded, later walked in a run on four pitches to extend the Cubs’ lead to 5-0. A small sliver of good news with the entire series in view is that Bauer was able to make it through his start without his pinkie finger bleeding to the point of his having to be taken out of the game. It means he’ll still be slated to start Game 5 in Chicago on short rest. Game 2 also featured the postseason debut of Danny Salazar, who didn't allow a hit but walked two in his first inning of work since straining his forearm in early September. But after a postseason of the Indians having to punch back and battle to overcome obstacles, they’re in for their toughest fight yet as the series turns to Wrigley Field for Friday night’s Game 3. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 10.27.2016 Good news Indians: Santa is a Tribe fan who lives in the 330 By Amanda Garrett Do you believe? “Kris Kringle,” Tribe fan Dan Sutter said, answering his phone Wednesday like any other business person might. “I’m looking for Dan Sutter,” a reporter asked hesitantly, trying to track down a Fairlawn man with the long white beard who unintentionally grabbed the national spotlight Tuesday when he showed up at Game I of the World Series dressed as Santa. “That’s me,” said Sutter, the longtime manager of Loyal Oak Golf Course. Sutter has had season tickets to the Indians for 23 years. He bought them when Progressive Field was nothing more than a gaping chasm of mud in the heart of Cleveland. He always dreamed of the Tribe winning a World Series even though he never dreamed of playing Santa until his father died. Every Christmas for 36 years, Sutter watched his 6-foot-5, 280-pound dad John Sutter trudge out into the snow in a plush red suit to volunteer ho-ho-ho for families at his union hall, his Catholic parish, and other Greater Cleveland places. But Dan Sutter said he never appreciated what that meant until his dad’s funeral in 2012, and John Sutter’s best friend told the story about how the elder Sutter earned the nickname “Hook.” Article continues below John Sutter worked for Otis Elevator, and one of his regular duties was fixing a lift that sometimes broke at a nursing home. Every time he visited, an old woman who lived there groused and blamed John Sutter for the malfunction. One year, John Sutter — a church deacon who believed in helping others — volunteered to play Santa at the nursing home. Nothing brought joy to the residents like their grandchildren. And, he believed, the grandchildren didn’t visit often enough to establish a good bond with the residents. If the elder Sutter could “hook” the grandchildren into an extra visit, even if it was only to see the jolly old elf, he could help both. No one at the nursing home recognized the elevator repairman in his Santa suit. Months passed, and the next time the elevator broke, the woman who always blamed John Sutter began to complain. This time, John Sutter asked about her granddaughter. The woman looked confused. How would the repairman know about her granddaughter? “Ho-ho-ho,” John Sutter said, using the booming voice he used as Santa. “You must not recognize me in my [elevator] uniform.” It clicked. The woman walked away without a word, but reappeared a few moment later offering John Sutter candy she brought him from her room. Until he died, Sutter visited the nursing home every year as Santa. And whenever he came to fix the elevator, the woman who once blamed him for the elevator problems invited him into her room for something to eat. Dan Sutter said he never knew this story about his father and worried that the nursing home residents might not see children if Santa didn’t visit. The younger decided to fill in for his dad. “You don’t know, you couldn’t understand how the kids feed the energy in you when you’re wearing that Santa suit,” said Dan Sutter, who now continues his father’s legacy as what his calls a “real-beard philanthropic” Santa, working mostly with Akron-area nonprofits. “Doing something really charitable affects you, impacts you deeply,” he said. And bringing that magic into the World Series was a no-brainer. Sutter’s dad sold beer in the stands at the Indians’ 1948 World Series when he was only 16, he said. He and his father were in the stands together cheering on the Tribe in both the 1995 and 1997 World Series. This year, Dan Sutter, dressed as Santa, went with his wife, Deb, to Game 1. About an hour into the game, after pitcher Corey Kluber struck out his seventh batter, the pop-culture arm of Sports Illustrated — SI Extra Mustard — tweeted out a picture of Sutter as Santa. “Corey Kluber’s on the nice list,” the tweet said. Sutter, who wore the fancier of his two Santa suits, posed for pictures and selfies with hundreds of people that night, including some especially nice children whose mother said they were Coco Crisp’s family. Whenever anyone asked me how much he charged to pose with them, Sutter told them he didn’t want their money. “I wanted a promise,” he said. “Do something generous or kind for someone in the next 24 to 48 hours, something you wouldn’t have done otherwise, something special for Santa.” Sutter, who attended Game 2 with one of his two sons, said he hopes to tip over the first domino in a chain leading to scores of good deeds erupting across Northeast Ohio. Santa, Sutter said, is all about believing. The Indians winning the World Series is all about believing, too, he said. “This is, after all, Believeland,” Sutter said, “where dreams do come true.” Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 10.27.2016 Indians notebook: Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Josh Tomlin set to pitch on short rest By Ryan Lewis CLEVELAND: One of the biggest questions surrounding the Indians in the World Series has been answered, barring something unforeseen. On Wednesday, manager Terry Francona announced that the Indians are planning on bringing back Game 1 starting pitcher Corey Kluber on short rest to start Game 4 against the Cubs in Chicago. Kluber would then be in line to pitch Game 7, if needed. The move also points to Trevor Bauer (Games 2 and 5) and Josh Tomlin (Games 3 and 6) pitching on short rest as well. The Indians’ plan is to ride their three healthy starting pitchers through the World Series. The ability to throw Kluber on short rest, which in turn set the rest of the setup in motion, became a reality when he only needed to throw 88 pitches in the Indians’ 6-0 win in Game 1 before handing the ball to Andrew Miller and Cody Allen. “He’s all set to pitch,” Francona said. “That was probably Plan A. … Part of taking him out then was with that in mind, that you start getting deeper into the game, and if they mount a rally, getting out of that, you’re really exerting. … So we got him out of there. He knew why, and he’s ready to go.” Kluber threw six scoreless innings and set a franchise record for strikeouts in a World Series game with nine. He’s been strong all October, allowing only two earned runs in 24ѿ innings pitched. It would be the second time in his career he’s thrown on short rest, the first time coming in the Indians’ 5-1 loss in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series to Toronto. The other likely options for Game 4 were to start Ryan Merritt or Danny Salazar. Merritt pitched well in his ALCS Game 5 start, sending the Indians to the World Series and just about earning him hero status in Cleveland. Salazar is said to be available for 65-70 pitches or four innings, but could be rusty. Kluber has been the Indians’ workhorse and arguably the best starting pitcher this postseason. And the club apparently is comfortable enough with Bauer and Tomlin that Francona wanted to hand the ball to Kluber up to three times. Article continues below “Finger aside, Trevor’s a guy that can pitch all the time,” Francona said. “Tomlin, we were a little concerned. He’s been pitching great, but he doesn’t have the biggest frame in the world. But he hasn’t pitched that much, so I think we’re OK.” Nine up, nine down With the Indians’ victory in Game 1, Francona became the first manager in baseball history to win his first nine World Series games. His Boston Red Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals in 2004 and then did the same against the Colorado Rockies in 2007. “I think what it is is I’ve been fortunate to be around some really good players,” Francona said. “Baseball, your players are your players. You try not to mess them up, and you certainly want to use them where you think they can excel. But I just think I’ve been pretty fortunate. I’d be lying if I said something different.” Earning miles Kenny Lofton needed some help to get to Cleveland to throw out the first pitch before Game 1. Lofton was put on standby at the airport and needed a seat. Ken Kostal, from Marblehead, Ohio, gave up his seat so Lofton could make it in time. The Indians responded by saying on Twitter that they had hooked up Kostal with two tickets to Game 6 in Cleveland. Ratings gold How many TV sets were tuned to the Indians’ Game 1 win? Technically, more than there were for the Cavaliers’ Game 7 victory in June. Per Crain’s Cleveland Business, Tuesday’s Game 1 drew a local rating of 46.5, besting all but one of the Cavs’ Finals games from the past two years and just beating Game 7’s 46.3 local rating, although that was likely lowered due to thousands watching in bars. Cleveland fans got their title in June. Now, they’re close to another in October, and the ratings have multiplied. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 10.27.2016 Francisco Lindor finds his mentor in injured Indians outfielder Michael Brantley By Marla Ridenour CLEVELAND: When Francisco Lindor was caught attempting to steal second base in Game 1 of the World Series Tuesday night, Michael Brantley was the first person to offer advice in the dugout. “He was the first one to tell me, ‘Keep on running,’ௗ” Lindor said before Wednesday night’s Game 2 against the Chicago Cubs at Progressive Field. Brantley wasn’t the only teammate with that message. Lindor said every player echoed the theme, saying, “‘Keep doing your thing. Don’t worry about it. It’s part of the game.’ௗ” But the mentoring injured left fielder Brantley has given the 22-year-old shortstop has been so valuable that at times Lindor says to Brantley, ³ௗ‘You’re daddy.’ௗ” Brantley, 29, played in only 11 games this season because of a right shoulder injury and biceps tendinitis that needed two surgeries in a span of nine months, the second on Aug. 15. But the player whom Indians manager Terry Francona called “the heart and soul of our team” as recently as Tuesday is still making his presence felt. In the third inning of Game 1, the base-stealing conversation continued with Rajai Davis and Francona suggesting Lindor should have taken one more step off first. Then Lindor said Brantley offered, “We’ve got to work in spring training.” “So he’s thinking already about spring training,” Lindor said. “Stuff like that [makes] a huge impact on me. Brantley to me, he’s one of the best.” Lindor has been the Indians’ most consistent hitter in the postseason, batting .371 with two homers and four RBI, including going 3-for-4 in his World Series debut. The Mr. Consistent tag used to belong to Brantley, a lifetime .292 hitter whose only playoff appearance was the 2013 AL wild-card game. Article continues below “He gives me that sense of calmness,” Lindor said of Brantley. “When I go up to him, I’m like, ‘What would you do against this pitcher?’ He’ll tell me and I’m like, ‘OK, I’m going to go do that.’ We talk and I listen.” Brantley has been in the clubhouse as the Indians clinched the American League Central Division in Detroit, won the division series in Boston and the AL Championship Series in Toronto. For the first, Brantley was an observer, his arm still in a sling, but he has been able to enjoy the last two a little more. “It’s hard when you’re hurt. It’s almost like there’s an invisible wall that goes up, because you don’t really quite share in all the frustrations, even though you care,” Francona said of Brantley. “It’s just different. I’ve been through it.” “Brant has found a way to eclipse that and still be a leader, which is not easy to do. I think it speaks volumes about him. He’s so much a part of what we do and what we stand for that it hurts that he’s not playing.” Lindor has other players he looks up to, most of them hall of famers. He said the players he grew up idolizing include ex-Indians Robbie Alomar and Omar Vizquel, the Yankees’ Derek Jeter, the Reds’ Barry Larkin and the Phillies’ Jimmy Rollins. “My dad and my cousin and brother they always told me, ‘Try to get something from everyone. Don’t get stuck on one player,’ௗ” Lindor said. “That’s one of the reasons I’ve got multiple favorite players growing up.” “I like the swag Alomar had, and how calm and how he impacted the game. Vizquel, how he always seemed like he knew what was going to happen. Jeter, how he was focused and he was always helping teammates.” “Larkin, how calm he was at the plate in big situations. Jimmy Rollins, little [5-foot-7], but at the same time, he was a big guy on the field.” Those five were Lindor’s childhood heroes. But when it comes to those who have made an impact on Lindor as a pro, Brantley might rank at the top of the list. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 10.27.2016 Indians set to throw Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin on short rest By Ryan Lewis Published: October 26, 2016 One of the biggest questions surrounding the Indians in this World Series has been answered, barring something unforeseen. On Wednesday, manager Terry Francona announced that the Indians are planning on bringing back Game 1 starting pitcher Corey Kluber on short rest to start Game 4 in Chicago. Kluber would then be in line to throw Game 7, if needed. The move also points to Trevor Bauer (Games 2 and 5) and Josh Tomlin (Games 3 and 6) pitching on short rest as well. The Indians’ plan is to ride their three healthy starting pitchers through the World Series. The ability to throw Kluber on short rest, which in turn set the rest of the setup in motion, became a reality when he only needed to throw 88 pitches in the Indians’ 6-0 win in Game 1 before handing the ball to Andrew Miller and Cody Allen. “He’s all set to pitch,” Francona said. “That was probably Plan A. … Part of taking him out then was with that in mind, that you start getting deeper into the game, and if they mount a rally, getting out of that, you’re really exerting. … So we got him out of there. He knew why, and he’s ready to go.” Kluber threw six scoreless innings and set a franchise record for strikeouts in a World Series game with nine. He’s been strong all October, allowing only two earned runs in 24 1/3 innings pitched. It would be the second time in his career he’s thrown on short rest, the first time coming in the Indians’ 5-1 loss in Game 4 of the ALCS to Toronto. The other likely options for Game 4 were to start Ryan Merritt or Danny Salazar in Game 4. Merritt pitched well in his ALCS Game 5 start, sending the Indians to the World Series and just about earning him hero status in Cleveland. Salazar has been said to be available for 65-70 pitches or four innings but could be rusty. Kluber has been the Indians’ workhorse and arguably the best starting pitcher in this postseason. And the club feels comfortable enough with Bauer and Tomlin that Francona wanted to hand the ball to Kluber up to three times. “Finger aside, Trevor’s a guy that can pitch all the time,” Francona said. “Tomlin, we were a little concerned. He's been pitching great, but he doesn't have the biggest frame in the world. But he hasn't pitched that much, so I think we're okay.” Nine up, nine down Francona after Game 1 became the first manager in baseball history to win his first nine World Series games. His Boston Red Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals in 2004 and then did the same against the Colorado Rockies in 2007. “I think what it is is I've been fortunate to be around some really good players,” Francona said. “Baseball, your players are your players. You try not to mess them up, and you certainly want to use them where you think they can excel. But I just think I've been pretty fortunate. I'd be lying if I said something different.” Earning miles Kenny Lofton needed some help to get to Cleveland to throw out the first pitch before Game 1. Lofton was put on standby at the airport and needed a seat. Ken Kostal, from Marblehead, Ohio, gave up his seat so Lofton could make it in time. The Indians responded by saying on Twitter that they had hooked up Kostal up with two tickets to Game 6 in Cleveland. Ratings gold How many TV sets were tuned to the Indians’ Game 1 win? Technically more than there were for the Cavaliers’ Game 7 victory in June. Per Crain’s Cleveland Business, Tuesday’s Game 1 drew a local rating of 46.5, besting all but one of the Cavs’ Finals games from the past two years and just beating Game 7’s 46.3 local rating, although that was likely lowered due to thousands watching in bars. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 10.27.2016 Game 2 of World Series must go nine innings, MLB executive says By Marla Ridenour Published: October 26, 2016 As of 4:30 p.m., Major League Baseball planned to start Game 2 of the World Series on time Wednesday night at 7:08 p.m. But Peter Woodfork, senior vice president of baseball operations for MLB, said the game must go nine innings, per a rules change after the 2008 season. If play between the Indians and Chicago Cubs is suspended, it would resume at an undetermined time on Thursday. The start time was moved up from 8:08 p.m. after Game 1 due to rain that is forecast to progressively worsen. While Woodfork said it has already rained harder at Progressive Field that was expected, the field is draining well and a drizzle shouldn't change the start time. "Right now I think the plan is to play," Woodfork said. "We'll take all the information we get over the next two hours. We won't make a final decision until we need to get starters ready to pitch, which is 6, 6:15. Communicate with both clubs and try to set up a situation where we can play nine innings and get the game in." He said it might be necessary for the Cubs and Indians to relay how much time their starters will need to warm up. Right-hander Trevor Bauer is scheduled to take the mound for the Tribe, right-hander Jake Arrieta for the Cubs. Ultimately the decision will rest in the hands of baseball commissioner Rob Manfred. Ideally, Woodfork said MLB would like to avoid a situation where the game would be suspended. But he admitted the forecast has changed more in Cleveland than it has in some other cities. "We want to do all we can to have a good fan experience," Woodfork said. "I think they understand here in Cleveland that the weather can be a little dicey. If something happens and they need to come back tomorrow, that's unfortunate, we don't want that to happen, but realistically we can't control the weather." Woodfork said with all that is involved with the television broadcast and fan logistics, moving up the start time an hour was the best-case scenario. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 10.27.2016 How did Trevor Bauer's drone accident affect his World Series start? Doug Lesmerises Doug Lesmerises, cleveland.com By Doug Lesmerises, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Trevor Bauer slipped into the tunnel behind the Indians dugout to search for something Wednesday night. It wasn't his drone. It was his curveball. The facts are that the Indians Game 2 starter was far from his best in a 5-1 World Series loss to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night. The question is whether Bauer's drone accident that sliced the pinkie finger on his right hand on Oct. 13 had anything to do with how he pitched in his World Series debut, which lasted just 3 2/3 innings. Let's start the investigation in Bauer's clipped postgame news conference, which featured brief answers from the displeased 25-year-old hurler. Finger an issue? "Nope." Totally fine? "Yep. Totally fine." OK then, end of story. Well, let's check with Terry Francona, just in case. Bauer should not start Game 5 "They beat us tonight. It wasn't because somebody had a bad finger," Francona said. Got it. Not the finger. Because unlike during Bauer's start in the American League Championship Series, Bauer's finger didn't bleed and force him to leave the game. No blood, no problem right? Unless ... the finger somehow didn't let Bauer throw his curveball as effectively as he wanted to. It was a cold night, which also will disrupt a pitcher's control, especially on breaking pitchers. His curveball was a problem. "It's tough on a cold night. There was no moisture in the air, really. It's slippery. It's hard to get a feel for it," Bauer said. "I went up to the cage after the second inning and threw 20 or 30 of them and got the feel for it. I thought I was pretty good after that." Problem solved. Unless ... the change in Bauer's routine caused by the finger slicing and stitching resulted in a lack of sharpness in the most important outing of his career. Because his routine did change. Before Wednesday, Bauer had thrown 21 pitches in 19 days, a function of the playoff schedule and his abbreviated start on Oct. 17. As a result, he faced live hitters on Monday, not a typical plan for a starter. Bauer said his routine leading up to this start was normal. But he did face the hitters. Bauer admitted the layoff just from the postseason schedule could have been an issue. "Possibly. You never know. I just wasn't sharp for whatever reason," he said. It happens. What are you gonna do? Catcher Roberto Perez certainly wasn't going to say anything negative about Bauer, and he wasn't going to speculate on the finger directly affecting pitches. "I really don't know. Just go ask him," Perez said. But that change to the routine and the long layoff. That could have taken a toll, right? "I think so. He hasn't thrown in, I don't know, a week or so," Perez said. "But I have confidence in him. He's going to bounce back and give us his best next outing." There it is. Bounce back. After a night in which Bauer went against the gameplan and wound up throwing a lot more fastballs than planned. For some reason. "We fell behind too many guys," Perez said. "You try to attack them, and 2-1, 1-0 or 2-0, you've just got to come back with the fastball." Not the curveball, the one Bauer was searching for in the cage. "He couldn't throw his breaking ball for a strike, and he wasn't sharp like he's been," Perez said. Not sharp. But not the finger. No, not the finger. Investigation complete. No reason to drone on about it. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 10.27.2016 For Cleveland Indians, it's on to Chicago and their biggest challenge yet - Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On to Chicago. On to Wrigley Field, where the Chicago Cubs were 57-24. On to the biggest test the Cleveland Indians will have this season. On to where both teams will really feel the weight of baseball history. I'm writing about what comes next for the Tribe because I don't have much to say about their 5-1 loss to the Cubs on Wednesday in Game 2 of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field. Three numbers: 1948: The Indians last won the World Series. 1945: The last time the Cubs played in the World Series. 1908: The last time the Cubs won a World Series. The Indians will hand the ball to Josh Tomlin. Forget the fact that Tomlin has never pitched in the World Series. He's never even pitched against the Cubs. There are reasons for Tribe fans to feel reasonably confident with Tomlin on the mound. He is 4-1 with a 1.95 ERA since September 1, including a 2-0 record in his two postseason starts. Manager Terry Francona considers him to be "perhaps the mentally toughest kid I've been around." He'll need to be just that. It's hard to imagine what Wrigley Field will be like for Friday's Game 3. In the postseason, the Indians have played in front of two loud fan bases in Boston and Toronto. But none of them have the same desperation as Cubs fans. And neither the Red Sox or Blue Jays won 103 games in the regular season, as the Cubs did in 2016. IT'S JUST ONE BAD GAME Wednesday's game began on a raw, windy 43-degree night with the temperature falling along with the Tribe's batting averages. Just about everything the Indians have done right in October went wrong Wednesday night. "We gave up nine hits, eight walks and made two errors," said Francona. "Generally, need to play a clean game to win." Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto talks about the Game 2 loss They made their first error (not by a pitcher) in the postseason when Jason Kipnis dropped a grounder in the fifth inning. Kipnis made another error in the seventh inning. Lonnie Chisenhall fell down chasing a line drive down the right field line. That allowed Ben Zobrist to put a triple next to his name, rather than a double. Chisenhall also threw to the wrong base in the first inning, allowing a run to score without a throw home. Relievers Zach McAllister and Bryan Shaw both struggled. A very good team played a bad game at the wrong time. "They beat us," said Francona. "It wasn't because someone (or Trevor Bauer) had a bad finger or something like that." It's worth mentioning how well the Tribe has played to climb to being 1-1 in the best-of-seven World Series. They won their final three regular season games -- sweeping the Royals in Kansas City. Then they swept Boston in three games, and took out Toronto, 4-1, in the ACLS. Toss in Tuesday's 6-0 victory over the Cubs, and the Indians had won 10 of their last 11 games heading into Wednesday's loss. So let's not assume this mess was anything more than an anomaly, something the Tribe hasn't done for weeks. WHAT DO THEY HAVE LEFT? That's the big question for the Tribe. The Cubs are healthy. They are so deep they can keep a slumping Justin Heyward and his eight-year, $184 million contract on the bench for the World Series. The Indians are trying to win the World Series with two healthy, experienced starters -- Tomlin and Game 4 starter Corey Kluber. This is the first time Francona has lost a World Series game. One of his strengths this season as a manager is finding ways to prevent his team from having long losing streaks. The Tribe was the only team in the Majors not to lose more than three games in a row. The next three games are in Chicago. Goal number one for the Tribe is to bring the World Series back to Cleveland -- where the final two games (if needed) will be played. The Cubs are sending Kyle Hendricks to the mound, he of the 16-8 record and 2.13 ERA in the regular season. In the playoffs? He has allowed only one earned run in 12 2/3 innings. It's tempting to say this could be the beginning of the end of the Tribe's season. They are facing a superior team on the road, and their starting pitching remains thin. It's been easy to write the Tribe's baseball obituary ever since starter Carlos Carrasco was hit in the hand with a line drive on September 17. But five weeks later, they are one of two teams still playing. And based on this season, it's a good bet the Tribe still has a few good games left in them. "We knew playing the Cubs, we're going to get challenged," said Francona. "They're real good." And they showed that Wednesday. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 10.27.2016 Cleveland Indians fall to Chicago Cubs, 5-1; World Series moves to Wrigley tied, 1-1 Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio – Trevor Bauer didn't need a cut man Wednesday night. What he needed was fewer pitches and more strikes. A couple of runs would have been appreciated as well. It didn't work that way as the Cubs beat the Indians, 5-1, at Progressive Field on a cold October night in Game 2 of the World Series. The series moves to Wrigley Field on Friday for Game 3 with the series tied, 1-1. In Game 3 of the ALCS, Bauer was TKO'd by a gash on the little finger of his right hand that wouldn't stop bleeding. He recorded two outs in the first inning against Toronto, but the last serious pitching he did was in Game 1 of the ALDS on Oct. 5 and the rust showed. The good thing is that Bauer's right pinkie did not bleed. Bauer (0-1, 5.00), who suffered the cut when he finished second in a fight with one of his drones, pitched with at least 10 stitches in the finger. So give him props for that. Still, he needed 87 pitches to go 3 2/3 innings and you have to wonder if manager Terry Francona will bring him back on short rest for Game 5 or go with Danny Salazar, who made his postseason debut with a scoreless sixth inning. After the game, Francona indicated that Salazar would stay in the bullpen for the rest of the series. Regarding Bauer, Francona said, "The Cubs never let him settle into the game. You've got to give them a lot of credit. As a staff in general, we worked behind a lot tonight -- a lot more than is helpful." The Indians walked eight batters in the loss, tying a franchise record for a World Series game. Chicago's Jake Arrieta, who entered with an 8.86 ERA against the Indians, had a no-hitter through five innings. Jason Kipnis ended the no- hitter with a double in the sixth and scored on a wild pitch for the Tribe's only run. Nothing came easy for the Indians on Wednesday night. While Bauer labored and the offense couldn't do much with Arrieta (1-1, 3.77), the defense malfunctioned as well. After making just one error in nine postseason games, Kipnis made two at second base and Lonnie Chisenhall had some issues in right field. "For us to win, we generally need to play a clean game," said Francona. "We didn't do that." The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the first as Anthony Rizzo doubled home Kris Bryant from first base. It looked like the Indians had a chance for a play at the plate, but Chisenhall's relay throw went to second base. Bauer ended the first without further incident, but he needed 29 pitches to do so. "I think Lonnie thought he had a chance at second," said Francona. "Probaby we were set up to go home. That's probably where the ball should have gone." Chicago made it 2-0 in the third. Bauer opened the inning with two quick outs, but walked Rizzo after having him down in the count 0-2. Ben Zobrist and Kyle Schwarber brought Rizzo home with consecutive singles. "He wasn't sharp like he's been," said catcher Roberto Perez. "He fell behind too many guys. He threw a lot more fastballs than the game plan called for, but that was because we were falling behind." Bauer said his injured finger was not a problem, but he didn't have a real good feel for his curveball. "I went up to the cage after the second inning and threw 20 or 30 of them and got the feel for it," said Bauer. "I thought I was pretty good after that." The Cubs stretched the lead to 5-0 with three runs in the fifth off Zack McAllister and Bryan Shaw. Rizzo walked with one out and scored when Ben Zobrist tripled into the right field corner for a 3-0 lead. Chisenhall, trying to play the ball as it bounded out of the corner, slipped and had it get past him. Shaw relieved with Zobrist on third and Kyle Schwarber at the plate. Schwarber singled through the middle for a 4-0 lead. Shaw struck out Javier Baez, but Wilson Contreras reached on Kipnis' first error. Shaw walked the next two batters, Jorge Soler and Addison Russell, to bring home the fifth run. What it means This is the eighth time the Indians have been tied, 1-1, in a best-of-seven postseason series. The other seven include the 1920, 1948 and 1997 World Series and the 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2007 ALCS. The Indians are 4-3 in those seven series, but have lost the last three. The pitches Bauer threw 87 pitches, 53 (61 percent) for strikes. Arrieta threw 98 pitches (56 percent) for strikes. Air out the bullpen When Bauer lasted just two-thirds of an inning in Game 3 of the ALCS, Francona used six relievers to complete the game. On Wednesday, Bauer went 3 2/3 innings, but Francona still used six relievers to finish. It was one of the reasons the game lasted 4 hour and 4 minutes. The seven pitchers used by the Indians on Wednesday tied a franchise record for pitchers used in a World Series game. They used seven in Game 3 of the 1997 World Series. Thanks for coming The Cubs and Indians drew a sellout crowd 38,172 to Progressive Field on Wednesday night. First pitch was at 7:08 p.m. with a temperature of 43 degrees. What's next? The World Series moves to Wrigley Field for Game 3 on Friday night. The Indians and Cubs will work out at Wrigley on Thursday. Josh Tomlin (1-0, 1.59 ERA) will face Chicago's Kyle Hendricks (1-1, 1.65) on Friday night. Tomlin went 12-8 with a 4.40 ERA during the regular season. Hendricks was 16-8 with a 2.13 ERA during the regular season. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 10.27.2016 Cleveland Indians' Trevor Bauer takes loss in second game of World Series: Bill Livingston Bill Livingston, The Plain Dealer By Bill Livingston, The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio –- "Only Bauer," Cleveland Indians fans sometimes say. Trevor Bauer started the second game of the 2016 World Series for the Indians on a cold Wednesday night at Progressive Field with rain heading this way and trouble heading Bauer's. At least he lasted longer than the four batters he faced in the third game of the American League Championship Series in Toronto, the "Eeeuw! Gross!" bloody finger game. Bauer went 3 2/3 innings Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs. He gave up two runs, six hits, two walks, and threw 87 pitches, 53 of them strikes. He did not have a three-up, three-down inning. Bauer took the loss in a 5-1 Cubs' victory that tied the World Series, 1-1. When Jason Kipnis, who otherwise had a tough night in the field with two errors, started a beautiful double play in the fourth inning, Bauer raised both arms on the mound, his fists clenched, in a "Rocky" pose. Bauer would take one more punch, a single, before manager Terry Francona emerged from the dugout to spin the bullpen wheel. The real problem is that it is not "only Bauer." His struggle to finish off batters because of erratic command was indicative of the wide gulf between Corey Kluber after his historic strikeout spree in the World Series opener and the rest of the Indians' tattered stating rotation. It calls into question whether Bauer should make another start in this series. The fickle finger of fate It might not have been this way had All-Star Danny Salazar's recovery from a right elbow strain not turned him into a reliever Wednesday and had Carlos Carrasco not gotten hit on his pitching hand late in the season. The attrition moved Bauer up in the starting rotation and eventually led to the Battle of the Bloody Pinky in Toronto, when six relievers saved the postseason hopes that Bauer's injury had jeopardized. Critics said only Bauer could wind up with his pitching hand getting attacked by his drone during the postseason. Nine days ago in Toronto, the stitches in Bauer's right pinky tore loose, leaving him to bleed all over the gauze swaddling it, the Band-Aid above that, the ball he was holding, the mound beneath him, and any part of Ontario Province within splattering range. Bauer had turned into the Chuck Wepner of Canada. Bauer gashed his finger while plugging in the drone. An old baseball saying about a Willie Mays gap shot was: "The only guy who could've caught it, hit it." With Bauer's finger-drone mishap, maybe it would be, "The only guy who could've wrecked it, connected it." Why not Tomlin? Francona has often been ready to get relievers up in the bullpen in the first inning when Bauer is struggling. But the manager said Bauer often settles in and when next Francona looks up, Bauer is pitching in the seventh or eighth inning. That was not the case Wednesday night. The Cubs are too good. The natural question is why not Josh Tomlin, who has been one of the Indians' more unexpected postseason success stories, in Game 2? The stated reason is that Bauer might re-injure his finger while hitting under National League rules when the Series shifts to Chicago on Friday. Another possible consideration is Thursday's travel day. If Bauer made an early exit (and, of course, he did), it would give the bullpen a day of rest before the Indians' trip to raucous Wrigley Field. A box of chocolates The Indians see Bauer's high ceiling, with all the pitches he can throw and his quest to understand the science behind a ball's spin, tilt and velocity, and they think the total package would be impressive. They also know that currently he is like the box of chocolates in "Forrest Gump." They never know what they're going to get, When Bauer is good, he can actually be very good — and when he's bad, it's a bleedin' shame. "He's a good person, and he competes," said stellar Tribe shortstop Francisco Lindor of Bauer. "At the same time, he will say some things and it's like, what? He's a great person. But don't talk to him too much when he's competing, because he'll say some things and you're like, 'TB, what are you saying?'" "TB, what are you doing?" worked for the drone. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 10.27.2016 Trevor Bauer shouldn't start Game 5 for the Cleveland Indians: Doug Lesmerises Doug Lesmerises, cleveland.com By Doug Lesmerises, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Trevor Bauer morphed from irresponsible to easily replaceable, from a bleeding finger to an untamed arm, and whatever he is right now, he's not what you want on the mound for Game 5 of the World Series. Bauer missed his spots in a 5-1 Game 2 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night, but at least this time the only thing turning crimson was the autumnal splendor of foliage in the glorious chill of October baseball, a phrase nearly as gross as what his bloody pinkie looked like in the ALCS against Toronto nine days earlier. Bauer said before the start he'd like to be known for his pitching and not his pinkie, so for now we're replacing all references to "wounded drone operator" with "mediocre sporting professional." Neither should start Game 5. Terry Francona said before Game 2 that the plan is to follow a three-man rotation, keeping Corey Kluber, Bauer and Josh Tomlin on short rest. That would mean Tomlin-Kluber-Bauer-Tomlin-Kluber if this thing goes seven. No one should be in a hurry to get Bauer out there again. The prospects of him in Game 5, in particular, don't benefit anyone. If the series is 3-1 Cubs or tied 2-2, meaning Game 5 is do-or-die for the Indians, or nearly so, is the 25-year-old you saw for 3 2/3 innings Wednesday the guy you want out there to save the season? If the Indians are up 3-1, there's no sense in forcing Bauer on short rest at Wrigley Field, where he'd have to bat with that pinkie, when you have a little breathing room. Kluber on short rest is a must, obviously, for Games 4 and 7. But the plan for Game 5 could be changed to what's behind the bullpen door, and Francona could wait to see who pops out, likely rookie Ryan Merritt, the Game 5 starter against Toronto, or some combination of reliever hope and gumption. Danny Salazar could chip in as well, not as a starting option following his bullpen appearance in Game 2, but maybe for a few innings. Before the series, Francona had floated Salazar and Merritt as starting options, but the Indians settled on something else with the pregame short rest announcement and Salazar's sixth inning appearance, his first since Sept. 9. Bauer didn't lose Game 2. But he sure made it harder to win, laboring through 87 pitches to 18 batters while getting 11 of them out. In a postseason of wondrous play by the Indians, this was another subpar performance. Make Bauer 0 for 3 in that department. In the ALDS opener against Boston, he gave up three runs in 4 2/3 innings, but his teammates, fueled by Andrew Miller relief magic, pulled out a 5-4 win. In ALCS Game 3, after his drone mishap pushed him back a game, he lasted four batters and less than an inning before he had to be rescued, the bullpen spinning 8 1/3 innings of playoff sleight of hand in a 4-2 win. Now we have Wednesday -- 3 2/3 innings, two runs, six hits, two walks. That's the best we've seen of postseason Bauer. It wasn't nearly good enough. His outings tax the relief corps as much as his antics must the patience of his bosses. Francona and Bauer's teammates have refrained from calling Bauer out for his playoff immaturity, placing drone repair above measured caution during the most critical phase of his baseball life. They know they need him. So they chalked it up to Trevor and his toys. Rehashing the drone fight doesn't do any good. You either think it was fine or it wasn't. But even if you don't blame Bauer for his injury, answer this. Do you want him on the mound with history on the line? On the mound on short rest, at less than his best? There may be no escaping Bauer in Game 6, but if you want to present reasoning for a new option for Game 5 while sticking with Tomlin and Kluber in Games 6 and 7, the floor is yours and our ears are open. Bauer's unusual throwing regimen has led to his creation as the man who could pitch every day. But just because he could go on short rest on Sunday doesn't mean he should. A Merritt repeat of his scoreless 4 1/3 innings from the ALCS clincher is no guarantee. But if you want the Indians to find their fire in Game 5, will it be there more for the humble rookie planning his wedding, or for Drone Captain Bauer? With how he acts and how he's pitched, Bauer has made it very clear who he is. That's no Game 5 World Series starter. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 10.27.2016 Cleveland Indians avoid the heavy rain in Game 2, but can't dodge a perfect storm of sloppiness Zack Meisel, cleveland.com By Zack Meisel, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you're going to lose a World Series game, you might as well let the bottom fall out. Go for broke. Throw every bad habit, every baseball malady out there. Get the Trevor Bauer inefficiency, the Bryan Shaw nibbling, the Danny Salazar rust-shaking, the dormant lumber and the groan-inducing defense all out of the way in one fell swoop. This wasn't the type of World Series loss that leaves a fan base with a stinging sensation, like the one Tribe fans suffered on Oct. 26, 1997. This Oct. 26, 2016 defeat was more of the dull ache variety, only fans in attendance couldn't feel it because the bone-chilling temperatures numbed every finger and toe in the venue. Little went right for the Indians in Game 2, and now Terry Francona's bunch will venture west for three games at Wrigley Field, with the World Series knotted at one game apiece. Bauer lasted only 3 2/3 innings, leaving his leaky faucet of a pinkie as his signature postseason moment. The Indians sputtered at the plate against Jake Arrieta, who carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Jason Kipnis committed a pair of defensive miscues, the second of which erased a dazzling lunge and behind-the-back flip by Francisco Lindor. Lonnie Chisenhall misdirected a relay throw and slipped on the warning track, both gaffes giving the Cubs reason to have a runner trot home, rather than sprint. "That game wasn't televised, was it?" Kipnis quipped afterward. It was a long, sloppy, arduous evening for Cleveland, a rarity during this magical postseason run. Is it silver linings you seek? Salazar shed a layer of dust and logged a scoreless inning in his first major-league appearance in 47 days. Andrew Miller didn't have to place any strain on his golden left arm. Bauer exited after 87 pitches, which should ease the burden on his self-proclaimed-fatigue-averse right shoulder should he pitch on short rest in Game 5. (Not that such a decision would instill much confidence in anyone who watched him labor through his outing on Wednesday.) The Cubs stranded 13 runners; it could have been worse. Precipitation didn't fall until the late innings, and it was light enough so as not to interfere with the action, or lack thereof. That's ... about it. The Indians' blueprint for a playoff triumph has made the rounds. Only twice has the opposition been able to thwart the plan of attack this postseason. It's simple: Secure an early lead, eke a few innings out of the starting pitcher and then hand the keys to that cyborg-like southpaw and his right- handed cohorts. The Indians trailed from the get-go on Wednesday, though. They never recovered. The Indians are 8-0 when they hold a lead at any juncture of a game during the playoffs. They're now 0-2 when they don't. Cleveland wasn't going to sweep Chicago, a 103-win team oozing talent and depth. Their flaws were exposed on Wednesday. It happens. Now, it's up to the Tribe to return to October normalcy, which, until Wednesday, was near-perfection. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 10.27.2016 Game 2 reminds the Indians of the difficult road ahead -- Bud Shaw's Sports Spin Bud Shaw, cleveland.com By Bud Shaw, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio – What's worse? If Trevor Bauer's finger is bothering him, or if it isn't? Either way, this night brought a reminder of the difficulty attached to what the Indians are trying to accomplish: winning a World Series with Corey Kluber and Josh Tomlin as the only experienced, reliable starters. The series is even now after the Cubs' 5-1 win in Game 2. Or as Game 2 quickly became known here while watching Bauer struggle: T-minus two games until Kluber pitches again. After Tomlin starts Game 3 Friday, the carousel speeds up and the plan is short rest for everybody, Kluber, Bauer and Tomlin, then Kluber again if the baseball gods want to torture two fan bases simultaneously and drag the drama to a seventh game. It's hardly ideal for the Indians. It invites shorter, ragged starts and further taxing of a bullpen already on high alert. The alternative is to mix in a start from rookie Ryan Merritt and let him take a crack at World Series and wedding registry infamy. Or turn to Danny Salazar, whose relief appearance Wednesday night was his first work since Sept. 9. "We pitched him to try to keep the game where it was and shake off some rust," said Indians manager Terry Francona. "There's potentially five games left. I think we're probably better served using him out of the bullpen." That's why even a reasonably good start from Bauer could've lifted optimism and chances in one night of work. Instead, Bauer was gone 3.2 innings and 87 pitches into the game, lucky to only be trailing 2-0. He got a reprieve in Game 3 of the ALCS when the Indians won without him. If he keeps his place in the World Series rotation, it won't be because he deserves it. Another reprieve comes as the product of dire circumstances. "In our situation right now, there's a couple of factors," Francona said before Game 2. "One, some guys have gotten hurt... (but) the workload the starters have had lately hasn't been really (big)...this has been Kluber's least amount of pitches this month...So I think they're all situated to handle it." Kluber pitched on three days in Toronto for the first time and lost, though he left that game trailing just 2-1. Bauer last did it out of the bullpen. It's been a rare request for Tomlin, who isn't exactly built for it. Bauer takes pride in his rubber arm. But that's hardly the issue. Health isn't either. The difference between this start and his 21-pitch ALCS appearance in Toronto was that this time he didn't bleed, at least not literally. "We knew playing the Cubs we were going to be a challenge because they're really good," said Francona. "They beat us tonight. It wasn't because somebody had a bad finger." Not much good happened behind Bauer or the six relievers who followed. The four-hit, two-error night is hardly a winning recipe. Not when Lonnie Chisenhall is on skates in right field, or throwing to the wrong base. Not with Bauer ceding the starting pitching matchup to Chicago's Jake Arrieta. This one ended with Joe Maddon going to his closer, Aroldis Chapman, in the eighth. He struck out Jose Ramirez on five pitches. He clocked 101, 100, 101, 103 and 103. The 100 was obviously off-speed. So this night was also a reminder of how the Indians have shrink-wrapped games by getting early leads and turning it over to their bullpen. That's not a dependable plan against the Cubs' starters over seven games. Friday it's Josh Tomlin's turn. For now, all we can say is "Corey Kluber and pray for rain" doesn't have much of a ring to it. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 10.27.2016 World Series offers everything from sales opportunities to silliness Marc Bona, cleveland.com By Marc Bona, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio – From sales opportunities to silly moments, we checked out the scene inside and outside of Progressive Field on Wednesday for World Series Game 2 between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians. (Scroll through our gallery for photos of each): Tees from truck: Carlos Crespo put a spin on food trucks when he parked on Euclid Avenue across the street from Corner Alley hours before Wednesday's Game 2. He was hawking t-shirts touting the Tribe. "Yesterday was a little chaotic," said Crespo, of Berea. His top seller: "Windians: Cleveland - This is Our Year 2016" followed by what has become the season's mantra, "Party at Napoli's." He sold 357 shirts Tuesday. They go for $15 – two for $20. Pregame space: East Fourth Street, packed hours before Tuesday's first game, remained wide open Wednesday afternoon. No surprise: It was a dreary and breezy 43 degrees at 3 p.m., four hours before Trevor Bauer was to take the mound in Game 2. Have no fear, Squirtman is here: One of the first people in line outside the centerfield gates was the self-proclaimed Squirtman, a slightly lesser-known super hero. Jim Gilkerson, who used to have his own public-access show featuring pranks, isn't shy for media attention. He's been featured on "America's Got Talent," among other shows. "I turned it into a super-hero thing in 2000," he said. His bright orange costume might not be serious, but he is about the Tribe. "I was 24 then (when the Indians last went to a World Series, in 1997). I'm 43 now, and I don't want to die before it (a championship) happens." Gilkerson said he paid $1,200 for nosebleed seats. "Usually I wear a big hat, but I didn't want to block people's views." Series on ice: Long gone are the days when bunting was the only accoutrement used in a ballpark to denote a big game. A restaurant near fourth-floor suites features an ice sculpture about three feet tall, propped on a table. Silent auction: Indians memorabilia is for sale near sections 158-164 in the corridor. The neatest items: A Progressive Field turnstile ($400 bid, $20 increments) and a base used in the seventh through ninth innings in the first game of the ALDS against Boston. (A worker manning the table said one unsuspecting person actually told him "They probably spray-painted the dirt on there.") A resin bag from ALDS Game 2 against Boston also was up for sale. The game pitted Corey Kluber against David Price. And of course game-worn jerseys were available, including Brandon Guyer's from the Oct. 19 ALCS game against Toronto, along with others from catcher Yan Gomes, and pitchers Bryan Shaw, Mike Clevinger and Dan Otero. Programs! Get your programs! You can buy World Series programs in the grassy verge between Progressive Field and the Q. They're $15, and you can choose between National or American League options for the cover. A line stretched more than a dozen deep before Wednesday's game. Did you know? Quick, what's the official tire of Major League Baseball? If you said Falken Tires, you'd be right. The Southern California-based company had a booth at the game. Remember to layer: If you forgot an extra sweatshirt or blanket, it might have been a good deal to sign up for a Mastercard. The giveaway was a World Series towel. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 10.27.2016 Cleveland Indians' Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez dealing with ups, downs of first postseason Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio – October is not just another month in the baseball season. It has been sliced like an apple into three and sometimes four sections – the wild card game, American League Division Series, American League Championship Series and World Series. Players are evaluated at each stop. The timing of a slump or hot streak can determine if a team continues toward the World Series or goes home. During the season, all that is lost in the ebb and flow of the game -- a 0-for-10 here, a 5-for-12 there. All of which reflects well on what Francisco Lindor has done on his first trip to the postseason. The switch-hitting shortstop hit .250 (3-for-12) with one homer and one RBI as the Indians swept Boston the ALDS. In the ALCS, he hit .368 (7-for-19) as the Indians eliminated Toronto in five games. In Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday night, Lindor went 3-for-4. In nine postseason games, he's hitting .371 (13-for-35) with two homers and four RBI. "I think it has to do with my teammates," said Lindor, when asked what has allowed him to be so steady at the plate. "Michael Brantley, Mike Napoli, Jason Kipnis, Roberto Perez and Jose Ramirez – all of them. "We've kept that same mentality in the clubhouse, in the dugout and on the field since day one. I'm just trying to do to the exact same thing since day one, just somehow get on base. Just find a good pitch to hit and get on base. If I don't get on base, I just try to find a way to help the team win that day." Ramirez's first trip to the postseason has been more extreme than Lindor's. The switch-hitting third baseman hit .500 (5-for-10) in the ALDS, but slumped to .059 (1-for-17) in the ALCS. Then in his first World Series game, Ramirez went 3-for-4 with an RBI. He's hitting .290 (9-for-31) with two RBI overall. At 22 and 24, respectively, Lindor and Ramirez became the third pair of teammates under 25 to collect three hits in the same World Series game. Boston's Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury in 2007 and Washington's Goose Goslin and Ossie Bluege with the others. It was just the third time in franchise history that two players had three hits in the same World Series game. "When Ramirez is swinging the bat like he did tonight, you know he's going to get to the next base, you know he's going to advance," said Lindor. "He puts that pressure on people. He's either going to run or he's going to put one in the gap. "Whenever Ramirez gets going, he gives a lot of leverage to the lineup. He protects Napoli, he protect Santana, he protects me." When Lindor and Ramirez are hitting from the No.2 and No.5 spot in the lineup, they make the Indians a dangerous team to play. "We're just two guys that have a lot of energy when we play, especially when we run the bases," said Ramirez. "We're always looking for ways to score. We like to take advantage of those opportunities." In the first inning of Game 1, Lindor singled with two out against left-hander Jon Lester, who has the yips when it comes to throwing to first base to keep runners close. Lindor took advantage of that by stealing second as Lester walked Napoli and Santana to load the bases. Rajai Davis thinks Indians runners rattled Jon Lester Ramirez mishit a ball, but got lucky as it rolled down the third-base line for a single to score Lindor. Then Lester hit Brandon Guyer with a pitch to bring home another run as the Indians rolled to a 6-0 victory. Like Lindor, Ramirez is having a blast in his first World Series. When he was growing up in the Dominican Republic, he dreamed about playing in the Fall Classic. Indians take 1-0 lead in World Series behind Kluber, Perez "I'd be watching the game on TV and tell my mom, 'Wow, that's incredible. I really want to play in the World Series. I want to be a player.' And my mom would tell me, 'You're too little. You can't play at that level. Look at your dad, he's small, too, and when you get older, you're going to be small as well.'" Ramirez is only 5-9, but his father, Enrique, gave him a different message. "My dad would always tell me about the small guys playing in the big leagues,'' said Ramirez. "He told me to look at them. When I made it to the big leagues I said, "Dad, thank you for that advice you gave me. You helped me make it to the big leagues because of that.'" Like most fathers, Enrique Ramirez, kept nudging his son forward. "He said, 'This is just one step,'" said Ramirez. "You still have goals you need to reach." Winning a World Series championship being one of them. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 10.27.2016 How the Cleveland Indians, and a World Series, bring joy in dark times for Collinwood family Michael K. McIntyre By Michael K. McIntyre CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Progressive Field was a time machine Tuesday night. Her lights flashed in dazzling red rings as she roared to life. Then came the ear-splitting sound 38,091 pistons filled with 19 years of steam and pressure firing in unison as the Cleveland Indians took the field in Game One of the 2016 World Series to face – and later beat -- the Chicago Cubs. After a few sparks and a puff of pyrotechnic smoke – poof – it felt like October 1997, when the place rocked every night and chants of "Let's Go Tribe" filled the crisp night air. It was loud, too, not far down the Lake Erie shoreline, in the attic bedroom of a sturdy Cleveland house on a narrow street in North Collinwood, just steps from the lake's edge. There, Ben Lewis watched the game, the same place that, because of his current circumstance, he's watched every game of this magical Indians playoff run. How much joyful noise can one family make? A dad, a mom and 14-year old twins -- one a son and one a daughter? And how incongruous is that noise when it breaks out into air that weighs heavy with a truth that no one needs to mention, especially now, when the hits are coming and the happiness follows. The truth that Ben Lewis, 53, is dying. Ben watched as his favorite player, Francisco Lindor, reached out and stroked a first inning, two-out single, stole second and scored on a bases loaded swinging bunt by Jose Ramirez. By inning's end, the Indians had a 2-0 lead. Lindor collected two more hits. Catcher Roberto Perez smacked two home runs. And the pitching, as usual, was stellar. It was the best case scenario for a start to this series, a dominant 6-0 Indians win. It was a month ago that Ben got worst-case-scenario news from his doctors. Damage from radiation and chemotherapy two decades ago left his heart weak and his lungs nearly depleted. The treatment beat back Hodgkin's lymphoma. But scar tissue lingered. Last month, they sent him home for hospice care, oxygen and pain meds. Ben watched the Indians win as oxygen, generated by a machine in a small room on the second floor of his home, flowed through a tube that snaked down a hallway, up the stairs, over to the right and finally to him as he lay on a queen-size bed, a flat-screen TV just beyond his toes. Ben watched with his brother, Will, who flew in for the game and with his wife, Bellamy Printz, and with close friend Mike Cullen. Most importantly, Ben watched -- as he has every game -- with his son, John, who wears his father's facial features and shares his love of baseball, and specifically, the Indians. Sports has a way of bringing generations together and championship runs by the home team can sprinkle that connection with fairy dust. When that connection is between a boy and his terminally ill father, well, as his wife said, "It's just so poignant." John is a freshman at Montessori High School in University Circle. He's a baseball stats whiz who spent two years devouring the audio recordings of the Ken Burns Baseball documentary, a little bit each night. It was his lullabye. "He knows things. He remembers stuff. It's unbelievable. I mean he can pull stats out about players," his father said. "We're about even, but that's because he has all this time to read and I have to go to school," said the son. All that time. "The days are pretty simple," said Ben, who gasps for breath even after taking the few steps to the bathroom. He spends his days reading, or watching movies, or hanging with the steady stream of neighbors, college buddies and assorted family and friends who climb the creaky stairs to sit with him, maybe crack open a beer – them, not him – and talk about baseball and old times. But when the Indians are on and his boy is with him, well that's not simple at all. They can't play catch together in their narrow street off Lake Shore Blvd. He can't coach John in rec league as he once did. But they can watch the high drama of the World Series in high definition. And they talk. About how reliever Andrew Miller changed the team's outlook, "He's a beast," John says. About their honest feeling in April that the team would be hard-pressed to make the playoffs without the injured Michael Brantley, John's favorite player. He agrees with his dad that Lindor is his favorite on the field right now. "Sometimes a game can bring fathers and sons and mothers and daughters together," said Ben, who'd be hard pressed to bring his daughter, Celia, into the fold, as she sees all sports as "different versions of throwing a ball around." Celia is John's twin. And she's happy about the Indians even if it's just a bunch of guys throwing a ball around. "It makes them happy," she says, "and it makes me happy to see them happy." Ben and John are happy because the team they watch is happy. Lindor with his kilowatt smile and Ramirez with his impish grin. The team laughs together and that's contagious. "They have joy as a team," said Ben, and joy is hard to come by given his circumstances. "They're like kids playing the game. And no matter what happens, it's just a joy to see them play. This is just so special. It has been such a morale booster for me." Printz, his wife, an art curator at the Cleveland Clinic and co-founder of Zygote Press, is thankful for the relief this playoff run has brought. "I don't think the Indians are necessarily keeping Ben alive, but it is really keeping this period of time interesting and exciting," she said. "And it is something for him and my son to look forward to." As much as Ben looks forward to it, so does John. Bellamy told him, before she learned that the prices were stratospheric, that she'd try to snag tickets and take him to a World Series game. John nixed the idea. "I would rather watch all the World Series games at home with my dad," John said. "If my dad could go, then, heck yeah, I'd want to be there. But he can't, and I want to watch with him." He did that Tuesday, a night when the baseball time machine eventually landed on October 25, 2016. Present day. A day for a father and a son to scream their fool heads off in a tiny attic bedroom as the good guys hit and pitched and fielded and hugged and smiled and, even better, won. The future will bring what it brings for the men on the field, their celebration spilling off the flat screen. And for the father and son watching it. But this day brought pure joy. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 10.27.2016 Pitch now, rest later: Cleveland Indians planning to use Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Josh Tomlin on short rest Zack Meisel, cleveland.com By Zack Meisel, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Pitch now, rest later. That's the Indians' mantra for the World Series. They'll operate with a three-man rotation the rest of the way, manager Terry Francona revealed on Wednesday afternoon. Corey Kluber, who blanked the Cubs over six innings in Game 1, will return to start Game 4 at Wrigley Field on Saturday. Trevor Bauer, the Indians' Game 2 starter, is scheduled to pitch again in Game 5 on Sunday. Josh Tomlin, the Game 3 starter, is scheduled to pitch again in Game 6 on Tuesday at Progressive Field. If a Game 7 is required, the Indians would again turn to Kluber, who has logged a 0.74 ERA in four postseason starts this month. Francona lifted Kluber after only 88 pitches in Game 1. "He's all set to pitch," Francona said. "That was probably Plan A. ... Part of taking him out then was with that in mind, that you start getting deeper into the game, and if they mount a rally, getting out of that, you're really exerting. You're up around 100 or so, I think that's unfair to ask him to come back after doing that." Kluber has made one start on short rest in his career. In the American League Championship Series against Toronto, he logged five innings in Game 4. He limited Toronto to two runs. "Early in the game, I think his legs got tired," Francona said, "because he thought he had to generate more. Then, he realized he was throwing exactly like he always does. So, I think the idea that he's already done it, I think he'll be a lot more at ease with it. The Indians aren't exactly overflowing with options, with Carlos Carrasco on the shelf and Danny Salazar limited (and possibly rusty). Salazar hasn't appeared in a major-league game since Sept. 9. So, Francona is planning to start his healthy -- that's a word used lightly around these parts -- trio on three days' rest so as not to burn out his bullpen. Indians have four shutouts this postseason "If they don't [pitch on short rest], now all of a sudden, you're sacrificing," Francona said. "You have one or two pitchers going short, and you're still pitching a bullpen day. So that doesn't necessarily help us as much as we want to." Francona said there are no concerns with Kluber, and that Bauer "is a guy that can pitch all the time." As long as his pinkie cooperates, of course. "Tomlin, we were a little concerned," Francona said. "He's been pitching great, but he doesn't have the biggest frame in the world. But he hasn't pitched that much, so I think we're OK." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 10.27.2016 What's behind Cleveland Indians' 4 postseason shutouts? Making one good pitch after another Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Indians threw their fourth shutout of the postseason Tuesday night in Game 1 of the World Series. Of all the stats they've compiled in this drive into October, that might be the most improbable. Carlos Carrasco still has a broken hand. Danny Salazar was added to the roster Tuesday, but he hasn't pitched in a big league game since Sept. 9. Trevor Bauer takes the mound Wednesday night for Game 2 of the World Series with at least 10 stitches in the little finger of his right hand. Bauer was stopped on cuts in Game 3 of the ALCS after two outs in the first. He does not think that will be a problem when he pitches Wednesday night, but just in case manager Terry Francona already has the bullpen on alert. The Indians shut out Boston in Game 2 of the ALDS, 6-0. They shut out Toronto, 2-0, in Game 1 and 3-0 in Game 5 of the ALCS. Now they've done it to the Cubs in the World Series in a 6-0 victory. Again, how can that be? Francona opened the World Series with a three-man rotation – Corey Kluber, Bauer and Josh Tomlin. What about Games 4, 5, 6 and 7? Who are the Indians going to pitch in those games? Kluber, at the most, can pitch in two of those games. Could Salazar be an answer? What about Ryan Merritt, who strode out of the Arizona desert to throw 4 1/3 scoreless innings in the Game 5 clincher against Toronto? When asked what lies beyond Game 3 for his rotation, Francona keeps saying its TBA (To Be Announced). He added, "It doesn't take a genius to figure it out." Andrew Miller is ready for Game 2 of the World Series Yes, the bullpen has been good this postseason – 3-0, 1.53 ERA, seven saves and 47 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings. But Andrew Miller needed 46 pitches to get through two innings Tuesday night in Game 1 after six scoreless innings by Kluber. There are questions about his availability for Game 2, but the shutouts keep coming. "You can't explain it," said closer Cody Allen. "You're just trying to make a pitch at a time. Hopefully, you stack enough pitches together and you get enough outs to keep them off the board for as long as you can. Your goal is to be just one run better at the end of the day." The four shutouts are the most by the Indians in a single postseason. They've tied the major league record for shutouts by a team in one postseason. The Giants did it in 1905, 2010 and 2012. The Yankees did it in 1998. Each of the last two teams to throw a shutout in Game 1 of the World Series – the 1990 Reds and the 1989 Athletics – went on to win the championship. Chicago Cubs Kris Bryant on Corey Kluber and Andrew Miller There are three common threads in the Tribe's shutouts – Kluber, Miller and Allen. Kluber has thrown 19 1/3 scoreless innings, Miller 6 1/3 and Allen three. "I think our guys have really been able to stay in the moment and not worry about trying to win Game 3 when you haven't even won Game 1 yet," said Allen. "Our focus is showing up tomorrow and being ready to play. We just want to stay in the moment, make a pitch and move on to the next one. I think that's the one thing we've been able to do very well." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 10.27.2016 Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer hoping to be known for pitching, not pinkie Zack Meisel, cleveland.com By Zack Meisel, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Mention the name Trevor Bauer and thoughts of drones and blood and Twitter wars will follow. His blood-stained navy jersey from his ALCS start in Toronto hangs in a display case at The Corner at Progressive Field. He lasted four batters in that outing because his right pinkie bled like a leaky faucet. Fans have sent him photos of their Halloween costumes, fit with his No. 47 uniform, a bloody digit and a model airplane of some sort. Bauer laughs at that stuff, but really, those aren't his ideal calling cards. "Maybe one day, I'll be known more for on-the-field stuff than off-the-field," Bauer said. "That'd be nice." Bauer can take the first step in that direction on Wednesday night, when he pitches on the grandest stage the sport can offer. He'll oppose Chicago's Jake Arrieta in Game 2 of the World Series at Progressive Field. Will Bauer be up for the challenge? Better yet, will his right pinkie -- the victim of a heinous drone propellor attack nearly two weeks ago -- cooperate? "If it doesn't work, I'm going to make the doctor come up here and talk," quipped Tribe manager Terry Francona. The Indians thought Bauer's boo-boo wouldn't be a bother when he took the hill for Game 3 of the ALCS in Toronto. Instead, his scab opened up and his blood dripped to the dirt, forcing his exit from the contest. Bauer gives Toronto fans three fingers He's had a little more than a week to recover this time around. The Indians could have held him back an extra 48 hours and started him in Game 3 on Friday night at Wrigley Field, but Bauer had no trouble completing a 20-pitch simulated game on Monday. "There's no pain, no blood," Bauer said. "I was able to execute all of my pitches to a high level, and I'm really encouraged by it." Of course, that's what Bauer and the Indians hoped last round. The wound hadn't bled for two days before it split open in the first inning. If history repeats itself, the Indians could be in dire straits. And that's only half of the battle. Bauer has to tame a Cubs lineup that produced the third-most runs per game in the league during the regular season. The Kris Bryants and Anthony Rizzos of the world aren't his concern, though. He's not worried about the guy standing in the batter's box, holding the potentially lethal piece of lumber. He's focused on his own approach, and if he can find a way to make it work, maybe he can make a name for himself that way. "I'm not concerned about anything," Bauer said. "They're obviously very talented, but the Red Sox were very talented and the Blue Jays are obviously very talented, too. At the end of the day, they're just hitters. They get out seven out of 10 times, like all the rest of them. It comes down to executing pitches." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 10.27.2016 Cleveland Indians umpires-room attendant Jack Efta: Inside look Marc Bona, cleveland.com By Marc Bona, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio – Jack Efta has the dirtiest job around. The umpires-room attendant for the Cleveland Indians prepares 12 dozen before every home game, expertly sliding his fingers over each ball, smearing them with mud. It's a baseball ritual that's been done for decades. "Twenty-two years of doing it, I got a feel for it," he said. "It takes me 20 minutes to do 72 balls. I've got a routine." The need to mud-coat baseballs dates decades, and the exact location of the Delaware River tributary in New Jersey where the mud comes from remains secret. Pristine balls are "too slippery, too slick, too white," Efta said. Pitchers want them darker, batters want them lighter, and Efta finds that middle ground. Game in and game out, he dons his mud-coating smock – an unwashed sleeveless 1995 American League champions shirt – pinches a gentle dollop of mud, and smears baseballs. He has coated more than 213,000 of them in his career. Ten dozen balls are used in a game, but Efta keeps a few more in case of extra innings. He marks boxes with a scrawled "R" means they are muddied and ready. Untouched ones are "pearls." Discarded, scuffed balls during a game wind up in the minor leagues or in batting practice. For Efta, this artistic routine is a key part of his job that encompasses being charge d'affaires, concierge, handyman, accountant and secretary every night. In 1986, Major League Baseball instructed clubs to dedicate one person to the umpires room. In 30 years, the name on the job in Cleveland has been Efta. Jack learned the trade from his father, John, who was in the job from 1986 to 1994. The umpires clubhouse is named after the senior Efta. Usually, the clubhouse can comfortably hold Efta and the four-man crew. For the World Series, a six-umpire squad makes the clubhouse cozy. The first day of a homestand is his busiest. He deals with umpires' trunks being shipped in, he sets up gear, washes laundry. On day games, he has a hot breakfast waiting. For night games, he has entrees ready to go. He has fruit plates and deli sandwiches available. He prepares ice towels for umps who need them. And he records every game on DVR for umpires to evaluate. During games he watches from his field-level perch directly behind home plate – "best seat in the house," he said, despite Efta being "a big flincher" on foul tips. Once, with Kenny Lofton at bat and Troy Percival pitching, Efta watched from behind what was then chicken wire. He heard a noise behind him and turned in time to see the pitched ball bouncing down the stairs. He never saw it. "That," he said, "was my single scariest moment." But the small clubhouse for Efta and the umpire crews is his main home at Progressive Field. The sanctum takes on its own orderly feel, with personal touches. He keeps a posted "honor roll" lauding umpires who have worked games under 2 hours, 30 minutes (Paul Nauert tops the chart at 1:57 from Sept. 10, 2010). Five televisions are mounted. A Cleveland Browns Carl Nassib jersey hangs in Efta's locker; he's a big Penn State fan, being that his cousin, Chuck Fusina, starred for the Nittany Lions in the 1970s. Scattered amenities make his abode appear more like an Extended Stay America hotel room rather than a clubhouse: Gatorade, hot sauce, baseball-shaped salt and pepper shakers, gum, playing cards, cribbage set, sewing kit, coffee maker, microwave. More than two dozen framed pictures hang on cinderblock walls – most are portraits of the four-umpire crews, though some show managers raging amid calm men in blue. If there were a fire, he'd take two pictures – one of his father, who died Oct. 24, 1994; one of umpires wearing red uniforms in 1998, a favorite. Umpires are who he serves, whom he counts as friends, who have remained in touch over the years. When his mother died, he talked to umpires. And Efta was the catalyst in patching the rift between umpire Hirschbeck and Roberto Alomar after an ugly on-field exchange in 1996. Hirschbeck was named crew chief for the 2016 World Series. He and the other umpires - Chris Guccione, Sam Holbrook, Marvin Hudson, Tony Randazzo, Larry Vanover and Joe West – will squeeze into Efta's abode at the park. Efta is a fit 63-year-old who was born in Fairview Park. He is in his 22nd year with the Indians in his current role, 37th overall. He also served as a ball boy from 1966 to 1970, and a bat boy in 1970-71. In 22 years in his current role, he has been there through the first pitch of every game. efta vantage.JpgJack Efta's vantage.Marc Bona, cleveland.com He earned a bachelor's degree from Wittenberg University and a master's from Baldwin Wallace, and eventually retired from a foreign- exchange trading job. He finds time for woodworking. Bat lamps are a common piece for him to make, and he even crafted a mantle for former Indians player and coach Joel Skinner. He occasionally carves names as baby gifts for umpires' kids. "They're good people," he said. "They're on an island out there. They have to support each other." He sees their camaraderie in the clubhouse and the not-so-fraternal moments on the field. "One time Richie Garcia was umpiring. It was his birthday. So I told (former Indians manager Mike) Hargrove, 'If you get a chance to say something, it's Richie Garcia's birthday.' Sure enough, he's the first-base ump. There's an argument, and they go toe-to-toe. Hargrove steams off, then turns around and says 'Oh by the way, happy (expletive) birthday!' " After games, umpires occasionally will ask his opinion. "The thing I believe in is just tell the truth. Guys ask me 'what did you see?' 'It was a close call, but he tagged him.' I'm not a yes man, and they appreciate honesty. They want to get it right." The umpires appreciate Efta's role, from doing laundry to setting out peanut M&Ms. "Our trunks ... weigh more than 100 pounds," said Jim Joyce, a crew chief who was in for Houston's swing through Cleveland this season. "He always has every locker impeccably set. He knows us. He's like our support system. Jack does the little things that help us out, that we don't have to ask for. "Jack takes care of us." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 10.27.2016 October baseball can make a hero out of anyone, including Cleveland Indians catcher Roberto Perez Zack Meisel, cleveland.com By Zack Meisel, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- This was for the guy in the white Jody Gerut jersey and the guy in the navy, game-worn Jamey Carroll uniform. Anyone can become an October hero, as Scott Brosius, Pat Borders, David Eckstein and Don Larsen can attest. Gerut and Carroll never received the opportunity to participate in the postseason with the Indians, but they apparently left enough of an impression for a couple of fans to don their apparel at Game 1 of the World Series. Maybe a few fans will sport a Roberto Perez uniform at a Tribe game 20 years from now, with the sight of his No. 55 triggering lucid memories of his unforgettable performance on that brisk, late- October night. Perez, Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome are the only players in Indians history to register a multi-homer game in the postseason. It's Perez -- not the two larger-than-life sluggers -- who accomplished the feat on the game's grandest stage. "I don't think I've ever had a night like that," Perez said a few minutes after the clock ticked to Wednesday morning. He may never experience a night like it again. "That's the game of his life," said Tribe catcher Chris Gimenez. Baseball can make heroes out of the most unlikely candidates, especially once Mother Nature's icy grip resurfaces. Perez was never supposed to see the field in October. The catching position was Yan Gomes' domain. When it wasn't, it was supposed to belong to Jonathan Lucroy. Perez was injured for much of the first half, anyway, as he recovered from thumb surgery. Francisco Lindor loves playing for a true "team" in Cleveland He never really found his offensive footing, but it didn't matter to the Indians. He handled the pitching staff better than most could. He excelled behind the plate: signaling for the proper pitches, making wannabe base-stealers think twice, framing pitches that have no business being strikes. Any offense was considered a bonus. After all, he batted .183 with a .579 OPS. Confidence is a tricky character. "He's in midseason form right now," Gimenez said. Perez flied out to left field in his first trip to the plate. After the at-bat, he retreated to the video station a short walk from the Indians' dugout to identify why he couldn't do more with Jon Lester's 91-mph fastball. "It's my fault," he told Gimenez. "I missed it." He didn't miss it the next time. Perez smacked Lester's 92-mph heater off of the railing perched atop the 19-foot-high wall in left field. The fourth-inning homer extended Cleveland's advantage to 3-0. Four innings later, Perez blasted Hector Rondon's hanging slider into the left-field bleachers for a three-run shot. "I almost cried when he hit [it]," said shortstop Francisco Lindor. Lindor immediately pointed both index fingers at Perez as the catcher circled the bases. He ran over and hugged Jason Kipnis. When Perez finally returned to the dugout, Lindor embraced him as well. Lindor is the kid with the flashy smile and the glitzy defensive highlights, the 22-year-old whose presence lures hordes of reporters and cameramen to his corner locker. Perez is the No. 9 hitter, a defense-first backstop whose primary task is to serve as the liaison between a sizzling pitching staff and a bunch of zeroes on the scoreboard. October can bring out players' bests, though. Now, Perez has a World Series experience to remember. "I keep telling him," Lindor said, "you want to make a name, this is where you do it." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 10.27.2016 Cleveland Indians lose Game 2 of World Series, but Jason Kipnis discovers path to first base Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Indians left Progressive Field on Wednesday night not knowing if they will play another game this year on the corner of Carnegie and Ontario They lost the second game of the World Series, 5-1, to the Cubs on a cold wet night that matched their performance. After the good vibes they sent throughout Cleveland with a 6-0 win in Game 1 on Tuesday, they're head to Wrigley Field where the next three games will go a long way in deciding their World Series fate. "We have to move on, just like we did Tuesday," said first baseman Mike Napoli. "We had a big win and no one got too high in here. No one thought we'd won the World Series. "We have to bounce back like we did Tuesday. It's a best of seven series. You've got to win four games before they do." When the Indians have won games this postseason, they've done a lot of things right. Wednesday night they did a lot of things wrong. "We gave up nine hits, eight walks and two errors, and we only gave up five runs," said manager Terry Francona. "We're probably pretty fortunate because there was a lot of traffic." Hey, but at least Jason Kipnis rediscovered the way to first base. Chicago starter Jake Arrieta had a no-hitter going through 5 1/3 innings. Kipnis ended it with a hustle double to center in the sixth. "I hadn't seen first base in a while," said Kipnis. "I forgot where it was. I was confused where to go after that." Kipnis hit .364 (4-for-11) with one homer and three RBI in the American League Division Series when the Indians swept Boston. He's gone 2- for-28 since. "It's good to finally get a hit," said Kipnis, who scored the Tribe's only run. "It's obviously a frustrating time to be in a slump when the team needs you the most. It's nice to check in and get one hit. Hopefully, we can build some momentum off that, but we're going to need more than one hit if we're going to help this offense go." Kipnis' batting average isn't the only thing hurting. He sprained his left ankle celebrating the Tribe's pennant-clinching win over Toronto in the ALCS. Kipnis didn't make an excuse, but the ankle could have played a role in the two errors he made in Wednesday night. "I should be good," Kipnis said. "We're feeling good. We're progressing the way we had hoped. Right now, we're just getting out the swelling, getting range of motion back." He mishandled a routine grounder by Wilson Contreras as part of Chicago's three-run fifth inning. In the seventh he couldn't handle shortstop Francisco Lindor's backhanded flip to second base after Lindor made a great lunging stop against Addison Russell. "It was an outstanding play," said Kipnis. "I cost him a top 10 highlight, I know that. It was one of those plays where I went to the bag. It was a high throw, but to expect him to go behind his back and hit me in the chest is ridiculous. I tried to push off (the bag) to catch it and it was just out of my reach." Kipnis lives in Chicago and has been a Cubs fans for years. Asked if he was excited about going home to play Game 3 at Wrigley Field with the World Series tied, Kipnis said, "Not if I play defense like that. That'll be embarrassing. It's going to be Wrigley Field. There are going to be a lot of people there. It's going to be fun and a good chance for us to take the lead back in the series." "I always dreamed of playing in the World Series at Wrigley Field, full count, two outs," Kipnis said. "I always thought it was going to be the bottom of the ninth, but it's the top of the ninth now." Regarding his ankle, which has turned every color of the rainbow since the injury, Kipnis said, "It has its good innings and bad innings. Standing out there that long, in this kind of weather, it starts to tighten up. It is what it is." The Indians' defenders did a lot of standing around in the 4 hour and 4 minute game. Starter Trevor Bauer lasted just 3 2/3 innings and Francona used six relievers to cover the remaining 5 1/3 innings. "He never fully got his rhythm that we wanted him to get," said Kipnis of Bauer. "He's one of those good pitchers that pitches off his confidence and gets in that rhythm. They did a good job of getting to him early. We thought he'd go a little longer and I think he'd tell you that himself." The Cleveland Indians got a reminder of the challenge that faces them in trying to win a World Series with two experienced, reliable starters. And no, Trevor Bauer isn't one of them. The Tribe's offense, which produced the second most runs in the AL during the regular season, has been a lot like Kipnis' ankle in the postseason – good and bad. After scoring six runs on 10 hits in Game 1, they scored one on four hits in Game 2. "We need to have better at-bats," said Kipnis. "We don't need to make it any more confusing or difficult than it already is. Just see the ball and swing at strikes. Get guys on base." A dream becomes reality: Josh Tomlin's ailing dad will watch him pitch Game 3 of the World Series at Wrigley Field Zack Meisel, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The bases were loaded, the count was full and the stakes in the bottom of the ninth sent tremors of unease to everyone nearby. An imposing slugger waited in the batter's box for Josh Tomlin's next offering, a pitch that, to the right-hander, carried the weight of the world. At least, that was the fantasy. The reality painted a slightly different portrait. A 4-year-old Tomlin peered in at his father, Jerry, who sat on a bucket and asked his son which pitch he wanted to toss in such a precarious -- and imaginary -- position. "Let's go fastball." Tomlin fired a fastball. Strike three. "We'd jump up and throw our gloves," Tomlin said. Fantasy doesn't always remain fantasy. There's always that chance it migrates to the side of reality. Tomlin will stand on the mound at Wrigley Field on Friday night, with the October spotlight directed his way. He'll gaze at his catcher's fingers. Maybe Roberto Perez will signal for a heater. Maybe he'll call for a curveball. There won't be any bucket. Jerry, 57, will be in the stands, watching his son on the game's grand stage. To Tomlin, it still seems like a fantasy, especially when considering the figurative path his father -- who is paralyzed from the chest down -- will have traveled to arrive in Chicago. "It will mean everything," Tomlin said. Jerry was working at a power plant in Whitehouse, Texas, in August when he felt a burning sensation in his stomach. Ultimately, that feeling vanished. So, too, did every feeling from his chest down to his toes. Tomlin received word that his father had fallen ill, and it took some time for doctors to determine that Jerry suffered an arteriovenous malformation, a tangle of blood vessels on his spinal cord, which required surgery. "I told him many times, I said, 'The minute you feel like you want to be home, even if it's for your mom, we'll handle this,'" said Tribe manager Terry Francona. "He had a lot going on. That was tough." The Indians placed Tomlin on the family medical emergency list. Mike Seghi, the team's traveling secretary, arranged for a private jet to take Tomlin to his hometown. He was one of the first people to greet his father following his procedure. "I can't imagine how hard it was for him and how difficult of a situation it was to go through," said teammate Corey Kluber. Josh Tomlin receives advice, support from his father Doctors don't know if he'll walk again, but, this is Jerry, after all. This is the guy who handled kickoff coverage for his high school football team. Jerry always broke up the opposition's wedge. This is the guy who constantly calls Tomlin during the offseason and suggests that they go cut down some trees to store up on firewood for the winter. This is the guy who Tomlin described as "a very intense individual," who never shied away from yelling at his baseball players for lollygagging. "I don't think what has happened to him right now will faze him one bit," Tomlin said. Tomlin had to operate in the same fashion when he returned to the team after a few days in Texas. That wasn't a simple task; he stumbled through a miserable month of August, during which he posted an 11.48 ERA. The dreadful stretch temporarily cost him a spot in the Tribe's starting rotation. "It was tough not to think about [my dad]," Tomlin said, "but once you step in between those lines, you have a job to do and you can't worry about what's going on off the field. I don't think it had any bearing on the failures that I was having in the month of August. "It was one of those things -- when stuff was going bad, everything was going bad." Tomlin served up 10 home runs in six August starts, which lasted a grand total of 26 2/3 innings. "I was trying to throw a complete-game shutout with one pitch in every game," he said. "It just kind of sped up on me. I was trying to compensate for how bad I was doing that month as opposed to taking it one pitch at a time." That's not the way he learned it in his family's yard in Whitehouse, Texas. That's not what the guy on the bucket would have advised. Tomlin hasn't seen his dad since he left Texas two months ago, though he talks with his parents on a daily basis. In that time, Tomlin has rediscovered his form on the mound, has delivered a pair of dazzling postseason pitching performances and, of course, has popped some champagne and downed a few cans of Budweiser. It takes quite an effort to silence such a rowdy group. Tomlin, in his first career postseason start, delivered a five-inning gem against baseball's most productive offense. On the day the Indians secured their first World Series berth in 19 years -- also Tomlin's 32nd birthday -- his father was released from the Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation. A little more than a week later, he'll venture to Chicago, with his wife, Elana, and Tomlin's aunt and uncle. "He's one of the toughest individuals I've ever met in my life," Tomlin said. "He never shies away from anything." They'll spend time together on Thursday night, when Tomlin's family arrives and checks in at the same hotel. The next evening, Tomlin will stand, his right heel brushing up against the pitching rubber, and look to Perez for a sign. Perez won't be sitting on a bucket. The bases might not be loaded. Tomlin likely won't make it to the bottom of the ninth. But he'll be pitching in a World Series game, with his dad in attendance, in a wheelchair. That moment of elation, with their gloves soaring through the air, will come to life. Fantasy will become reality. "It was cool to be able to look back," Tomlin said, "and think, 'Man, I was doing that when I was 4 years old and now I'm actually going to live it and he's actually going to get to see it. "That's pretty special to me and that's something I'll never forget for the rest of my life." Arrieta deals, Cubs awaken, top Indians to even Series at 1 TOM WITHERS (AP Sports Writer)•Oct 27, 2016, 8:52 AM CLEVELAND (AP) -- Jake Arrieta made a brief run at a no-hitter and ended another 71-year pause between celebrations for the Chicago Cubs and their faithful fans. Not only are they back in the World Series, they've won there again. One more drought quenched, one more to go. Arrieta carried a no-hit bid into the sixth inning, Kyle Schwarber drove in two runs and the Cubs brushed off a shutout to even the Series with their first Fall Classic win in more than seven decades, 5-1 over the Cleveland Indians in Game 2 on Wednesday night. Arrieta, who pitched a no-hitter earlier this season, briefly invoked Don Larsen's name by flirting with one deep in October before the Indians touched him for two hits and a run. However, the right-hander helped give Chicago just what it needed - a split at Progressive Field - before the Cubbies return to their Wrigley Field den for the next three games starting Friday night. ''It's always crazy good,'' Cubs manager Joe Maddon said when asked how he expected things to be on the corner of Clark and Addison for Game 3. ''But I'd have to imagine a little bit more than that, especially coming back at 1-1. I think the folks will be jacked up about the win tonight. ''It's the finest venue there is in professional sports and maybe in all of sports.'' The Cubs hadn't won in the Series since beating Detroit 8-7 in 1945 to force a decisive Game 7, and after their latest win, hundreds of Chicago fans gathered in the pouring rain in the rows behind their first-base dugout, where they danced and sang. A few waved the familiar white and blue ''W'' flags. They hope to do it three more times. The big-swinging Schwarber, who made it back for Chicago's long-awaited Series return after missing six months with an injured left knee, hit an RBI single in the third off Cleveland's Trevor Bauer and had another in the Cubs' three-run fifth - highlighted by Ben Zobrist's run-scoring triple. In Game 1, Schwarber doubled and walked. ''No, it's not that easy, first off. Baseball's a crazy game,'' he said. Even the presence of star LeBron James and the NBA champion Cavaliers, sporting their new rings, couldn't stop the Indians from losing for the first time in six home games this postseason. And Cleveland manager Terry Francona's magical touch in October finally fizzled as he dropped to 9-1 in Series games. ''We gave up nine hits, eight walks, two errors, and we only gave up five runs,'' Francona said. ''For us to win, we generally need to play a clean game, and we didn't do that.'' With rain in the forecast, Major League Baseball moved the first pitch up an hour in hopes of avoiding delays or a postponement. It turned out to be a good call as the game went on without a hitch and ended after more than four hours as light rain was beginning to fall. Arrieta and the Cubs provided the only storm. The bearded 30-year-old coasted through five innings without allowing a hit, and his no-hit bid was the longest in a Series game since Jerry Koosman of the New York Mets tossed six no-hit innings in 1969. For a brief period, Arrieta looked as if he might challenge Larsen's gem - a perfect game - in 1956 before Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis, a die-hard Cubs fan as a kid, doubled with one out in the sixth . Arrieta has two career no-hitters, in fact, including the only one in the majors this year. ''I knew I hadn't given up a hit all the way to the sixth,'' Arrieta said. ''That's really not the focus in a game like this. Whether they get a hit or not really doesn't affect the way you continue to approach that lineup, especially with a five-run lead.'' Kipnis was impressed. ''We didn't get much going,'' he said. ''You have to tip your hat to Arrieta. He was awesome.'' Cubs lefty Mike Montgomery replaced Arrieta and worked two scoreless innings before Aroldis Chapman came in and unleashed his 103 mph heat while getting the last four outs in his Series debut. The teams will have an off day before the series resumes with Game 3 at Wrigley, which will host its first Series game since 1945, when tavern owner Billy Sianis was asked to leave with his pet goat, Murphy, and a curse was born. Josh Tomlin will start for the Indians, who will lose the designated hitter in the NL ballpark, against Kyle Hendricks. Schwarber might also wind up on the bench after two days as the DH. Maddon loves the way he's swinging but isn't sure he's ready to play in the outfield. ''That's something I'm waiting to hear from our guys, from our medical side, because obviously he looks good,'' he said. ''He looks good at the plate. Running the bases he looks pretty good so far.'' And the Cubs finally do, too, as they head home. Unlike his start in Toronto on Oct. 17, when his stitched cut opened up and Bauer was forced to make a bloody departure in the first inning, his finger held up fine. The Cubs, though, put a few nicks in him in 3 2/3 innings. ''I just wasn't sharp for whatever reason,'' Bauer said. The drone accident has brought attention to the quirky Bauer, and one Chicago fan tried to rattle the right-hander by sending a smaller version of the remote-controlled, flying object that cut him. Bauer posted a photo of it on Twitter, saying ''I see the (at)Cubs fans love me! How nice of them to send me a gift!'' ODDS AND ENDS Francona's nine-game winning streak was the third-longest in Series history, trailing Joe Torre (14) and Joe McCarthy (10). ... The Cubs are 7-1 this postseason when scoring first. ... The teams combined for a Series record-tying three wild pitches. ... Indians RHP Danny Salazar made his first postseason appearance since starting the 2013 AL wild-card game. ... This is the 58th time the Series has been tied 1-1. The Game 2 winner has won the title 29 times. SHORT REST Looking ahead, Francona has already decided he'll bring Corey Kluber back on short rest for Game 4. It wasn't much of a decision, really, after the right-hander confounded the Cubs in Game 1, painting the corners for six-plus innings. UP NEXT Cubs: Hendricks is coming off his brilliant performance in Game 6 of the NLCS when he pitched two-hit ball for 7 1/3 innings as the Cubs clinched their first pennant in 71 years. The right-hander led the majors with a 2.13 ERA. Indians: It will be an emotional night for Tomlin, who will pitch on 12 days' rest with his ailing father, Jerry, in attendance. The elder Tomlin became stricken with a spinal condition in August, when the right-hander was struggling on the mound.

World Series spotlight shifts to Chicago and Wrigley Field CARLA K. JOHNSON (Associated Press)•Oct 27, 2016, 2:14 AM CHICAGO (AP) -- A woman in a Chicago Cubs jersey climbed onto a man's shoulders to pose for - what else? - a selfie in front of the cherry- red marquee at Wrigley Field, the second-oldest ballpark in the major leagues. Not far away, red carnations lay at the foot of Harry Caray's bronze statue and fans were sipping midday beers outside Murphy's Bleachers, where a sign outside the pub declared: ''We've been preparing for today for 71 years. Cleveland's in trouble.'' Not since Oct. 10, 1945, has a World Series game been played at Wrigley. The Cubs lost 9-3 to the Detroit Tigers that day 71 years ago, but that's ancient history to fans now as the Fall Classic makes its long-awaited return to the ballpark nestled in a North Side neighborhood. As the Series shifts to Chicago this weekend knotted at a game apiece between the Cubs and Indians, it's worth remembering that Wrigley lore has been shaped by change - and changes are plain to see again around here. The bronze ball ready to fly from the grip of the Ron Santo statue is seemingly aimed at heavy equipment beating the earth for the foundation of a complex of luxury apartments and stores. On Waveland Avenue, where kids and adults chase home runs or foul balls that clear the left field bleachers, an office building rises behind fencing and ''PARDON OUR DUST'' signs. Nearby, workers are readying the site of a seven-story boutique hotel. ''There are three different construction projects going on as we speak,'' said 44th Ward Alderman Tom Tunney, who represents Wrigleyville. ''It's a delicate path. How do you provide a major league experience in a congested, successful neighborhood?'' The changes flowering in Wrigleyville, financed by the Cubs-owning Ricketts family and other developers, alarm some who cling to history like ivy on the walls of the friendly confines. Not Elizabeth Barnes, a 24-year-old nurse who exemplifies the young, urban future of the neighborhood. ''It's exciting,'' she said while walking her dog. ''It has been a little lengthy, but I'm very excited to see how everything turns out.'' Here are some of the sights and sounds that make the 102-year-old ballpark a beloved landmark and a touchstone for baseball fans: --- FABLED HISTORY Built in 1914, Wrigley Field was first known as Weeghman Park and was home to the Chicago Federals, later called the Chicago Whales. The Cubs started playing there in 1916. Only Boston's Fenway Park is older among major league ballparks. Baseball historians still argue over what Babe Ruth was pointing at in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series before he hit his famous ''called shot'' homer into Wrigley's center field bleachers. It wasn't the scoreboard. The original manual scoreboard , still in use today, went up in 1937. Wrigley was the first ballpark to let the fans keep foul balls. It was the first with organ music. And it was the first to be cleaned up in an effort to attract female fans and children. It was the last ballpark to be illuminated for night games. The lights went on in 1988. RETIRED NUMBERS Ernie Banks' No. 14, Ron Santo's No. 10 and Ferguson Jenkins' No. 31 fly on flags on the left field foul pole. Billy Williams' No. 26, Ryne Sandberg's No. 23 and Greg Maddux's No. 31 fly from the right field foul pole. That's not a typo: Jenkins and Maddux both wore No. 31, which was retired in 2009. BALLHAWKS On Waveland Avenue, the ballhawks gather for batting practice and home games wearing gloves to catch a souvenir. They know a ball is coming by reading the crowd's reaction. Bleacher expansion and a left field video board have limited the balls hit over the wall and into the street. But the ballhawks keep showing up to chase them. ROOFTOPS Wrigley's special character is showcased by the neighboring rooftops where fans can watch the game from bleachers erected to provide a glimpse of what's going on inside the park. The rooftop fun on game day belies the court battles over revenue-sharing agreements and views blocked by new video boards. Since the Ricketts family bought the Cubs in 2009, they've been buying up the properties and now control most of the 16 rooftop clubs. FLY THE W The ''W'' stands for ''Win.'' Flown from the scoreboard flag pole, unfurled by Cubs fans in the stands, plastered on windows and hanging from Chicago porches, the W flag is now white with a blue letter. It didn't start out that way. The Wrigley family that owned the team also owned the Wilmington Transportation Co. Its logo was a blue flag with a white W. The tradition of flying a W flag for a win from the scoreboard pole started with that color combo. The flag would signal passengers on nearby elevated trains how the Cubs had done that day. The current blue W on a white background began in the 1980s. Today, there's also a hashtag - (hash)FlyTheW. 'HOLY COW!' AND 'GO CUBS GO!' When Cubs fans say, ''Holy Cow!'' they're quoting Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Caray, who developed the phrase to make sure he didn't utter expletives on the air. Starting in 1982, Caray led the crowd in ''Take Me Out to the Ball Game'' during the seventh inning stretch. After Caray's death in 1998, his widow, Dutchie Caray, led the song at the home opener in April. ''He was guiding me,'' she said. The Cubs sometimes show video of Caray singing on new jumbo-sized video boards installed in 2015. Chicago singer-songwriter Steve Goodman captured the dark side of what it means to be a Cubs fan in ''A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request'' in 1983. But with ''Go Cubs Go,'' written in 1984 before he died of leukemia at age 36, he created a Cubs victory song with a chorus of: ''Go Cubs go, go Cubs go. Hey Chicago what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today.''

Indians' Tomlin to pitch in Series with ailing dad in stands TOM WITHERS (AP Sports Writer)•Oct 27, 2016, 1:45 AM CLEVELAND (AP) -- While his dad sat on a bucket in their backyard catching, little Josh Tomlin pretended he was pitching in the World Series. He's about to do it for real. And his dad, Jerry, recently paralyzed from the chest down following a medical scare that threatened his life, will be there in Chicago watching. ''It will mean everything,'' said Tomlin, who will start Game 3 at Wrigley Field. ''We've talked about this, shoot, since I was 3 or 4 years old. I can remember having conversations with him - 'Bases loaded, full count, bottom of the ninth, so and so is up to bat. What are you going to throw him?''' ''Let's go fastball,'' Tomlin said, ''and I'd throw a fastball and on strike three we'd jump up and throw our gloves and stuff like that. It was cool to be able to look back and think, man, I was doing that when I was 4 years old and now I'm actually going to live it and he's actually going to get to see it. ''That's pretty special to me and something I'll never forget for the rest of my life.'' Jerry Tomlin is Texas tough, the kind of rugged guy who never missed a day of work and lives life head on - sometimes going too hard. ''He played football in high school and he always told me he was the guy on the kickoff who would go down there and break up the wedge. He was just crazy,'' said Tomlin, who helped rescue Cleveland's bandaged rotation with strong performances in the AL Division Series against Boston and AL Championship Series versus Toronto. ''He's been working since he was probably 12 or 13 years old until this incident happened.'' In August, Jerry was working at a power plant in Whitehouse, Texas, when he fell ill, his stomach tied in knots. With the pain worsening, he was taken to a hospital where doctors initially thought the problem was being caused by his gall bladder. That's when things took a critical turn as Tomlin's body went numb. He underwent an MRI and numerous tests, and the 57-year-old was rushed into surgery after he was diagnosed with arteriovenous malfunction, a condition that affects blood circulation near the spine. Josh Tomlin, already in the midst of one of the worst months of his career, rushed home after the Indians arranged a private jet so he could get there quickly to see his dad and be there for his mom, Elana. The pitcher made the trip fearing his dad might not survive. The procedure saved Jerry's life, but it has left him in a wheelchair with a long, difficult road to recovery ahead. It's not known if he'll walk again. After spending nearly two months in a rehab facility in Dallas, he was released last week - on Josh's 32nd birthday. Jerry watched from his living room as the Indians clinched their first AL pennant since 2007. The Tomlins are incredibly close, their bond strengthened by their love of baseball. ''I talk to him every single day, him and my mom both,'' Tomlin said. ''I've got a great relationship with them. They've been a huge part of my life and a huge part of my success in the big leagues.'' Jerry and Elena will be accompanied to Chicago by Tomlin's aunt and uncle, and they'll stay at the team hotel. Josh intends to spend time with his dad on Thursday night before he faces the Cubs. While his dad was sick, Tomlin was pitching himself out of the Indians' rotation. He went 0-5 in August with an 11.48 ERA, and while he never used his father's situation as an excuse, it clearly affected his performance. The ballpark was a sanctuary, giving Tomlin a place to clear his mind and where he felt a connection - with his dad. ''I think he actually thought that being here and with his teammates was helping him,'' Indians manager Terry Francona said. ''I told him many times, the minute you feel like you want to be home, even if it's for your mom, we'll handle this. But he had a lot going on. That was tough.'' So is Tomlin, who stepped up after the Indians lost starters Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco to injuries in September. His team needed him and Tomlin came through, delivering the way his dad taught him. ''He's always coached me,'' Tomlin said. ''I've heard that from a lot of my friends that played for him - he's one of the better motivators. He's very intense. He would yell at you and try to get the most out of you, but he treated you like a man. He expected a lot out of you, but it wasn't like he was mad if you made a mistake. ''If you did things the right way and always gave 100 percent, he was in your corner.'' Jerry Tomlin will be there again when his son pitches on baseball's biggest stage, the one they played on before. ''I'm just looking forward to seeing him,'' Tomlin said

Indians giving tickets to fan who gave up plane seat for Kenny Lofton MARBLEHEAD, Ohio -- This was no ordinary bump from a flight. A longtime Indians fan is being given quite a reward after giving up his seat on a plane to make sure former Cleveland outfielder Kenny Lofton arrived in time to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Game 1 of the World Series. The Indians are giving Ken Kostal, of Marblehead, tickets to Game 6 of the Series, and a team spokesman said United Airlines is giving Kostal 62,200 airline miles for future use. Ken Kostal, an Indians fan who gave up his seat on a flight to make sure Lofton arrived on time. Elsa/Getty Images Kostal said he was waiting to board a delayed flight from Los Angeles to Cleveland early Tuesday when he recognized Lofton. When he overheard Lofton saying he wasn't sure he'd get a seat on the plane, Kostal offered his. Lofton had 622 career stolen bases.

Indians plan to stick with Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Josh Tomlin Andrew MarchandESPN Senior Writer CLEVELAND - Indians manager Terry Francona plans to use all of his starters on three days' rest in the World Series, beginning with ace Corey Kluber in Game 4. Trevor Bauer pitched Wednesday's Game 2 against the Chicago Cubs and will be asked to return for a potential Game 5, while Game 3 starter Josh Tomlinwould take a possible Game 6. Kluber would return if there is a Game 7. The series is currently tied at 1 after the Cubs' 5-1 win Wednesday night. Kluber pitched on three days' rest for the first time last week. He lost Game 4 in Toronto, going five innings and allowing two runs. Tomlin has done it once in his career and performed well. Bauer has never been asked to do it. On Tuesday, Francona took Kluber out after 88 pitches, nine strikeouts and no runs allowed. It was done, in part, with an eye toward Game 4. "Part of taking him out then was with [Game 4] in mind," Francona said. Bauer threw 87 pitches over 3.2 innings Wednesday night, this after not even lasting an inning in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Oct. 17 because a cut on his right pinkie bled profusely. Tomlin, meanwhile, has been most effective in his career on extended rest. In 17 starts on six-plus days' rest, his ERA is 3.90 compared to 4.70 in 51 starts on the normal four days' rest. Six years ago, as a rookie, Tomlin, listed at 6 feet 1, 190 pounds, pitched on three days' rest and went ѿ innings, giving up one earned run against the Toronto Blue Jays. "Trevor's a guy that can pitch all the time," Francona said. "Tomlin, we are a little concerned. He's been pitching great, but he doesn't have the biggest frame in the world. But he hasn't pitched that much, so I think we're OK." Tomlin last pitched in Game 2 of the ALCS, which will give him 12 days off before his scheduled Game 3 start on Friday at Wrigley Field.

Tony Fernandez mulls Indians' near-miss in '97 Mark SimonESPN Staff It’s the postseason, so Tony Fernandez is watching, at least as time permits between tending to his sports ministry and his charitable foundation for underprivileged children, which he has been running since 1995 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The former infielder amassed 2,276 hits, five All-Star appearances and four Gold Gloves in a 17-year career. He also had split allegiances in the American League Championship Series given that one team was the Toronto Blue Jays, for whom he played 12 seasons and helped them win a World Series in 1993; he was inducted last week into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. The other was the Cleveland Indians, with whom he went to the World Series in 1997, his only season with the team, and whose star shortstop, Francisco Lindor, is a player Fernandez likes watching. The Indians are back in the World Series for the first time since Fernandez’s appearance, and you’ll likely see him featured in video flashbacks tied to 1997. It was Fernandez who hit an unlikely home run in the 11th inning of Game 6 of the ALCS against the to win the pennant for the Indians (one of three extra-inning clinching homers in LCS history). It was Fernandez who also drove in the first two runs of Game 7 of the World Series against the Florida Marlins. And it was Fernandez whose error helped lead to Edgar Renteria’s hit that scored the winning run for the Marlins in the 11th inning, a game in which the Indians were three outs away from winning their first World Series since 1948, but could not. “We tried our best, we lost the game,” Fernandez said by phone from Santo Domingo on Saturday. “I don’t think that [error] is why we lost the game. Two teams played. One had to win. The other had to lose. I’m glad to see [the Indians] back to get a second opportunity.” The play of note came with slow-running Bobby Bonilla on first and one out. Fernandez was in his first year playing second base after a long career at shortstop, and had played the position well all year -- he ranked second in the AL in Defensive WAR at the position. Moments before, Fernandez had snuck over to first base to try to double Bonilla off on a popped-up bunt, but Bonilla was safe by a hair. The next batter, Craig Counsell, grounded a two-strike pitch to the right side. Bonilla didn’t run immediately and screened Fernandez, who came in on the ball, only to have it hit him and roll into right field, allowing Bonilla to go all the way to third. Fernandez had hustled to try to make the play, but could not. “In retrospect, I should have just waited back on the ball because [Bonilla couldn’t run well],” Fernandez said. "I would have seen the ball better, thrown to first and Jim Thome could have gotten Bonilla in a rundown.” Fernandez partly atoned later in the inning by making a play to get a force at home, but the next batter was Renteria, whose two-out bases- loaded single ended the series and rendered Fernandez’s attempt at a make-good moot. “People came to me who were more hurt than myself,” said Fernandez. “One of my best friends was there. He was feeling sorry for me. I said, ‘There’s nothing to be sorry about. It’s part of the game. It happens.' “I had great support from teammates and the front office,” Fernandez said. “[General manager] was great. I have nothing but gratitude of that. When I think of people from that team, they were men of character, all of them.” Fernandez was a man of character, an excellent hitter and an excellent fielder. That offseason he returned to the Blue Jays and hit .321 in 1998. In 1999, he hit .328 with a .427 on-base percentage. At age 37, he had the best offensive season of his career. “I was the type of athlete and person who doesn’t dwell on the past,” Fernandez said. “Mistakes are important. You learn from them and move forward. Every time an athlete plays, he has a chance to do something to help his club. Some people like to remember negative things. They ask how can you live [with it]? How can you play again? “How can I play? I did my best. I did everything to that point striving for excellence. I look forward to challenges, and 1998 was a challenge for me. I’m glad I rose to the occasion again.” Fernandez retired after the 2001 season with a .288 batting average in the regular season and a .327 average in postseason play. He played in eight postseason series and hit .300 or better in six of them. His nine RBIs in the 1993 World Series are the most by a shortstop in the Fall Classic. Fernandez -- also the answer to the trivia question “Who was the last Yankees everyday shortstop before Derek Jeter?” -- was known as a clutch hitter. He hit .319 with runners in scoring position, excelling both at the beginning of his career (.343 from 1985 to 1988) and at the end of his career (a major-league-best .374 from 1998 to 2001). His most clutch moment was that pennant-winning home run against Orioles reliever Armando Benitez that made him a Cleveland baseball hero at the time. “I remember seeing the ball really well. It was in slow motion,” Fernandez said. “Everything was synchronized. The entry of the swing was not an uppercut. I’ve had commentators break down that swing as a perfect swing. First you have to go down, then you go up.” First you go down, and then you go up. A good way to describe a swing. And a good way to describe how Fernandez has handled his moment of baseball adversity.

'Miller Time' again in Game 2? Reliever would be entering rare air Jayson StarkESPN Senior Writer CLEVELAND -- The bionic reliever, Andrew Miller, threw 46 pitches Tuesday night for those Cleveland Indians in Game 1 of the World Series. Afterward, he said he couldn't wait to get right back out there in Game 2, because, well, of course he did. But we know what you're thinking: Who the heck does that? Hey, excellent question. Indians reliever Andrew Miller threw 46 pitches in Game 1, but manager Terry Francona likely would go back to him in Game 2 if the situation is right. They we're supposed to take the Yankees deep into October, instead Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller are competing on baseball 's biggest stage. Check out the game and series schedules for the 2016 playoffs, including times and TV networks. Allow us to fill you in on exactly how rare that is. But before we give you all the numbers, we could sum up our findings in two words: Insanely rare! Now here are the amazing details: • Over the past three regular seasons, according to baseball-reference.com, there were 848 times that a manager asked a relief pitcher to throw at least 46 pitches. So that happens. But only three of those 848 came back to pitch again the next day, the Elias Sports Bureau reports. That comes down to less than four-tenths of 1 percent, which is math-ese for "almost never." Got that? Great. Now let's break it down further. • In 2016, as the multi-inning reliever became more of "a thing" around the sport, a reliever threw 46-plus pitches in a game a whopping 325 times. Only one of them came back to pitch the next day. That was Oakland swing man Andrew Triggs, who threw 53 pitches out of the 'pen on June 30, then fired up 15 more the next day. For the record, he threw a scoreless inning that day, with a walk and a strikeout. • In 2015, 266 relievers threw 46 pitches or more at some point. Again, just one of them showed up in the box score the next day. That was Pirates middle reliever Radhames Liz, who had a 48-pitch outing on May 14 and followed with 19 messy pitches the next day. He crammed two hits and two walks into one-third of an inning on the back end. • Finally, in 2014, there were 257 instances of a pitcher piling up that many pitches in relief. The only one in the group who cranked it back up the next day was Braves reliever , who got called up from the minors, threw 47 pitches one day (June 17), fired 13 more the next day and then headed back to the minor leagues. Even a shutout inning in that second outing didn't save him from that fate. So you get the idea. If Miller were to come back and pitch again after burning that many pitches the night before, he would be doing something that, a) pitchers of his stature basically never do anymore, and b) pitchers of even lesser stature do only in an emergency, because the rules say somebody has to pitch every inning of every game. But maybe you're thinking that the postseason is a different animal. Well, you would be correct if you're thinking that. But you would be incorrect if you're thinking that this has been a more regular occurrence in the postseason in recent years. According to Elias, no reliever has made a 46-pitch outing in any postseason game and then pitched again the next day since Keith Foulke did it for the 2004 Red Sox in Games 4 and 5 of the unforgettable ALCS against the Yankees. He threw 50 in Game 4, another 22 in Game 5 and then, incredibly, had 28 more in him the next day in Game 6. Coincidence alert: His manager was ... Terry Francona. But between Foulke's outings and Miller's outing in Game 1, there were 55 instances in which a pitcher threw 46 pitches or more in relief in a postseason game. Not one of them was back in action the next day. We repeat: Not. One. It happened more frequently once upon a time, though. In fact, Foulke also had a 51/20 back-to-backer for Oakland in the 2003 ALDS. And in 2002, Francisco Rodriguez went 46/16 in Games 6 and 7 of the World Series for the Angels. That's getting to be a long, long time ago now. But then again, we keep theorizing that Andrew Miller is redefining how the modern reliever is used -- in all sorts of ways. And who knows. He just might be ready to do that again. Why Terry Francona is a perfect match for Indians Bob Nightengale , USA TODAY Sports8:45 p.m. EDT October 26, 2016 CLEVELAND -- Indians manager Terry Franconagot up Wednesday morning, drove his scooter to Progressive Field at 10:30, changed into a swim suit, and swam. Lap after lap. Every stroke he took, every kick he made, he was thinking about every possible scenario that could arise in Game 2 of the World Series against the Chicago Cubs. When he stopped thinking, and realized his body could go no longer, he finally stopped. It was noon. Finally, his body relaxed. It lasted for all of a few hours, right until he put his uniform on, stuffed a wad of tobacco in his mouth, and started chomping, the nerves returning, stronger than ever. “I don’t think it matters how old you are, how much experience you have,’’ Francona says, “it’s OK to be nervous. It’s still a big deal. “Hey, it’s the World Series.’’ And if it costs him another mouthful of teeth, after sitting in a Toronto dentist chair at 1 in the morning during the ALCS last week, winning the first World Series in this town since 1948 is well worth the dental bills. “I think he’s lost five teeth already this year,’’ Cleveland GM Mike Chernoff says. “We’ll win a game 1-0 in 13 innings, and all he’ll do is talk about after the game how pissed off he is about losing another tooth. “That’s Tito, that’s what makes this culture so fun around here. He’s made such a huge difference on this entire organization.’’ You want to play a game of cribbage, go to Tito’s office, and you’ll find him behind a board, taking on Jason Kipnis or Mike Napoli. You want to play word games, take your shot, just like Chernoff’s 5-year-old son, Brody, does. “Cherny’s kid is 5,’’ Francona says, “and he already uses bigger words than I do. It’s unbelievable.’’ “He’s the same guy every day, no matter what the situation, where we're at, who we're playing,’’ Cleveland closer Cody Allen says. “You'll find him in his office playing cards with some of the players 30 minutes before the game. The clinching game in Toronto, he's in there trying to win money from guys.’’ The beauty of Francona’s genius is that he includes everyone in the process. When raised eyebrows Wednesday by putting slow-footed DH Carlos Santana in the leadoff spot in Game 2, it was actually an idea hatched back in spring training. Still Francona ran it past the Indians’ analytics department, seeking their approval. He’ll take ideas from anyone from veteran scouts in their 70’s to teenage interns in their baseball operations department. “One of the biggest things he’s done here,’’ Chernoff says, “is that that’s broken down every potential barrier there could be between different departments. Everything we do now from the front office to the field staff to the business side, we do it as cone cohesive unit. “Tito makes it a really safe place to be yourself. He likes to think of himself as a regular guy, and that leadership style makes it a safe player for everybody to interact freely.’’ And, oh, by the way, the man can manage. Francona became the first manager in baseball history to win each of his first nine World Series games, and his 36-19 postseason record (.655) is the highest winning percentage by any manager with at least 50 postseason games. If Cleveland wins the World Series, he’ll become only the fifth manager to win with multiple teams. “Tito is the best,’’ Kipnis said. “You are not going to find one guy in here who doesn’t enjoy playing for him. And you’re not going to find one guy who doesn’t want him to be their manager the rest of their careers. “Once you have Tito, you really don’t want anybody else to ever manage you.’’ It’s the same sentiment wherever you turn in the clubhouse, from Napoli to 22-year-old Francisco Lindor, to journeyman outfielder Rajai Davis to backup catcher Chris Gimenez. “He’s a genuine person, and you can talk to him about anything,” Napoli said. “He’s going to tell you the truth. He wants you to do good, he wants to talk to you, and that’s for everybody in the clubhouse. It’s nice to come to the park every day knowing that’s your leader and he has your back.” Says Lindor: “Since Day 1, he has let me be me. He has never told me to be someone different or to be how he wants me to be. He emphasized that when I got called up, and adds, “I want you to be yourself, but at the same time, respect everyone here. The only way you’re going to earn respect from your teammates is if you show that you want to win and play hard. “And that’s exactly what I’m doing.’’ It’s the Indians’ success, reaching the postseason two out of four years since Francona’s arrival, that suddenly has caught everyone’s attention. This isn’t a huge market like Boston with superstars and future Hall of Famers, where he won two World Series titles. Yet, after ending the Red Sox’s 86-year World Series drought in 2004, he now has the Indians - and their $90 million payroll, ranked in the bottom third of the majors - three victories away from ending their own 68-year dry spell. If the Indians win it, the Hall of Fame officials might as well start working on his plaque now. “You know, I wouldn’t think that even means much to him,’’ said Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro, who hired Francona in 2012 before departing for Toronto last winter. “What would mean the most is that he’d win for the franchise where his dad played. He loves his dad. He respects his Dad, and what he did before him. “I think that’s one of the big things that brought him to Cleveland, his love for his dad.’’ Tito Francona, 82, played six years of his 16-year career with the Indians. This is the first clubhouse where he brought his son. There’s a huge picture of the two of them in Francona’s office, wearing Indians uniforms. Terry was 3. When he became an adult, he took on his dad’s name to use as his own nickname. “Hey, I don’t feel responsible for the fact my dad couldn’t win,’’ Francona says, “that was his fault.’’ And that’s his sense of humor. When he was asked about Cubs manager Joe Maddon’s expensive taste in wine, he countered by saying his personal favorite is a bottle of Boone’s Farm. The only thing Francona makes more fun about than his playing ability, is his bald head and pronounced nose. He didn’t even know he became the first manager to go 9-0 in World Series games, instead watching CNN and Fox when he got back to his downtown apartment. “He’s everything we wanted when we hired him,’’ Shapiro said. “We probably knew he would impact us positively. But none of us could have known the magnitude of the impact. “Nobody knew how driven he is, how willing he is to drive the culture of us getting better every day, from top to bottom. It’s unbelievable.’’ Now, he has the Indians on the brink of the unimaginable, taking a battered team with only three starting pitchers, a team hitting just .219 this postseason, to three victories away from the World Series championship. “We always said that if we could do it with this group,’’ Francona said, “it would be so special because this is as close to a family feel as you can get to a professional setting. No one should be thanking me. “I’m the one who needs to be thanking them.’’

Commentary: A horse is a horse, so of course Terry Francona is going to try to ride Corey Kluber to a title Jim Ingraham | The Chronicle-Telegram I believe it was the old shortstop Paul Revere who said it first: When you’ve got a horse, you ride him. Terry Francona has one, and only one, so that’s what he’s going to do. Francona said prior to Game 2 of the World Series that the Indians are going to saddle up Game 1 winning pitcher Corey Kluber for two more starts, both on short rest, if necessary. In this case it’s necessary even if it isn’t necessary, meaning even if the series doesn’t go seven games, Kluber has to be prepared to start games four and seven. No problem, says the Indians’ Ole Hoss. “It’s all about getting four wins before they do. If that means pitching on short rest I’m more than willing to do that,” said Kluber, after Klubering the Cubs in Game 1. Is this a gamble? Yes and no. Yes, because Kluber will be pitching on short rest when he starts Game 4 in Wrigley Field on Saturday, and he would be on short rest again if he were to start Game 7 on Nov. 2 at Progressive Field. But no, it’s not a gamble because, well, what other option does Francona have? Trevor “Four Finger” Bauer is already in the rotation, trying to get through five innings before his pinkie finger becomes a lump of bloody goo. Josh Tomlin is as game as an undersized pitcher with an 88-mph “heater” and Niagara Falls curveball can be. But that’s it. After Kluber, the Indians’ only other viable starters for the series are Bauer and Tomlin, “viable” being the operative word. At this point, in a long baseball season that began in April and is now bearing down on November, Francona only has one horse in his stable — and it’s Kluber. Francona’s Secretariat. The depths of desperation the Indians reached coming into the World Series resulted in them adding to their roster oft-injured Danny Salazar, who hasn’t started a game since Sept. 9, hasn’t won a game since July 19 and in his last seven starts is 0-3 with an 8.65 ERA. Those are not numbers any manager wants to bet on in October. Or November. So Kluber it is, with Bauer, pinkie willing, and Tomlin also pitching on short rest as the Indians rotation staggers towards the finish line. Francona’s decision to pitch three pitchers on short rest the remainder of the series, for better or (gulp) worse, is grounded in one of his fundamental managerial philosophies. “When you have a lead, you try to win,” said a manager who won his first nine World Series games before the Indians’ 5-1 loss in Game 2 Wednesday night. You try to win, no matter what. “Our situation right now, there’s a couple of factors,” Francona said. “One, some guys have gotten hurt. Two, we still wouldn’t have done it if we didn’t think it was the right thing to do. And part of that is the workload. This has been Kluber’s least amount of pitches this month. So I think they’re all situated to handle it.” If the series goes seven games, this will be the first time in Francona’s managerial career that he has ever used a starting pitcher three times in one postseason series. “The reasons I haven’t done it before is because I didn’t think it would help us,” Francona said. “I think people lose sight of the fact that you’ve got to win four. You’re not trying to prolong the series. So you try to take stock of where you are.” Using one pitcher to start three games in a postseason series hasn’t been done by anybody since 2001, when Arizona Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly started Curt Schilling three times in the World Series against the Yankees. In those three starts Schilling went 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA, with 26 strikeouts and two walks in 21 1/3 innings. The Diamondbacks won the World Series and Schilling was voted the MVP of the series. Schilling was a horse, so Brenly rode him. Kluber is a horse, so Francona is saddling him up. “In baseball, your players are your players. You try not to mess them up, and you certainly want to use them where you think they can excel,” Francona said. Kluber has excelled all year, including the postseason. Francona is now going to ask him to excel a little more. The Indians’ chances of winning the World Series, which now shifts to Chicago for the next three games, are riding on it. Bauer’s start in Game 2 on Wednesday was hardly a confidence builder for him or for Francona’s plan to pitch him, along with Tomlin and Kluber, on short rest. But at the end of this long, grueling, wonderful Indians season, it’s all they’ve got left, all Francona, in the best managing job of his career, has left. Him and his horse.

World Series | Cubs 5, Indians 1: Tribe bats silenced By Todd JonesThe Columbus Dispatch • Thursday October 27, 2016 7:08 AM CLEVELAND — The Chicago Cubs won a World Series game Wednesday night, and the Earth is still spinning, although the axis might be wobbling more than normal.

Chicago’s 5-1 win over the Cleveland Indians in Game 2 at cold, damp and sold-out Progressive Field evened the series at one win apiece and came 71 years after the Cubs last enjoyed a victory in the Fall Classic.

Harry Truman was President, Harry Caray was 31 years old, and World War II had been over for less than two months when the Cubs beat the Detroit Tigers 8-7 in 12 innings on Oct. 8, 1945, in Game 6. Two days later, Chicago lost Game 7.

Jake Arrieta ended the wait Wednesday by limiting the Indians to two hits — none until one out in the sixth — and one run in 5 2/3 innings. Kyle Schwarber had two RBI singles for Chicago despite not playing after April 7 until this series began because of a knee injury.

The series now shifts to Chicago, long home to a fabled billy goat curse and Steve Bartman’s haunting try for a foul ball. Game 3 will be played Friday at Wrigley Field, where the Cubs — seeking their first World Series title since 1908 — went 57-24 in the regular season.

“Wrigley, it’s always good, always crazy good,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said, “but I have to imagine it’s going to be a little more than that, especially going back 1-1. People are going to be a little more jacked.”

A home crowd of 38,172, peppered with vocal Chicago fans, saw Cleveland lose for only the second time in 10 games during its postseason quest to end a 68-year championship drought.

Indians starter Trevor Bauer lasted only 3 2/3 innings, needing 87 pitches as the Cubs took a 2-0 lead into the fifth. Cleveland walked eight batters and second baseman Jason Kipnis had two errors.

“For us to win we generally need to play a clean game, and we didn’t do that,” said Indians manager Terry Francona, who fell to 9-1 in the World Series. Chicago broke open the game in the fifth with three runs, the first on an RBI triple by Ben Zobrist, who has five hits in the first two games. Schwarber knocked him in with a single, and the Cubs tacked on the third run of the inning on a bases-loaded walk.

Arrieta was cruising by then. Cleveland’s first hit didn’t come until Kipnis doubled with one out in the sixth. He eventually scored from third on a wild pitch to make it 5-1. Mike Napoli followed with a single, causing Arrieta to be removed.

“I was able to get locked in,” Arrieta said.

Anthony Rizzo’s RBI double put Chicago on the board in the first, and Schwarber knocked in a run in the third to make it 2-0. From there, it was a slow slog of walks and pitching changes befitting Chicago’s 71-year wait for a World Series win. World Series notebook | Indians' Francona wants two more starts by Kluber By Todd JonesThe Columbus Dispatch • Wednesday October 26, 2016 9:05 PM CLEVELAND — There will be time to rest later, when the bats and balls are put away for the winter. Urgency is at hand for the Cleveland Indians as they aim for their first World Series championship in 68 years. Manager Terry Francona announced before Game 2 against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday that he’ll use a three-man starting rotation — the trio of Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin — on short rest the remainder of this best-of-seven series. That means staff ace Kluber, who was brilliant in winning Game 1 for Cleveland with six shutout innings, would make three starts, including Game 7 if necessary. “He's all set to pitch,” Francona said. “That was probably Plan A.” Long-term plans for the series are why Francona removed Kluber after 88 pitches in Game 1 on Tuesday night. Kluber is 3-1 in the postseason with a 0.74 ERA after striking out nine Cubs in Game 1, including eight in the first three innings to set a World Series record. Afterward, he was asked about the possibility of starting Game 7. “I'll pitch whenever (Francona) asks me to,” Kluber said. “I don't think you'll find anybody who would turn down a chance to pitch at this point.” Bauer started Game 2 on Wednesday night with at least 10 stitches in the little finger of his right hand after recently being cut by a drone. Tomlin is scheduled for Game 3 on Friday in Chicago. Francona doesn’t have many options because of late-season injuries to starters Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco. Although Salazar has returned from a forearm strain, he will come out of the bullpen after not pitching for the Indians since Sept. 9. Little rain, mostly pain for Indians as Cubs win, knot series ByScott Petrak | The Chronicle-Telegram CLEVELAND — For the first time in the postseason, the Indians are tied in a series. We’ve got a series in the World Series. The Indians lost 5-1 to the Chicago Cubs in Game 2 on Wednesday night at Progressive Field, as they couldn’t maintain the momentum from the city’s historic sports night Tuesday. The best-of-7 series is tied at a game apiece and shifts to Wrigley Field for Games 3, 4 and 5 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Indians lost for only the second time in their magical postseason run in which they swept the Boston Red Sox and took four of five from the Toronto Blue Jays. The Tribe simply didn’t play well. Starting pitcher Trevor Bauer’s pinkie didn’t start dripping blood on the mound, but he was ineffective and yanked in the fourth inning after allowing two runs. The reliable bullpen faltered, and second baseman Jason Kipnis made two errors, costing the team an unearned run. At least Kipnis broke up Jake Arrieta’s no-hit bid with a one-out double in the sixth inning. He scored on a wild pitch, temporarily waking up the Cleveland fans on a cold, damp evening that couldn’t hold the electricity from the simultaneous World Series opener and Cavaliers championship celebration the previous night. But it’s only one loss, and the Indians remain three wins from a second straight championship for the city. “When I was getting asked questions about this series, I said it’s going to be a good one,” first baseman Mike Napoli said. “Obviously you’d like to win every game, but this is the World Series and it’s going to be tough. “They’ve got a great ballclub and so do we. And we’re confident in our group. There’s no panic.” Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or [email protected]. Like him on Facebook and follow him @scottpetrak on Twitter.

Indians notes: Roberto Perez has come a long way, baby ByChris Assenheimer | The Chronicle-Telegram CLEVELAND — As catcher Roberto Perez said Tuesday night after hitting two home runs to help the Indians to a 6-0 Game 1 victory over the Cubs, he’s come a long way. Perez, the backup to start the season, was forced into a starting role when Yan Gomes went down with an injury. He struggled so badly at the plate that the Indians tried to find another option, trading for Milwaukee’s Jonathan Lucroy, a deal Lucroy vetoed. “He was scuffling,” manager Terry Francona said of Perez. “He was down on himself. He was pressing. For however long it lasted ... he hit two home runs in a World Series game, not too many people can say that. And he’s been catching like crazy, which is the most important thing. And that’s the best thing.” Perez already had the defensive skills, but he’s been an offensive weapon in the postseason with three homers, a double and six RBIs in nine games through Tuesday. “His batting practice has been unbelievable lately,” outfielder Rajai Davis said. “He’s been showing his power and (Tuesday) he actually got to show it in the game, which is really cool.” “With him hitting the ball like that, this lineup is so deep,” outfielder Brandon Guyer said of Cleveland’s No. 9 hitter. “What he’s been doing all postseason, he’s put together good at-bats. When he starts hitting like that, he’s a stud.” Perez has drawn praise this postseason for his ability to frame pitches. He’s become the complete package behind the plate — a far cry from what Francona thought of the catcher during his initial spring training introduction. “When I first met him, I was like, ‘Damn, he’s not giving me his effort,’” Francona said. “(First base coach and former catcher) Sandy (Alomar) said sometimes it’s so easy for him in drills because his hands are so good. His hands are so good in drills. I don’t know how you teach that.” Perez’s emergence has made for little playing time for Gomes, who has been on the roster for each of the first three postseason series but had yet to make an appearance through Tuesday. “He can do anything he wants, (but) he’s got like two at-bats under his belt,” Francona said of Gomes, who returned early from a wrist injury that was expected to sideline him for the season. “I’m sure at some point he’s going to get into a game and probably play a pivotal part. It’s just, the games haven’t dictated that we pinch run ’cause we’ve played with the lead for the most part. But you watch, he’ll end up getting in something. It never fails.” Miller time The Cubs took a patient approach against left-hander Andrew Miller, who wasn’t his usual dominant self despite pitching two scoreless innings in Game 1. “I think part of it was a little bit like Boston (in the ALDS),” Francona said. “He had that layoff ... he was still really good, but he didn’t quite have the consistency. We’re hopeful that the same thing happens now. He had repetition. Hopefully, we don’t use him too much, but he gets in that groove again like he did, ’cause I think that repetition’s going to end up being good for him.” Opposing hitters in each of the first two postseason series, including Boston’s David Ortiz and Toronto’s Jose Bautista, criticized the strike zone for Miller’s devastating slider. “I think he gets penalized, too,” Francona said of his pitcher. “I think it’s both ways.” Civil liberties Francona was asked what he thought of Lucroy’s decision to nix the trade to Cleveland, instead accepting one to Texas, which was eliminated by Toronto in the Division Series. “I guess, I looked at it, tried to look at it logically,” he said. “I mean, he had the right to do that, and you move on pretty quick in this game. Things work out for a reason, and I really do believe that. “I didn’t have any ill will. I really don’t know him. But like I said, it was his right to do that. But things generally do work out for the right reasons.” Bauer power Cleveland’s Game 2 starter Trevor Bauer admits he can be a difficult person to deal with, but his teammates view it simply as a unique personality. “We love having him,” Miller said. “I think he carries his backpack around with his drones and does his thing. I think it’s pretty neat that people of all types, and you don’t have to be a traditional baseball player that is playing Cribbage and doing whatever. You can be your own man in this clubhouse, and everybody’s going to love you. I think it helps that he’s such a good pitcher that he’s fun to watch. He manipulates the ball as well as anybody, and that goes a long ways, too.” “Yeah, I think what you see is what you get with Trevor,” closer Cody Allen said. “He’s true to himself. He’s not going to try to be anybody else. He really cares about his teammates. He really cares about winning. The guy’s a heck of a competitor. Through anything, he’s going to show up and try to give you everything he has and try to help his ballclub win.” Lindor’s legends All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor had a number of favorite players growing up, including former Indians Roberto Alomar and Omar Vizquel and elite shortstops Derek Jeter, Jimmy Rollins and Barry Larkin. “My dad and my cousin and brother, they always told me try to get something from everyone,” Lindor said. “So that’s one of the reasons I’ve got multiple favorite players growing up. “I like the swag that Alomar had, and how calm and how he impacted the game. Vizquel, how he always seemed like he knew what was going to happen. Jeter, how he was focused and he was always helping teammates. Larkin, how calm he was at the plate in big situations. Jimmy Rollins, little, but at the same time, he was a big guy on the field. So there were a lot of players I liked growing up.” Roundin’ third x The Indians rewarded the fan who gave up his seat for Kenny Lofton to fly to Cleveland and throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to Game 1. The fan, Ken Kostal of Marblehead, got tickets to Game 6 (if necessary), while United Airlines gave him 62,200 miles in recognition of Lofton’s 622 career stolen bases. x Lofton’s teammate during the glory days of the ’90s, Carlos Baerga, tossed out the first pitch for Game 2. x It’s an off day today, with the World Series resuming Friday for Game 3 at Wrigley Field.

World Series: Imperfect Indians drop Game 2, head to Chicago tied ByChris Assenheimer | The Chronicle-Telegram CLEVELAND — Through nearly all of their postseason run, the Indians produced a recipe that worked to perfection. Wednesday night at Progressive Field, they were perfectly imperfect. The Indians didn’t pitch, they didn’t hit and they didn’t play defense, but they did lose, as the Cubs took Game 2 5-1 to even the World Series at a game apiece. Chicago led 2-0 after a brief and largely ineffective outing from starting pitcher Trevor Bauer, breaking it open with three runs in the fifth inning to hand Terry Francona his first managerial defeat in the World Series. Francona entered the night owning a 9-0 career record in the Fall Classic — the only manager ever to win his first nine World Series games. “We gave up nine hits, eight walks and had two errors and we only gave up five runs,” Francona said of his team’s second loss in 10 postseason games. “We were probably pretty fortunate (it wasn’t worse), because there was traffic (on the bases) all night. For us to win, we generally need to play a clean game, and we didn’t do that tonight.” Bauer, who was starting for the first time since his injured right pinkie finger forced him to leave Game 3 of the ALCS in Toronto on Oct. 17, allowed two runs on six hits and two walks over 3 2/3 innings. The finger didn’t appear to affect the right-hander, but he surrendered a run three batters into the game on an Anthony Rizzo double to right field that scored Kris Bryant from first. The run may have been prevented had Lonnie Chisenhall thrown to the plate, but he instead went to second base. “I think Lonnie thought he had a chance at second,” Francona said. “We were set up to go home. That’s probably where the ball should have gone.” It was the first miscue from Cleveland’s defense, which committed two errors — both from second baseman Jason Kipnis. Chisenhall also slipped while tracking down a drive from Ben Zobrist in the decisive fifth inning that wound up an RBI triple to put the Cubs in front 4-0. Kipnis booted a grounder in the fifth, then after shortstop Francisco Lindor made a fantastic stop and backward flip to start a potential double play in the seventh, Kipnis dropped the ball. Much of the explanation for Cleveland’s offensive inefficiency — four hits for the game — was Chicago’s starting pitcher Jake Arrieta. A night after being dominated by Indians ace Corey Kluber, the Cubs returned the favor in the form of 2015 Cy Young award winner Arrieta, who took a no-hitter one out into the sixth inning. After walking two and struggling to find his command in the first inning, Arrieta locked in and cruised through the Indians’ lineup until a double from Kipnis led to Cleveland’s lone run in the sixth on the right-hander’s wild pitch. “I had my foot on the gas a little too much, trying to do too much at the start,” Arrieta said. “After that inning, I was able to lock in and pitch well from that inning on. I knew that I hadn’t given up a hit, but that’s really not the focus in a game like this. You just want to pile up as many outs as possible. Whether they get a hit or not, really isn’t a concern.” “He had so much movement on his ball, he was kind of effectively wild,” Cleveland’s Mike Napoli said. “He hit the corners when he needed to, and you can’t really sit any area because he’s moving the ball all over the place. He did a good job.” “They have the staff we thought they do,” Kipnis said. “Arrieta pitched a fantastic game. He was sharp from the first pitch on. He was terrific. When we got him to hitter’s counts, we didn’t take advantage. We didn’t deliver the decisive blow we needed with guys on base early on.” Without its top two weapons employed — left-hander Andrew Miller and closer Cody Allen — the Indians’ bullpen suffered, surrendering all three runs in the game-changing fifth. Zach McAllister allowed the RBI triple to Zobrist, with right-hander Bryan Shaw replacing him and serving up a run-scoring single to Kyle Schwarber. Shaw got the second out of the inning before Kipnis’ error put two on base. Shaw walked the next two hitters to force another run to the plate. Schwarber, who was a late addition to the Cubs’ World Series roster, had a pair of RBI singles after going 1-for-3 with a double in Game 1 on Tuesday. Danny Salazar made his postseason debut for the Indians, walking two, but pitching a scoreless sixth inning. The eight walks matched a franchise high for Cleveland, which also walked eight in a 14-11 loss to Florida in Game 3 of the 1997 World Series. The series shifts to historic Wrigley Field for Game 3 on Friday. “I think the folks will be jacked up about the win tonight,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s the finest venue in professional sports and maybe in all of sports. Now, having a World Series to root for, it’s going to be incredibly special.” Kipnis, a Chicago native, grew up a Cubs fan. “It’s going to be Wrigley Field, it’s going to be a World Series game — a lot of people there,” he said. “It’s going to be fun. And it’ll be a good chance for us to take the lead back in the series.” “To play (at Wrigley Field) in the World Series is something special,” Cleveland’s Rajai Davis said. “They’re not going to give it to us. We’ve just got to go out there and be better than them. We’ve got to value winning more than them. We’ve got to score more, we’ve got to pitch better and play better defense.” Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or [email protected]. Like him on Facebook and follow him @CAwesomeheimer on Mark Podolski: Francisco Lindor is proof a smile goes a long way By Mark Podolski, The News-Herald He dodged the question a bit, but his first manager in professional baseball came clean. Does Francisco Lindor ever get upset when playing the game? “Yeah, I’ve seen it a few times,” said RubberDucks manager David Wallace in a phone interview from his second home in Akron. “The ones that come to mind were when he was frustrated about his progression from level to level. “There were times when he didn’t understand it, but he never let it affect him and the effort he put forth on the field.” Advertisement After that, there wasn’t much more of a Lindor reveal from Wallace, who managed the Indians shortstop from 2011 to 2014 at four different minor-league levels, and daily saw a genuine fun-loving guy. “What you see from him on the field is real,” he said. “That’s all Frankie.” >> Indians-Cubs Game 2 photo gallery Wallace managed Lindor at short-season Mahoning Valley for a handful of games in 2011, then for full Single-A seasons at Lake County and Carolina (now Lynchburg). In 2014, Wallace and Lindor managed and played their final season together for about half the year at Double-A. From that point, the cord connecting the two was cut, and Wallace knew it would be a short while before Lindor made it to the majors — with the same wide smile and charismatic personality that carried him through the ups and downs of the minors. “That was him all the time,” said Wallace. “Even during those long 10-hour bus rides.” Those days are long gone for Lindor, whose World Series debut included three hits and a stolen base to help the Indians win Game 1, 6-0. This stage won’t ever get any bigger for Lindor, who was an All-Star in his first full season in the majors. He has proved this postseason he’s ready for it. Before Game 2, Lindor was batting .371 in the playoffs (13 for 35) with two home runs and four RBI, while playing his usual sparkling defense — and having fun all the while. “I try to be (like) a little kid,” said Lindor. Indians manager Terry Francona said managing a player with Lindor’s ability and personality can be tricky inside a clubhouse. The shortstop passed all the tests, and the payoff was the immediate trust Lindor earned from his teammates. “I don’t know if tempered is the right word, but he got the veterans quickly to understand that he cared about winning,” said Francona. “Because as a young player, you can come in and be a little too loud, too quick and he made the veterans — they bought into him quickly because they understood he cared about winning, and then that allowed him to have his personality show.” Did it ever. Double that personality with a rock-solid game at shortstop and at the plate, and the Indians have a complete package in Lindor. Delivering that is as simple as sharing a smile. In Lindor’s case, his personality is ... well, fun. Remember the old saying, “Smile and the whole world smiles with you?” That’s Lindor. Whether he’s having a playful moment with Cubs second baseman Javier Baez in the first inning of Game 2 on Oct. 26, or biting on his necklace after legging out a double in Game 1, Lindor makes it easy to love the game. “I think it has to do with how my mom is, how my dad is,” said Lindor about the origin of his bubbly approach to life. “Their personality, yes, I got that from them.” Growing up, Lindor didn’t have one favorite big-league player. He followed the likes of former Indians Robbie Alomar and Omar Vizquel, plus Derek Jeter, Jimmy Rollins and Barry Larkin. “I like the swag Alomar had. Vizquel, how he always seemed like he knew what was going to happen,” said Lindor. “Jeter, how he was focused. Larkin, how calm he was at the plate in big situations. Jimmy Rollins, little, but at the same time, he was a big guy on the field.” Maybe Lindor was subconsciously talking a bit about himself. Or maybe he was just having a little fun.

Cleveland Indians: Trevor Bauer unbowed by World Series Game 2 loss By David Glasier, The News-Herald Indians starting pitcher Trevor Bauer was a man of few words Oct. 26 after taking the loss in Game 2 of the World Series at Progressive Field. Taking the mound for the second time suffering a severe laceration to his right pinkie finger on Oct. 4, the 25-year-old right-hander surrendered two runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings of what ended as a 5-1 victory for the Chicago Cubs. It took Bauer a whopping 87 pitches to get that far, only 53 of them strikes. He fell behind in counts and struggled to command his curveball on a cold night. “I don’t know. I just wasn’t sharp, for whatever reason,” Bauer said when asked if the chilly conditions had anything with his struggles against the Cubs. He shrugged his shoulders when asked if he felt he could have continued in the top of the fourth inning. Instead, Indiana manager Terry Francona took the ball from Bauer and gave it to reliever Zach McAllister. “I pitch when they tell me to pitch. I’m done when they tell me I’m done,” Bauer said. Bauer said “It’s fine” when asked if his pinky finger, still stitched and sutured, was a contributing factor to his subpar outing. With his breaking pitch largely missing in action, Bauer was forced to go after the powerful Chicago batters with a steady diet of fastballs. “That wasn’t the game plan, but we fell behind and had to come in with the fastball,” catcher Roberto Perez said. Indians first baseman Mike Napoli did not shrug off the loss that evened the best-of-seven series at one game apiece. He didn’t push any panic buttons , either, as the series moves to Chicago and venerable Wrigley Field.. The teams are scheduled for workouts Oct. 27 at Wrigley Field. Game 3 is on Oct. 28, with the first pitch scheduled for 8:08 p.m. “They just got us tonight. They did to us what we did to them in Game 1,” Napoli said. The Indians posted a 6-0 victory in Game i on Oct. 25. Napoli heaped praise on Chicago starter and eventual winner Jake Arrieta, who carried a no-hitter into the bottom of the sixth before Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis smacked a one-out double to right-center field. Kipnis later in the inning scored the only run for the Indians on a wild pitch by Arrieta, who surrendered one run on two hits in 5 2/3 innings. “You have to try to get a lead early on him and we didn’t do that,” Napoli said. “He’s a high velocity guy. His ball was moving all over the place. He was effectively wild He was really tough.” Napoli expressed belief in his team’s ability to move past the Game 2 loss. “We’ve had a year where guys have stepped up and contributed in big ways,” Napoli said. “Things like this happen. We’re a confident group, but we didn’t think we were going to come out and stonewall that club. We’ll sleep this one off, get a good night’s sleep, have a good workout in Chicago and then be back out there fighting in Game 3.” Jeff Schudel: Lack of Cleveland Indians starting pitching after Kluber exposed by Cubs By Jeff Schudel, The News-Herald & The Morning Journal Indians relief pitcher Andrew Miller was talking about the trouble he had working out of a jam of his own making in the World Series opener Oct. 25 when he remarked: “No one said it was going to be easy.” Miller got out of the seventh inning unscathed after loading the bases with none out to preserve Corey Kluber’s three-run lead in a game that turned into a 6-0 rout. There was no saving the Indians in Game 2. On a night when the Indians’ bats were colder than the air whipping around Progressive Field for five innings, the Cubs evened the series at a game apiece by trouncing the Tribe, 5-1 on Oct. 26 at Progressive Field. It was a deflating loss after the way the Indians dominated the Cubs in Game 1. It was deflating not just because the Indians lost; it exposed the biggest contrast between the Indians and the National League champions — the depth of the starting pitching. Miller’s “No one said it was going to be easy,” is a message to anyone who thought the Tribe was going to roll the Cubs just because the Indians looked invincible in Game 1. Cubs Game 2 starter Jake Arrieta walked Francisco Lindor and Mike Napoli with two out in the bottom of the first, and that was as close as the Indians came to scoring before the Cubs built a 5-0 lead through five innings. Arrieta did not allow a hit until Jason Kipnis doubled to right with one out in the sixth inning. Kipnis scored on a wild pitch. Arrieta, an 18-game winner in the regular season, dominated the Indians the way Kluber mastered the Cubs in Game 1. Indians starter Trevor Bauer was shaky from the start. He allowed only two of the Chicago runs, but he was pulled with two out in the fourth inning after throwing 87 pitches. The Cubs seemed locked in on him from the beginning. The loss was only the second of the postseason for the Indians and their first of the playoffs at Progressive Field. They bounced back from a Game 4 loss in Toronto in the ALCS to close out the series the next night. They will have to show the same resiliency on Oct. 28 when Josh Tomlin pitches Game 3 for the Indians in Wrigley Field. The Cubs won 103 games in the regular season. Their starting pitching is superior to that of the Indians when Kluber isn’t pitching. The Blue Jays had better starters in the ALCS, but the Indians prevailed with just enough hitting to take the series in five games. Kyle Hendricks is scheduled to start Game 3 against Tomlin. He is 1-1 in three postseason starts, all at Wrigley Field, with a 1.65 ERA. He was 16-8 in the regular season. John Lackey, 11-8 in the regular season, is scheduled to pitch Game 4 for the Cubs on Oct. 29. Lackey has been banged around in the playoffs. He made two starts and gave up five runs and 10 hits in eight innings. The Indians are going with Kluber on three days rest in Game 4 because they cannot match Chicago’s starting depth. Game 5 would match Bauer against Cubs Game 1 starter Jon Lester. The Indians’ strength throughout the playoffs has been the back end of the bullpen, but Miller and Cody Allen are neutralized when the Tribe is behind. Tomlin is capable of slowing the Cubs. He muzzled the big Blue Jay bats in Game 2 of the ALCS, holding Toronto to one run and three hits over 5 2/3 innings. Kluber will get three starts if the World Series goes seven games, but to get to that winner-take-all game Nov. 2 at Progressive Field, one of the other starters has to be at his best. It better be Tomlin in Game 3.