Longtime pals Ross, Lester keep Cubs alive in World Series
October 31, 2016
CHICAGO (AP) David Ross isn't done just yet. Same for Jon Lester and the rest of the Chicago Cubs.
Ross played a starring role as the Cubs stayed alive in the World Series, topping the Indians 3-2 in Game 5 on Sunday night. The veteran catcher, who plans to retire after the season, had a superb night behind the plate and delivered a clutch sacrifice fly that helped Chicago to its first Series win at Wrigley Field in 71 years.
He even got a shoutout from Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, who dedicated ''Take Me Out to the Ball Game'' to Ross during the seventh-inning stretch of his final home start.
''We love you Rossy,'' Vedder said as the crowd roared. ''Let's take this show to Cleveland!''
Ross and his good buddy Lester also combined to slow Cleveland's attack after the Indians rolled to a 7-2 victory in Game 4 on Saturday night. Lester bounced back from a so-so outing in the Series opener, pitching six solid innings to improve to 3-1 with a 1.93 ERA in five postseason starts this year.
It was a familiar performance for Lester, who helped Boston win the World Series in 2007 and 2013. The left-hander was 3-0 in three career starts in the Fall Classic before dropping Game 1 against Cleveland when he was nicked for three runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Ross' Game 5 included a pair of adventures in foul territory. He had one foul pop go off his glove near the railing of the visitors' dugout, but first baseman Anthony Rizzo was there for a juggling catch . Ross collided with Rizzo on a foul popup in the fourth and held on for the out.
But Ross put together his best work when he stayed behind the plate. He did a solid job of framing close called third strikes to Brandon Guyer in the fifth and Jason Kipnis in the sixth. After Kipnis' strikeout, Ross cut down Francisco Lindor trying to steal second for the final out of the inning.
''I love him like a brother, like a dad, like a mentor,'' Rizzo said. ''I was pretty emotional, seeing him in that at-bat driving in that run, throwing that guy out.''
Ross' defensive work was particularly important with Lester having his usual struggles with runners on the basepaths.
The Cubs trailed 1-0 before scoring three times in the fourth. Ross capped the rally with a sac fly to left with the bases loaded, driving in Ben Zobrist.
Ross, nicknamed "Grandpa Rossy" by his young teammates, was taken out for a pinch hitter in the sixth, and he shared a big hug with Lester in the dugout.
Lester and Ross have been together for years and often hang out together off the field. Lester agreed to a $155 million, six-year deal with the Cubs in December 2014, a key moment in the club's climb to NL powerhouse. Ross then followed Lester to Chicago for a $5 million, two-year contract, and quickly became a mentor for some of the team's emerging players.
October 31, 2016
CHICAGO (AP) David Ross isn't done just yet. Same for Jon Lester and the rest of the Chicago Cubs.
Ross played a starring role as the Cubs stayed alive in the World Series, topping the Indians 3-2 in Game 5 on Sunday night. The veteran catcher, who plans to retire after the season, had a superb night behind the plate and delivered a clutch sacrifice fly that helped Chicago to its first Series win at Wrigley Field in 71 years.
He even got a shoutout from Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, who dedicated ''Take Me Out to the Ball Game'' to Ross during the seventh-inning stretch of his final home start.
''We love you Rossy,'' Vedder said as the crowd roared. ''Let's take this show to Cleveland!''
Ross and his good buddy Lester also combined to slow Cleveland's attack after the Indians rolled to a 7-2 victory in Game 4 on Saturday night. Lester bounced back from a so-so outing in the Series opener, pitching six solid innings to improve to 3-1 with a 1.93 ERA in five postseason starts this year.
It was a familiar performance for Lester, who helped Boston win the World Series in 2007 and 2013. The left-hander was 3-0 in three career starts in the Fall Classic before dropping Game 1 against Cleveland when he was nicked for three runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Ross' Game 5 included a pair of adventures in foul territory. He had one foul pop go off his glove near the railing of the visitors' dugout, but first baseman Anthony Rizzo was there for a juggling catch . Ross collided with Rizzo on a foul popup in the fourth and held on for the out.
But Ross put together his best work when he stayed behind the plate. He did a solid job of framing close called third strikes to Brandon Guyer in the fifth and Jason Kipnis in the sixth. After Kipnis' strikeout, Ross cut down Francisco Lindor trying to steal second for the final out of the inning.
''I love him like a brother, like a dad, like a mentor,'' Rizzo said. ''I was pretty emotional, seeing him in that at-bat driving in that run, throwing that guy out.''
Ross' defensive work was particularly important with Lester having his usual struggles with runners on the basepaths.
The Cubs trailed 1-0 before scoring three times in the fourth. Ross capped the rally with a sac fly to left with the bases loaded, driving in Ben Zobrist.
Ross, nicknamed "Grandpa Rossy" by his young teammates, was taken out for a pinch hitter in the sixth, and he shared a big hug with Lester in the dugout.
Lester and Ross have been together for years and often hang out together off the field. Lester agreed to a $155 million, six-year deal with the Cubs in December 2014, a key moment in the club's climb to NL powerhouse. Ross then followed Lester to Chicago for a $5 million, two-year contract, and quickly became a mentor for some of the team's emerging players.
Indians can't take title at Wrigley, head home needing 1 win
October 31, 2016
CHICAGO (AP) Unable to close the deal in wild and windy Wrigley Field, the Cleveland Indians are heading home a win short.
One more. That's all they need. A rare opportunity they can't let slip away.
But that 68-year title wait isn't over yet.
Trevor Bauer had one shaky inning Sunday night and that was enough for the Chicago Cubs to claim their first World Series win at Wrigley since 1945, a 3-2 victory in Game 5 that prevented Cleveland's players from spraying champagne inside the ivy-covered walls.
The Indians, who were able to take two of three while playing by National League rules in Chicago, will get their next chance to win a first Series title since 1948 on Tuesday night at Progressive Field, where they went 53-28 during the regular season and are 5-1 in the postseason.
Josh Tomlin will start Game 6 on short rest, and if he can't finish the job, the Indians still have an ace up their sleeve. Corey Kluber, who has won both his starts so far in this Series, will be ready on three days' rest for Game 7 - if necessary.
Cleveland fans are hoping it isn't.
The drone-flying Bauer, whose postseason was briefly a bloody mess, soared through the first three innings, matching Chicago's Jon Lester almost pitch for pitch. Bauer struck out the side in the first and only gave up a single over the first three innings before he got into trouble in the fourth.
Kris Bryant tattooed him for a leadoff homer, and by the time the inning was over, Bauer had allowed three runs and put the Indians in a hole that proved to be just a little too deep.
After Bryant's homer into the left-field bleachers, Anthony Rizzo doubled off the right-field wall and soon Cubs fans were bellowing ''Bow-er, Bow-er,'' hoping to rattle the right-hander who has been prone to big innings all year and only recently had 11 stitches removed from his pinkie after slicing it open while repairing one of his remote-controlled models.
Ben Zobrist followed Rizzo's double by lacing a single to center and then the Cubs took a softer approach, getting an infield roller, bunt single and sacrifice fly to take a 3-1 lead.
The Indians, whose season has been marked by resilience and comebacks both personal and collective, closed to 3-2 in the sixth on Francisco Lindor's RBI single.
They also had scoring chances in the seventh and eighth against Cubs flame-thrower Aroldis Chapman, who was summoned by manager Joe Maddon earlier than usual with Chicago's season dangling by a thread.
Lindor came up again in the eighth, and with a chance to drive in the go-ahead run from third with two outs, he looked at strike three - a 101 mph, four-seam fastball that he thought was low.
Cleveland's star shortstop, thrown out trying to steal second in the sixth, spent more than 20 seconds standing in the batter's box. He seemed upset at both plate umpire Tony Randazzo and himself. Lindor slowly lifted his helmet and peeled off his gloves before taking the field.
He and the Indians will have another chance, maybe two, where the confines are friendlier.
October 31, 2016
CHICAGO (AP) Unable to close the deal in wild and windy Wrigley Field, the Cleveland Indians are heading home a win short.
One more. That's all they need. A rare opportunity they can't let slip away.
But that 68-year title wait isn't over yet.
Trevor Bauer had one shaky inning Sunday night and that was enough for the Chicago Cubs to claim their first World Series win at Wrigley since 1945, a 3-2 victory in Game 5 that prevented Cleveland's players from spraying champagne inside the ivy-covered walls.
The Indians, who were able to take two of three while playing by National League rules in Chicago, will get their next chance to win a first Series title since 1948 on Tuesday night at Progressive Field, where they went 53-28 during the regular season and are 5-1 in the postseason.
Josh Tomlin will start Game 6 on short rest, and if he can't finish the job, the Indians still have an ace up their sleeve. Corey Kluber, who has won both his starts so far in this Series, will be ready on three days' rest for Game 7 - if necessary.
Cleveland fans are hoping it isn't.
The drone-flying Bauer, whose postseason was briefly a bloody mess, soared through the first three innings, matching Chicago's Jon Lester almost pitch for pitch. Bauer struck out the side in the first and only gave up a single over the first three innings before he got into trouble in the fourth.
Kris Bryant tattooed him for a leadoff homer, and by the time the inning was over, Bauer had allowed three runs and put the Indians in a hole that proved to be just a little too deep.
After Bryant's homer into the left-field bleachers, Anthony Rizzo doubled off the right-field wall and soon Cubs fans were bellowing ''Bow-er, Bow-er,'' hoping to rattle the right-hander who has been prone to big innings all year and only recently had 11 stitches removed from his pinkie after slicing it open while repairing one of his remote-controlled models.
Ben Zobrist followed Rizzo's double by lacing a single to center and then the Cubs took a softer approach, getting an infield roller, bunt single and sacrifice fly to take a 3-1 lead.
The Indians, whose season has been marked by resilience and comebacks both personal and collective, closed to 3-2 in the sixth on Francisco Lindor's RBI single.
They also had scoring chances in the seventh and eighth against Cubs flame-thrower Aroldis Chapman, who was summoned by manager Joe Maddon earlier than usual with Chicago's season dangling by a thread.
Lindor came up again in the eighth, and with a chance to drive in the go-ahead run from third with two outs, he looked at strike three - a 101 mph, four-seam fastball that he thought was low.
Cleveland's star shortstop, thrown out trying to steal second in the sixth, spent more than 20 seconds standing in the batter's box. He seemed upset at both plate umpire Tony Randazzo and himself. Lindor slowly lifted his helmet and peeled off his gloves before taking the field.
He and the Indians will have another chance, maybe two, where the confines are friendlier.
What to watch for in Game 6 of the World Series
November 1, 2016
What to watch for tonight in Game 6 of the World Series:
SO CLOSE
The Cleveland Indians can win their first championship since 1948 with a victory over the visiting Chicago Cubs. The city is primed to party, too, after Cleveland fans missed out on hosting this year's biggest sports events so far. LeBron James and the Cavaliers completed their NBA Finals comeback on the road, beating Golden State in Game 7 for Cleveland's first major pro sports title in 52 years. The Indians clinched the AL Central crown at Detroit, won the Division Series in Boston and the AL Championship Series at Toronto. ''It would be nice to actually do one in front of the home crowds,'' second baseman Jason Kipnis said.
PITCHING IN
Trailing 3-2 in the Series, the Cubs need a win to force a decisive seventh game Wednesday night. They'll turn to 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta in Game 6, while the Indians counter with Josh Tomlin, a back-end starter working on short rest.
Inconsistent throughout his postseason career, Arrieta took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning of his Game 2 win last Wednesday. He'll have five days between starts, one more than normal.
Tomlin, meanwhile, will be on only three days' rest since throwing 58 pitches over 4 2/3 smooth innings during Cleveland's 1-0 victory in Game 3. After losing his rotation spot while slumping in August, the 32-year-old righty has stepped up in the absence of injured Indians starters Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar this postseason, going 2-0 with a 1.76 ERA in three starts.
GOING BATTY
Even with Kris Bryant hitting a home run in Game 5, the Cubs are still waiting for some of their big bats to break loose. They've totaled just 10 runs so far in the World Series - that's their worst production for any five-game stretch this season.
Bryant, a leading contender for NL MVP, and Javier Baez, co-MVP of the NL Championship Series, are a combined 5 for 38 (.132) with 16 strikeouts and only one RBI.
COMFORT ZONE
Much has been made about Kyle Schwarber returning to Chicago's lineup, but the switch back to American League rules in Cleveland also allows the Indians to start sharp-eyed slugger Carlos Santana in his regular role as designated hitter again. During the three games at Wrigley Field, Santana made one start at first base and two in left field, a position he had not played since 2012. ''I was really proud of him,'' Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. ''I'll be glad that we can DH somebody, though.''
NOVEMBER NOVELTY
Derek Jeter became baseball's first ''Mr. November'' when he hit a World Series home run in the 10th inning to win Game 4 at Yankee Stadium in 2001. He connected moments after the clock struck midnight in the majors' first game that stretched into November.
This is the fifth season that's going past October. Last year, the Royals clinched their crown by beating the Mets 7-2 in 12 innings in Game 5 on Nov. 1.
The latest action came on Nov. 4 - the Diamondbacks rallied past the Yankees in Game 7 in 2001, then the Yanks beat the Phillies in Game 6 in 2009.
November 1, 2016
What to watch for tonight in Game 6 of the World Series:
SO CLOSE
The Cleveland Indians can win their first championship since 1948 with a victory over the visiting Chicago Cubs. The city is primed to party, too, after Cleveland fans missed out on hosting this year's biggest sports events so far. LeBron James and the Cavaliers completed their NBA Finals comeback on the road, beating Golden State in Game 7 for Cleveland's first major pro sports title in 52 years. The Indians clinched the AL Central crown at Detroit, won the Division Series in Boston and the AL Championship Series at Toronto. ''It would be nice to actually do one in front of the home crowds,'' second baseman Jason Kipnis said.
PITCHING IN
Trailing 3-2 in the Series, the Cubs need a win to force a decisive seventh game Wednesday night. They'll turn to 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta in Game 6, while the Indians counter with Josh Tomlin, a back-end starter working on short rest.
Inconsistent throughout his postseason career, Arrieta took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning of his Game 2 win last Wednesday. He'll have five days between starts, one more than normal.
Tomlin, meanwhile, will be on only three days' rest since throwing 58 pitches over 4 2/3 smooth innings during Cleveland's 1-0 victory in Game 3. After losing his rotation spot while slumping in August, the 32-year-old righty has stepped up in the absence of injured Indians starters Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar this postseason, going 2-0 with a 1.76 ERA in three starts.
GOING BATTY
Even with Kris Bryant hitting a home run in Game 5, the Cubs are still waiting for some of their big bats to break loose. They've totaled just 10 runs so far in the World Series - that's their worst production for any five-game stretch this season.
Bryant, a leading contender for NL MVP, and Javier Baez, co-MVP of the NL Championship Series, are a combined 5 for 38 (.132) with 16 strikeouts and only one RBI.
COMFORT ZONE
Much has been made about Kyle Schwarber returning to Chicago's lineup, but the switch back to American League rules in Cleveland also allows the Indians to start sharp-eyed slugger Carlos Santana in his regular role as designated hitter again. During the three games at Wrigley Field, Santana made one start at first base and two in left field, a position he had not played since 2012. ''I was really proud of him,'' Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. ''I'll be glad that we can DH somebody, though.''
NOVEMBER NOVELTY
Derek Jeter became baseball's first ''Mr. November'' when he hit a World Series home run in the 10th inning to win Game 4 at Yankee Stadium in 2001. He connected moments after the clock struck midnight in the majors' first game that stretched into November.
This is the fifth season that's going past October. Last year, the Royals clinched their crown by beating the Mets 7-2 in 12 innings in Game 5 on Nov. 1.
The latest action came on Nov. 4 - the Diamondbacks rallied past the Yankees in Game 7 in 2001, then the Yanks beat the Phillies in Game 6 in 2009.
'Pen pals: Former Yanks Chapman, Miller could decide Series
November 1, 2016
CLEVELAND (AP) The guy who has spent the last three months possibly redefining what it means to be a closer remains in awe of the guy who took his job this spring.
Sorry, Andrew Miller can't help it. Aroldis Chapman's stuff is so electric, it's impossible to turn away.
''I love watching him pitch,'' Miller said. ''I don't change the channel when he's on TV.''
At the moment, his view is even better. The Cleveland Indians reliever can just glance over at the Chicago Cubs bullpen during the World Series to get his fix of Chapman's seemingly endless stream of triple-digit fastballs.
''There's a perception that it's easy for him because he's such an outlier,'' Miller said. ''But he's got a tremendous work ethic and in the way he goes about getting himself prepared.''
Miller would know. They were in the bullpen together for 2 1/2 months with the New York Yankees this season. New York acquired Chapman last December, and the Cuban left-hander bumped Miller to a setup role when he returned from a domestic violence suspension in May. Miller had tied for second in the AL with 36 saves the year before.
The experiment lasted until the trade deadline. Treading water in late July, the Yankees sent Chapman to the Cubs and Miller to the Indians in exchange for prospects while committing to a full rebuild.
Three months later, the two players who began the season trying to help the Yankees win a 28th World Series title find themselves playing vital roles on teams that have combined for a small fraction of that number (four). Miller and the Indians can clinch the club's first championship since 1948 on Tuesday night in Game 6, while Chapman and the Cubs are hoping for a chance to send it to a deciding Game 7 as Chicago tries to end a 108-year drought.
On the surface, Miller and Chapman could be carbon copies of each other: hard-throwing lefties who overwhelm batters with power. The reality is a bit more complex thanks in large part to the unorthodox way Cleveland manager Terry Francona deploys Miller.
In an era of clearly defined bullpen roles, Francona uses Miller as a 6-foot-7 piece of duct tape. Sometimes, the seventh inning needs to be patched up. Sometimes the eighth. Sometimes the sixth. Sometimes, all three. And Miller, a former first-round pick who spent the first half of his career trying to make it as a starter before the Boston Red Sox gave up and converted him into a reliever in 2012, has responded by putting together one of the most dominant postseason runs ever.
Nine times during the playoffs, Miller has jogged to the mound. The Indians are undefeated in those nine games. It's not a coincidence. He's entered as early as the fifth and as late as the eighth, recording at least four outs in every appearance. His numbers - 2-0 with a save and a 0.36 ERA, striking out 39 against just five walks - look like a typo or something out of a video game where ''fatigue'' has been turned off.
They're not.
''Andrew's the model of just pitch whenever,'' Francona said. ''The kid's unbelievable.''
Even Miller is having a hard time describing the run he's on, one fueled by a nearly unhittable slider that forces batters like Chicago first baseman Anthony Rizzo to play the baseball version of the lottery every time they swing.
''You just hope you pick the right lane,'' Rizzo said.
Almost nobody has. Opponents are hitting.140 against Miller, who doesn't seem to tire whether he's throwing 17 pitches or 37. He attributes his elasticity to the gadgetry Cleveland's training staff uses to keep him fresh and the survival instincts honed from the days when he was simply clinging to a spot on a major league roster.
''It's not something you offer, it's something you have to have,'' he said. ''If you're not flexible, you're not going to have a spot in the big leagues.''
Besides, as Miller points out ''there's very few closers who become closers right away and fall into that routine.''
Meaning closers like Chapman, who took over the job in Cincinnati in 2012 proceeded to make four straight All-Star teams. The 28-year-old Cuban is a meticulous creature of habit, so used to being used in the ninth inning - and almost exclusively the ninth inning - that Cubs manager Joe Maddon checked with Chapman before Game 5 about entering earlier.
The call ended up coming with one out in the seventh and Chicago up a run. Chapman responded by allowing just one hit over 2 2/3 innings to preserve a 3-2 victory and pick up his fourth save of the playoffs. The way Chapman went about his business, it was almost Miller-esque.
''That was impressive,'' Francona said. ''I mean, kind of like what Andrew's done, he kind of did the same thing.''
A performance the Cubs would love to see a couple more times.
''I like our chances when he's in the game,'' Cubs catcher David Ross said. ''He's a presence.'
November 1, 2016
CLEVELAND (AP) The guy who has spent the last three months possibly redefining what it means to be a closer remains in awe of the guy who took his job this spring.
Sorry, Andrew Miller can't help it. Aroldis Chapman's stuff is so electric, it's impossible to turn away.
''I love watching him pitch,'' Miller said. ''I don't change the channel when he's on TV.''
At the moment, his view is even better. The Cleveland Indians reliever can just glance over at the Chicago Cubs bullpen during the World Series to get his fix of Chapman's seemingly endless stream of triple-digit fastballs.
''There's a perception that it's easy for him because he's such an outlier,'' Miller said. ''But he's got a tremendous work ethic and in the way he goes about getting himself prepared.''
Miller would know. They were in the bullpen together for 2 1/2 months with the New York Yankees this season. New York acquired Chapman last December, and the Cuban left-hander bumped Miller to a setup role when he returned from a domestic violence suspension in May. Miller had tied for second in the AL with 36 saves the year before.
The experiment lasted until the trade deadline. Treading water in late July, the Yankees sent Chapman to the Cubs and Miller to the Indians in exchange for prospects while committing to a full rebuild.
Three months later, the two players who began the season trying to help the Yankees win a 28th World Series title find themselves playing vital roles on teams that have combined for a small fraction of that number (four). Miller and the Indians can clinch the club's first championship since 1948 on Tuesday night in Game 6, while Chapman and the Cubs are hoping for a chance to send it to a deciding Game 7 as Chicago tries to end a 108-year drought.
On the surface, Miller and Chapman could be carbon copies of each other: hard-throwing lefties who overwhelm batters with power. The reality is a bit more complex thanks in large part to the unorthodox way Cleveland manager Terry Francona deploys Miller.
In an era of clearly defined bullpen roles, Francona uses Miller as a 6-foot-7 piece of duct tape. Sometimes, the seventh inning needs to be patched up. Sometimes the eighth. Sometimes the sixth. Sometimes, all three. And Miller, a former first-round pick who spent the first half of his career trying to make it as a starter before the Boston Red Sox gave up and converted him into a reliever in 2012, has responded by putting together one of the most dominant postseason runs ever.
Nine times during the playoffs, Miller has jogged to the mound. The Indians are undefeated in those nine games. It's not a coincidence. He's entered as early as the fifth and as late as the eighth, recording at least four outs in every appearance. His numbers - 2-0 with a save and a 0.36 ERA, striking out 39 against just five walks - look like a typo or something out of a video game where ''fatigue'' has been turned off.
They're not.
''Andrew's the model of just pitch whenever,'' Francona said. ''The kid's unbelievable.''
Even Miller is having a hard time describing the run he's on, one fueled by a nearly unhittable slider that forces batters like Chicago first baseman Anthony Rizzo to play the baseball version of the lottery every time they swing.
''You just hope you pick the right lane,'' Rizzo said.
Almost nobody has. Opponents are hitting.140 against Miller, who doesn't seem to tire whether he's throwing 17 pitches or 37. He attributes his elasticity to the gadgetry Cleveland's training staff uses to keep him fresh and the survival instincts honed from the days when he was simply clinging to a spot on a major league roster.
''It's not something you offer, it's something you have to have,'' he said. ''If you're not flexible, you're not going to have a spot in the big leagues.''
Besides, as Miller points out ''there's very few closers who become closers right away and fall into that routine.''
Meaning closers like Chapman, who took over the job in Cincinnati in 2012 proceeded to make four straight All-Star teams. The 28-year-old Cuban is a meticulous creature of habit, so used to being used in the ninth inning - and almost exclusively the ninth inning - that Cubs manager Joe Maddon checked with Chapman before Game 5 about entering earlier.
The call ended up coming with one out in the seventh and Chicago up a run. Chapman responded by allowing just one hit over 2 2/3 innings to preserve a 3-2 victory and pick up his fourth save of the playoffs. The way Chapman went about his business, it was almost Miller-esque.
''That was impressive,'' Francona said. ''I mean, kind of like what Andrew's done, he kind of did the same thing.''
A performance the Cubs would love to see a couple more times.
''I like our chances when he's in the game,'' Cubs catcher David Ross said. ''He's a presence.'
Francona unsure of left fielder for Game 6
October 31, 2016
CLEVELAND (AP) The Latest on the World Series (all times local):
8:30 p.m.
Once again, Indians manager Terry Francona is torn on what to do in left field.
The good thing is that Carlos Santana isn't an option.
Francona was forced to start Santana, his regular designated hitter, twice in left at Wrigley Field, where Cleveland had to play under National League rules. Santana more than held his own in Games 3 and 5.
''I was really proud of him,'' Francona said of Santana, who had only played four innings in left in his career before Game 5. ''He's come a long way. Took a lot of work in that four- or five-day span for him to be out there, and I thought it was pretty cool. I'll be glad that we can DH somebody though.''
Francona is now trying to decide whether to play Coco Crisp or Rajai Davis in left for Game 6 against Chicago right-hander Jake Arrieta. Davis had two hits and stole three bases in Game 5.
Francona said he's leaning toward Crisp but wants to discuss it first with bench coach Brad Mills.
---
8:15 p.m.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon anticipates closer Aroldis Chapman will be available for another long outing in Game 6.
Chapman threw 42 pitches in Game 5, getting the first eight-out save of his major league career.
''I don't know that we could do what we did yesterday, necessarily. But I'll talk to him tomorrow,'' Maddon said Monday. ''He's a pretty strong guy. Beyond that I don't think we've overused him to this point. I'm just talking about the latter part of the season as well as the playoffs, he's been in pretty much a little dabs, not the lengthy moment like you saw yesterday. I'll check with him tomorrow. I'll definitely listen to what he has to say. I'm betting that he would probably think that he would be good for two innings, I would imagine tomorrow.''
---
8:15 p.m.
Rookie catcher Willson Contreras is set to start in Game 6, with Jake Arrieta on the mound for the Chicago Cubs.
David Ross, a 39-year-old in his final big league season, started Games 1 and 5 along with pitcher Jon Lester. Contreras started Games 2, 3 and 4.
''Willson's done a great job. He caught Jake well in Cleveland a couple days ago,'' Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.
Contreras is hitting .071 (1 for 14) in the Series, and Ross is 1 for 4. Lester could enter a Game 7 in relief.
''You'd have to make a decision how you want to utilize that if you actually put Jonny in the game, who you want catching Jon in that moment,'' Maddon said. ''So there's a lot of little subplots going on.''
---
6:55 p.m.
With the Chicago Cubs successfully fighting off elimination by Cleveland, World Series Game 5 attracted its most television viewers in nearly two decades.
Chicago's 3-2 win Sunday was watched by 23.6 million on Fox, the network said Monday, attracting a 13.1 rating and 21 share.
Kansas City's Series-clinching, 12-inning victory over the New York Mets in Game 5 last year received a 10.0/17 and 17.2 million viewers. This year's Game 5 rating was the highest since Florida's 6-4 win over the New York Yankees in 2003 received a 13.2/21, and the viewership was the most since 24.2 million tuned in for Florida's 8-7 victory over the Indians in 1997.
Spanish-language coverage of Game 5 on Fox Deportes drew 342,000 viewers and the digital telecast on Fox Sports Go 136,000, raising the total to 24.1 million.
The first five games have averaged an 11.0/19 and 19.3 million viewers, up from an 8.7/16 and 14.7 million last year.
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6:40 p.m.
The Indians will have a personal piece of their past at Game 6.
Eddie Robinson, the last living member from Cleveland's 1948 World Series title team, will be at Progressive Field on Tuesday night as the Indians try to win their first championship in 68 years.
The 95-year-old Robinson was the starting first baseman on the '48 team, which featured Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller, Larry Doby, who broke the AL color barrier, shortstop/manager Lou Boudreau and pitcher Bob Lemon.
Robinson is making the trip from Fort Worth, Texas, to see the Indians try to close out the Chicago Cubs. He batted .300 with six hits in the '48 Series and drove in Cleveland's fourth run in Game 6 when the Indians beat the Boston Braves to win the championship.
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5:30 p.m.
Cleveland Indians right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall should be available for Game 6 after being stricken with a stomach bug on Sunday.
Chisenhall was sent back to the team hotel before Game 5 at Wrigley Field on Sunday after complaining about not feeling well. Cleveland manager Terry Francona said Monday that Chisenhall was able to make it back to the stadium before the first pitch and could have entered as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning of Sunday night's 3-2 loss if the pitcher's spot had come up.
Chisenhall is just 1 for 13 in the Series.
---
2:30 p.m.
Chicago Cubs fans' hopes that the team can still win it all are still very much alive.
Many are planning trips to Cleveland for Game 6 of the World Series on Tuesday after the Cubs survived elimination Sunday night against the Indians.
A StubHub spokesman said Monday that about 27 percent of the tickets being sold on the site for Tuesday went to credit cards associated with Illinois Zip codes.
Barry Rosenthal was at Sunday night's 3-2 win over Cleveland. He says he's going Tuesday and was always confident the Cubs would win in seven games.
Longtime Cubs fan Ed Koenig says he can't go. But he suspects people are working on their coughs so it won't be a total surprise to their bosses when they call in sick.
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2:20 p.m.
The NBA has moved up the start time for Tuesday night's Cleveland Cavaliers game because of the World Series.
The game against Houston at Quicken Loans Arena will now begin an hour earlier at 6 p.m. EDT.
The champion Cavaliers requested the change to avoid an extended overlap with Game 6 of the World Series, which starts at 8:08 p.m. at neighboring Progressive Field.
The Cleveland Indians lead the Chicago Cubs 3-2 and can win their first World Series since 1948. In June, the Cavaliers defeated Golden State in Game 7 of the NBA Finals to end the city's championship drought after 52 years.
October 31, 2016
CLEVELAND (AP) The Latest on the World Series (all times local):
8:30 p.m.
Once again, Indians manager Terry Francona is torn on what to do in left field.
The good thing is that Carlos Santana isn't an option.
Francona was forced to start Santana, his regular designated hitter, twice in left at Wrigley Field, where Cleveland had to play under National League rules. Santana more than held his own in Games 3 and 5.
''I was really proud of him,'' Francona said of Santana, who had only played four innings in left in his career before Game 5. ''He's come a long way. Took a lot of work in that four- or five-day span for him to be out there, and I thought it was pretty cool. I'll be glad that we can DH somebody though.''
Francona is now trying to decide whether to play Coco Crisp or Rajai Davis in left for Game 6 against Chicago right-hander Jake Arrieta. Davis had two hits and stole three bases in Game 5.
Francona said he's leaning toward Crisp but wants to discuss it first with bench coach Brad Mills.
---
8:15 p.m.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon anticipates closer Aroldis Chapman will be available for another long outing in Game 6.
Chapman threw 42 pitches in Game 5, getting the first eight-out save of his major league career.
''I don't know that we could do what we did yesterday, necessarily. But I'll talk to him tomorrow,'' Maddon said Monday. ''He's a pretty strong guy. Beyond that I don't think we've overused him to this point. I'm just talking about the latter part of the season as well as the playoffs, he's been in pretty much a little dabs, not the lengthy moment like you saw yesterday. I'll check with him tomorrow. I'll definitely listen to what he has to say. I'm betting that he would probably think that he would be good for two innings, I would imagine tomorrow.''
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8:15 p.m.
Rookie catcher Willson Contreras is set to start in Game 6, with Jake Arrieta on the mound for the Chicago Cubs.
David Ross, a 39-year-old in his final big league season, started Games 1 and 5 along with pitcher Jon Lester. Contreras started Games 2, 3 and 4.
''Willson's done a great job. He caught Jake well in Cleveland a couple days ago,'' Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.
Contreras is hitting .071 (1 for 14) in the Series, and Ross is 1 for 4. Lester could enter a Game 7 in relief.
''You'd have to make a decision how you want to utilize that if you actually put Jonny in the game, who you want catching Jon in that moment,'' Maddon said. ''So there's a lot of little subplots going on.''
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6:55 p.m.
With the Chicago Cubs successfully fighting off elimination by Cleveland, World Series Game 5 attracted its most television viewers in nearly two decades.
Chicago's 3-2 win Sunday was watched by 23.6 million on Fox, the network said Monday, attracting a 13.1 rating and 21 share.
Kansas City's Series-clinching, 12-inning victory over the New York Mets in Game 5 last year received a 10.0/17 and 17.2 million viewers. This year's Game 5 rating was the highest since Florida's 6-4 win over the New York Yankees in 2003 received a 13.2/21, and the viewership was the most since 24.2 million tuned in for Florida's 8-7 victory over the Indians in 1997.
Spanish-language coverage of Game 5 on Fox Deportes drew 342,000 viewers and the digital telecast on Fox Sports Go 136,000, raising the total to 24.1 million.
The first five games have averaged an 11.0/19 and 19.3 million viewers, up from an 8.7/16 and 14.7 million last year.
---
6:40 p.m.
The Indians will have a personal piece of their past at Game 6.
Eddie Robinson, the last living member from Cleveland's 1948 World Series title team, will be at Progressive Field on Tuesday night as the Indians try to win their first championship in 68 years.
The 95-year-old Robinson was the starting first baseman on the '48 team, which featured Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller, Larry Doby, who broke the AL color barrier, shortstop/manager Lou Boudreau and pitcher Bob Lemon.
Robinson is making the trip from Fort Worth, Texas, to see the Indians try to close out the Chicago Cubs. He batted .300 with six hits in the '48 Series and drove in Cleveland's fourth run in Game 6 when the Indians beat the Boston Braves to win the championship.
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5:30 p.m.
Cleveland Indians right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall should be available for Game 6 after being stricken with a stomach bug on Sunday.
Chisenhall was sent back to the team hotel before Game 5 at Wrigley Field on Sunday after complaining about not feeling well. Cleveland manager Terry Francona said Monday that Chisenhall was able to make it back to the stadium before the first pitch and could have entered as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning of Sunday night's 3-2 loss if the pitcher's spot had come up.
Chisenhall is just 1 for 13 in the Series.
---
2:30 p.m.
Chicago Cubs fans' hopes that the team can still win it all are still very much alive.
Many are planning trips to Cleveland for Game 6 of the World Series on Tuesday after the Cubs survived elimination Sunday night against the Indians.
A StubHub spokesman said Monday that about 27 percent of the tickets being sold on the site for Tuesday went to credit cards associated with Illinois Zip codes.
Barry Rosenthal was at Sunday night's 3-2 win over Cleveland. He says he's going Tuesday and was always confident the Cubs would win in seven games.
Longtime Cubs fan Ed Koenig says he can't go. But he suspects people are working on their coughs so it won't be a total surprise to their bosses when they call in sick.
---
2:20 p.m.
The NBA has moved up the start time for Tuesday night's Cleveland Cavaliers game because of the World Series.
The game against Houston at Quicken Loans Arena will now begin an hour earlier at 6 p.m. EDT.
The champion Cavaliers requested the change to avoid an extended overlap with Game 6 of the World Series, which starts at 8:08 p.m. at neighboring Progressive Field.
The Cleveland Indians lead the Chicago Cubs 3-2 and can win their first World Series since 1948. In June, the Cavaliers defeated Golden State in Game 7 of the NBA Finals to end the city's championship drought after 52 years.
World Series
Cubs @ Indians
Arrieta is 3-4, 4.70 in eight starts since September 1, 3-2, 3.72 in six postseason starts. Cubs are 4-6 in his last ten road starts.
Tomlin is 4-1, 1.98 in his last seven starts, 2-0, 1.76 in three postseason starts. Indians are 3-4 in his last seven home starts.
Cubs are 9-6 in playoffs this year, 4-3 on road; they’ve been shut out in four of their last ten games. Chicago is 9-2 in playoffs if they score a run. Obviously Chicago hasn’t been in World Series since 1945, Indians since 1997. Cleveland is 10-3 in playoffs, 5-1 at home- they’ve tossed five shutouts in postseason.
Maddon is 26-28 as a playoff manager, 13-11 with Cubs. he lost 2008 World Series with Rays. Francona won World Series with Boston in 2004, 2007; he is 38-21 as a postseason manager, 11-2 in World Series games.
Cubs @ Indians
Arrieta is 3-4, 4.70 in eight starts since September 1, 3-2, 3.72 in six postseason starts. Cubs are 4-6 in his last ten road starts.
Tomlin is 4-1, 1.98 in his last seven starts, 2-0, 1.76 in three postseason starts. Indians are 3-4 in his last seven home starts.
Cubs are 9-6 in playoffs this year, 4-3 on road; they’ve been shut out in four of their last ten games. Chicago is 9-2 in playoffs if they score a run. Obviously Chicago hasn’t been in World Series since 1945, Indians since 1997. Cleveland is 10-3 in playoffs, 5-1 at home- they’ve tossed five shutouts in postseason.
Maddon is 26-28 as a playoff manager, 13-11 with Cubs. he lost 2008 World Series with Rays. Francona won World Series with Boston in 2004, 2007; he is 38-21 as a postseason manager, 11-2 in World Series games.
Jake Arrieta's kids have hotel Halloween in Cleveland
November 1, 2016
CLEVELAND (AP) Jake Arrieta wouldn't let a road trip and one of the biggest starts of his life stop him from going trick-or-treating with his family this Halloween.
The Chicago Cubs pitcher's wife, Brittany, shared Instagram photos of their two small children dressed up in their costumes a day before Tuesday's Game 6 of the World Series in Cleveland. She captioned the pictures, ''Hotel trick or treating (equals) my kind of Halloween.''
Cooper Arrieta went as Spider-man, while his sister, Palmer, was a princess. The hotel Halloween experience seems to have been a successful one. Both kids hold lollipops in one of the photos.
Arrieta and the Cubs need to beat the Indians on Tuesday to force a deciding Game 7 of the series on Wednesday.
----------------------------
Cubs get Schwarber's 'thunder' back
October 31, 2016
CLEVELAND (AP) Three games at Wrigley Field did to Kyle Schwarber what a shredded left knee, six grueling months of rehab and the Cleveland Indians haven't: keep the Chicago Cubs slugger in check.
The resilient 23-year-old completed a warp-speed recovery after tearing two ligaments in a collision with teammate Dexter Fowler on April 7. Schwarber returned for the World Series and drove in a pair of runs as the designated hitter in Chicago's 5-1 win over Cleveland in Game 2 last Wednesday.
Still, doctors didn't trust his knee enough to let him play defense. The result? Three agonizing days in which Schwarber might have been the most anxious person at Wrigley Field.
His only appearance during the Series' first visit to the Friendly Confines since 1945 came when he popped out as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning of a 1-0 loss in Game 3.
Now that it's back to Cleveland for Game 6 on Tuesday night, Schwarber can resume his DH duties while the Cubs try to force a Game 7 in search of their first title in more than a century.
''It gives them some thunder that they'll situate right in the middle, which you have to respect,'' Indians manager Terry Francona said Monday. ''But I mean, they've got a lot of other good bats, too. I think people can get carried away with some things.''
Kind of hard not to after Schwarber went 3 for 7 with two RBIs and a pair of walks in Games 1 and 2. His teammates were left grasping for ways to explain how Schwarber could do that while facing big league pitching for the first time in more than 200 days.
''He's a stud,'' Chicago second baseman Ben Zobrist said. ''He's a special player.''
One whose mere presence provided the Cubs with an emotional jolt when he arrived on the eve of Game 1. The hulking former Indiana Hoosier needed only a weekend in the Arizona Fall League against minor leaguers to get up to speed.
''He could have just cashed it in and said, `I'll be ready for spring training,''' Zobrist said.
Only Schwarber didn't. Don't let the easy smile or the wannabe hipster bloom of facial hair underneath his chin fool you - below the surface, there's a work ethic that lacks an off switch.
Schwarber's summer was a grind. He was early to the ballpark for physical therapy, followed by weight training or conditioning, extended time in the batting cage and then perhaps the hardest part: watching in sweatpants while Chicago's special season went on without him.
It looked easy when he ripped a double off the wall against Indians ace Corey Kluber in Game 1. It wasn't.
''I don't know there's anybody in the league that can do that,'' Zobrist said. ''It's really, really difficult to wake up and get out of bed after six months ... and be a great hitter like he is.''
Yet all that momentum came to a halt in Chicago, a city that has embraced the barrel-chested masher from the Cincinnati suburbs as one of its own. On a team of preternaturally composed budding stars like Kris Bryant and Addison Russell, Schwarber is the go-for-broke kid. His swing is all swagger, menace and muscle. He doesn't step into the box looking to make contact. That's not why the Cubs pay him, anyway.
All that confidence couldn't make an impact from the bench at Wrigley, though. Chicago manager Joe Maddon tried to find spots for Schwarber, but his pinch-hit appearance in Game 3 was his only trip to the batter's box. He was on deck when the Cubs made the final out of their Game 4 loss, and didn't even get that close during a Game 5 win.
That won't be an issue in Cleveland, a development that's given Maddon a newfound appreciation for the DH, something that waned after he left the American League by bolting from Tampa Bay to Chicago in November 2014.
''I'm a much bigger fan of the National League game in general,'' Maddon said. ''But under these circumstances where we are right now in the year, I'll take that American League game just to get Schwarbs involved.''
November 1, 2016
CLEVELAND (AP) Jake Arrieta wouldn't let a road trip and one of the biggest starts of his life stop him from going trick-or-treating with his family this Halloween.
The Chicago Cubs pitcher's wife, Brittany, shared Instagram photos of their two small children dressed up in their costumes a day before Tuesday's Game 6 of the World Series in Cleveland. She captioned the pictures, ''Hotel trick or treating (equals) my kind of Halloween.''
Cooper Arrieta went as Spider-man, while his sister, Palmer, was a princess. The hotel Halloween experience seems to have been a successful one. Both kids hold lollipops in one of the photos.
Arrieta and the Cubs need to beat the Indians on Tuesday to force a deciding Game 7 of the series on Wednesday.
----------------------------
Cubs get Schwarber's 'thunder' back
October 31, 2016
CLEVELAND (AP) Three games at Wrigley Field did to Kyle Schwarber what a shredded left knee, six grueling months of rehab and the Cleveland Indians haven't: keep the Chicago Cubs slugger in check.
The resilient 23-year-old completed a warp-speed recovery after tearing two ligaments in a collision with teammate Dexter Fowler on April 7. Schwarber returned for the World Series and drove in a pair of runs as the designated hitter in Chicago's 5-1 win over Cleveland in Game 2 last Wednesday.
Still, doctors didn't trust his knee enough to let him play defense. The result? Three agonizing days in which Schwarber might have been the most anxious person at Wrigley Field.
His only appearance during the Series' first visit to the Friendly Confines since 1945 came when he popped out as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning of a 1-0 loss in Game 3.
Now that it's back to Cleveland for Game 6 on Tuesday night, Schwarber can resume his DH duties while the Cubs try to force a Game 7 in search of their first title in more than a century.
''It gives them some thunder that they'll situate right in the middle, which you have to respect,'' Indians manager Terry Francona said Monday. ''But I mean, they've got a lot of other good bats, too. I think people can get carried away with some things.''
Kind of hard not to after Schwarber went 3 for 7 with two RBIs and a pair of walks in Games 1 and 2. His teammates were left grasping for ways to explain how Schwarber could do that while facing big league pitching for the first time in more than 200 days.
''He's a stud,'' Chicago second baseman Ben Zobrist said. ''He's a special player.''
One whose mere presence provided the Cubs with an emotional jolt when he arrived on the eve of Game 1. The hulking former Indiana Hoosier needed only a weekend in the Arizona Fall League against minor leaguers to get up to speed.
''He could have just cashed it in and said, `I'll be ready for spring training,''' Zobrist said.
Only Schwarber didn't. Don't let the easy smile or the wannabe hipster bloom of facial hair underneath his chin fool you - below the surface, there's a work ethic that lacks an off switch.
Schwarber's summer was a grind. He was early to the ballpark for physical therapy, followed by weight training or conditioning, extended time in the batting cage and then perhaps the hardest part: watching in sweatpants while Chicago's special season went on without him.
It looked easy when he ripped a double off the wall against Indians ace Corey Kluber in Game 1. It wasn't.
''I don't know there's anybody in the league that can do that,'' Zobrist said. ''It's really, really difficult to wake up and get out of bed after six months ... and be a great hitter like he is.''
Yet all that momentum came to a halt in Chicago, a city that has embraced the barrel-chested masher from the Cincinnati suburbs as one of its own. On a team of preternaturally composed budding stars like Kris Bryant and Addison Russell, Schwarber is the go-for-broke kid. His swing is all swagger, menace and muscle. He doesn't step into the box looking to make contact. That's not why the Cubs pay him, anyway.
All that confidence couldn't make an impact from the bench at Wrigley, though. Chicago manager Joe Maddon tried to find spots for Schwarber, but his pinch-hit appearance in Game 3 was his only trip to the batter's box. He was on deck when the Cubs made the final out of their Game 4 loss, and didn't even get that close during a Game 5 win.
That won't be an issue in Cleveland, a development that's given Maddon a newfound appreciation for the DH, something that waned after he left the American League by bolting from Tampa Bay to Chicago in November 2014.
''I'm a much bigger fan of the National League game in general,'' Maddon said. ''But under these circumstances where we are right now in the year, I'll take that American League game just to get Schwarbs involved.''
How do Cubs fans spell relief? W-I-N in the World Series
October 31, 2016
CHICAGO (AP) John Dankanich's plan for the World Series this week is a busy one: After the Chicago Cubs staved off elimination by beating Cleveland, he planned to drive home to Alabama from Wrigley Field, take his son trick-or-treating on Monday, watch Game 6 on Tuesday night and then get back in his car to drive to Cleveland to see Game 7.
He has already bought his ticket for a Wednesday night game he is positive will happen.
''They're going to win and I'm going to Cleveland,'' the 38-year-old engineer said Monday as he drove south to Huntsville after attending Sunday night's 3-2 win by the Cubs that trimmed Cleveland's Series lead to 3-2.
After years of waiting to see what new and exotic way their team would fall short - something the Cubs invariably seem to do, whether it involves a black cat, goat or a fan in the stands - Chicago fans are a decidedly confident bunch this fall.
As chants of ''Cubs in Seven'' reverberated around Wrigley on Sunday night, fans said they firmly believe the Cubs will become just the sixth team in Major League history to overcome a 3-1 Series deficit. Never mind that they would also be first team to do that since the 1985 Kansas City Royals and the first to do it by winning Games 6 and 7 on the road since the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates.
''This is the year to believe, this is the year of miracles,'' said Marilyn Hnatusko, who was at the game in which the Cubs beat the Dodgers to get into the World Series and then attended Game 3 of the Series last Friday.
Hnatusko said she can't afford to go to Cleveland but within minutes the game was over, 74-year-old Barry Rosenthal was already thinking about getting a ticket and trying to figure out who he could stay with.
He hadn't worked out many details on Sunday night, except for one: ''I am planning on going up there, yes,'' he said.
By Monday, it was becoming clear that Rosenthal and Dankanich will have plenty of company.
Cameron Popp of StubHub said that about 27 percent of the tickets being sold on the website for the next two games are associated with Illinois ZIP codes. And many expect some empty seats at Chicago-area workplaces the next couple of days.
''They're working on their coughs today,'' joked Ed Koenig, a longtime fan who won't be making the trip east to Cleveland, but suspects many fans will use their best sick voice with their bosses, hang up and head to Cleveland.
The Cubs won at least three games in a row 16 times during the regular season and they will have to do that to win their first Series since 1908.
''They can do it because they've done it,'' Bock said.
No matter what happens, fans say they already see this season a lot differently than they those that followed the Cubs' collapse in 1969 that kept them out of the World Series. And they say there won't be the bitterness and anger they felt in 2003 when the Cubs came within five outs of reaching the World Series before collapsing after a foul ball ricocheted off the hands of a fan named Steve Bartman.
''Last year we got swept by the Mets (in the National League Championship Series) and this year we made it to the World Series,'' said Dankanich, a 38-year-old engineer who grew up a Cubs fan in Indiana. And, he said, if they don't win in Cleveland, ''next year is ours.''
October 31, 2016
CHICAGO (AP) John Dankanich's plan for the World Series this week is a busy one: After the Chicago Cubs staved off elimination by beating Cleveland, he planned to drive home to Alabama from Wrigley Field, take his son trick-or-treating on Monday, watch Game 6 on Tuesday night and then get back in his car to drive to Cleveland to see Game 7.
He has already bought his ticket for a Wednesday night game he is positive will happen.
''They're going to win and I'm going to Cleveland,'' the 38-year-old engineer said Monday as he drove south to Huntsville after attending Sunday night's 3-2 win by the Cubs that trimmed Cleveland's Series lead to 3-2.
After years of waiting to see what new and exotic way their team would fall short - something the Cubs invariably seem to do, whether it involves a black cat, goat or a fan in the stands - Chicago fans are a decidedly confident bunch this fall.
As chants of ''Cubs in Seven'' reverberated around Wrigley on Sunday night, fans said they firmly believe the Cubs will become just the sixth team in Major League history to overcome a 3-1 Series deficit. Never mind that they would also be first team to do that since the 1985 Kansas City Royals and the first to do it by winning Games 6 and 7 on the road since the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates.
''This is the year to believe, this is the year of miracles,'' said Marilyn Hnatusko, who was at the game in which the Cubs beat the Dodgers to get into the World Series and then attended Game 3 of the Series last Friday.
Hnatusko said she can't afford to go to Cleveland but within minutes the game was over, 74-year-old Barry Rosenthal was already thinking about getting a ticket and trying to figure out who he could stay with.
He hadn't worked out many details on Sunday night, except for one: ''I am planning on going up there, yes,'' he said.
By Monday, it was becoming clear that Rosenthal and Dankanich will have plenty of company.
Cameron Popp of StubHub said that about 27 percent of the tickets being sold on the website for the next two games are associated with Illinois ZIP codes. And many expect some empty seats at Chicago-area workplaces the next couple of days.
''They're working on their coughs today,'' joked Ed Koenig, a longtime fan who won't be making the trip east to Cleveland, but suspects many fans will use their best sick voice with their bosses, hang up and head to Cleveland.
The Cubs won at least three games in a row 16 times during the regular season and they will have to do that to win their first Series since 1908.
''They can do it because they've done it,'' Bock said.
No matter what happens, fans say they already see this season a lot differently than they those that followed the Cubs' collapse in 1969 that kept them out of the World Series. And they say there won't be the bitterness and anger they felt in 2003 when the Cubs came within five outs of reaching the World Series before collapsing after a foul ball ricocheted off the hands of a fan named Steve Bartman.
''Last year we got swept by the Mets (in the National League Championship Series) and this year we made it to the World Series,'' said Dankanich, a 38-year-old engineer who grew up a Cubs fan in Indiana. And, he said, if they don't win in Cleveland, ''next year is ours.''
After Halloween, Tomlin, Indians looking to treat home fans
October 31, 2016
CLEVELAND (AP) Josh Tomlin looked forward to Halloween and dressing up with his daughters, 2-year-old Makenzie Jae and 1-year-old Myla Kate.
''I might be daddy piggy,'' he said.
With Cleveland anticipating the city's first World Series championship since 1948 - and its first title clincher at home since 1920 - the Indians' Game 6 starter was happy to be back home ahead of his outing against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.
Chicago closed to 3-2 with Sunday's win at Wrigley Field. The Cubs, who haven't won it all since 1908, are trying to become the first team to overcome a 3-1 Series deficit since the 1985 Kansas City Royals and the first to do it by winning Games 6 and 7 on the road since the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates.
Rather than celebrate in the cramped visitors' clubhouse at Wrigley, the Indians are in position to party in their own digs at Progressive Field - where a makeshift shrine to Jobu, the Voodoo idol from the Cleveland clubhouse in the 1989 film ''Major League,'' was erected in a stall between the lockers of Mike Napoli and Jason Kipnis.
''He's just chilling over there, doing his thing,'' Napoli said.
Cleveland fans have missed out on being there for this year's big events: First, the Cavaliers completed their NBA Finals comeback on the road, beating Golden State in Game 7 for the city's first major pro sports championship in 52 years. Then, the Indians clinched the AL Central crown at Detroit, won the Division Series in Boston and the AL Championship Series at Toronto.
''It'll be ideal. We have a better situation to do it now,'' Kipnis said. ''It would be nice to actually do one in front of the home crowds.''
The baseball season spills into an unusual month for the fifth time, with Rocktober parties replaced by two teams hoping for a November to remember.
Jake Arrieta, who pitched no-hit ball into the sixth inning to win Game 2, starts on five days' rest for the Cubs against Tomlin, who will have had three days off since throwing 58 pitches in his Game 3 no-decision.
If the Cubs force Game 7, Kyle Hendricks would pitch on regular rest for Chicago against Corey Kluber, who would make another start on short rest and try to become the first pitcher to win three starts in one Series since Detroit's Mickey Lolich in 1968.
Chicago delayed its charter flight to Cleveland until Monday night. In the Wrigley Field clubhouse, a message said: ''Halloween costumes are encouraged on the plane.''
''We wanted them to have the opportunity to be with their kids today during the Halloween moment,'' Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. ''After that game last night, believe me, man, I was in no mood to get up and travel today. I think it actually is working out pretty well. We're going to get in at a really good hour, grab stuff to eat and go to bed.''
With the switch to the American League ballpark, the designated hitter is back: Carlos Santana for the Indians and Kyle Schwarber for the Cubs. Schwarber was out from April 7 until the Series opener after tearing knee ligaments. He has not been given medical clearance to play the field, so he was limited to one pinch-hitting appearance at home. He is 3 for 8 in the Series with a double, two walks and two RBIs.
''When I managed in the American League, I always thought it was somewhat of a disadvantage going to the National League, subtracting one offensive player, and probably even more pronounced for different teams that have really profound, legitimate DHs,'' Maddon said. ''But for right now, at this moment in time, the fact that Kyle cannot play defense but can still play offense and run the bases, it does work out well for us.''
At Wrigley, Santana made two starts in left field, a position he had not played since 2012, and one at first base.
''It helps keeping the body warm, and I like being out there in the field,'' he said. ''Being a designated hitter is a bit more complicated. I try to gather advice on how to do it better. I always ask David Ortiz, and he's giving me good pointers, but there's still room to improve.''
Both teams were among the big leagues' best at home this year. Chicago led with a 57-24 record, and Cleveland was tied for second with 53 victories in its own ballpark.
''When you're on the road, one, it's kind of you against the world, which is OK,'' Indians manager Terry Francona said. ''But the biggest thing of all is when you're the home team, you hit last, so you get to use your bullpen differently, and that's a huge advantage.''
October 31, 2016
CLEVELAND (AP) Josh Tomlin looked forward to Halloween and dressing up with his daughters, 2-year-old Makenzie Jae and 1-year-old Myla Kate.
''I might be daddy piggy,'' he said.
With Cleveland anticipating the city's first World Series championship since 1948 - and its first title clincher at home since 1920 - the Indians' Game 6 starter was happy to be back home ahead of his outing against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.
Chicago closed to 3-2 with Sunday's win at Wrigley Field. The Cubs, who haven't won it all since 1908, are trying to become the first team to overcome a 3-1 Series deficit since the 1985 Kansas City Royals and the first to do it by winning Games 6 and 7 on the road since the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates.
Rather than celebrate in the cramped visitors' clubhouse at Wrigley, the Indians are in position to party in their own digs at Progressive Field - where a makeshift shrine to Jobu, the Voodoo idol from the Cleveland clubhouse in the 1989 film ''Major League,'' was erected in a stall between the lockers of Mike Napoli and Jason Kipnis.
''He's just chilling over there, doing his thing,'' Napoli said.
Cleveland fans have missed out on being there for this year's big events: First, the Cavaliers completed their NBA Finals comeback on the road, beating Golden State in Game 7 for the city's first major pro sports championship in 52 years. Then, the Indians clinched the AL Central crown at Detroit, won the Division Series in Boston and the AL Championship Series at Toronto.
''It'll be ideal. We have a better situation to do it now,'' Kipnis said. ''It would be nice to actually do one in front of the home crowds.''
The baseball season spills into an unusual month for the fifth time, with Rocktober parties replaced by two teams hoping for a November to remember.
Jake Arrieta, who pitched no-hit ball into the sixth inning to win Game 2, starts on five days' rest for the Cubs against Tomlin, who will have had three days off since throwing 58 pitches in his Game 3 no-decision.
If the Cubs force Game 7, Kyle Hendricks would pitch on regular rest for Chicago against Corey Kluber, who would make another start on short rest and try to become the first pitcher to win three starts in one Series since Detroit's Mickey Lolich in 1968.
Chicago delayed its charter flight to Cleveland until Monday night. In the Wrigley Field clubhouse, a message said: ''Halloween costumes are encouraged on the plane.''
''We wanted them to have the opportunity to be with their kids today during the Halloween moment,'' Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. ''After that game last night, believe me, man, I was in no mood to get up and travel today. I think it actually is working out pretty well. We're going to get in at a really good hour, grab stuff to eat and go to bed.''
With the switch to the American League ballpark, the designated hitter is back: Carlos Santana for the Indians and Kyle Schwarber for the Cubs. Schwarber was out from April 7 until the Series opener after tearing knee ligaments. He has not been given medical clearance to play the field, so he was limited to one pinch-hitting appearance at home. He is 3 for 8 in the Series with a double, two walks and two RBIs.
''When I managed in the American League, I always thought it was somewhat of a disadvantage going to the National League, subtracting one offensive player, and probably even more pronounced for different teams that have really profound, legitimate DHs,'' Maddon said. ''But for right now, at this moment in time, the fact that Kyle cannot play defense but can still play offense and run the bases, it does work out well for us.''
At Wrigley, Santana made two starts in left field, a position he had not played since 2012, and one at first base.
''It helps keeping the body warm, and I like being out there in the field,'' he said. ''Being a designated hitter is a bit more complicated. I try to gather advice on how to do it better. I always ask David Ortiz, and he's giving me good pointers, but there's still room to improve.''
Both teams were among the big leagues' best at home this year. Chicago led with a 57-24 record, and Cleveland was tied for second with 53 victories in its own ballpark.
''When you're on the road, one, it's kind of you against the world, which is OK,'' Indians manager Terry Francona said. ''But the biggest thing of all is when you're the home team, you hit last, so you get to use your bullpen differently, and that's a huge advantage.''
2 for 1: Indians home with 2 chances to win World Series
October 31, 2016
CLEVELAND (AP) �� Terry Francona watched the mass of humanity from high above.
Four months ago, the Indians manager watched on a TV from his office at Progressive Field as Cleveland's streets overflowed during a joyous celebration honoring LeBron James and the Cavaliers for winning the NBA title and stopping the city's 52-year-title drought.
There were fans hanging from street signs, clinging to the walls of parking garages - everywhere. Francona wanted another view.
"I went up to the upper deck just because I wanted to watch the parade," he said Monday as the World Series returned from a weekend in Chicago. "From that vantage point, I think they were expecting 700,000 and they about doubled it. And from up in the upper deck you could see the people coming across the bridge in droves."
Francona wants to see them come again.
After missing on their first swing at their first title since 1948, the Indians are home with two cracks at a championship.
Down 3-1 and desperate, Chicago manager Joe Maddon used fire-balling closer Aroldis Chapman to get the final eight outs in Game 5 as the Cubs beat the Indians 3-2 at raucous Wrigley Field to extend their season and send this Series packing.
The Indians, who have been cast as underdogs throughout the postseason, can complete a remarkable run with one more win.
It's the one Cleveland fans have waited to see for 68 years, and would cap a year like no other in the city's sports history, which has been filled with more torture than triumph.
Josh Tomlin, the longest-tenured player on Cleveland's roster, starts Tuesday night against Cubs right-hander Jake Arietta, who held the Indians without a hit until the sixth inning in Game 2, a 5-1 Chicago victory.
Tomlin will be starting on just three days' rest for only the second time in his career, but adrenaline and a home crowd of more than 35,000 screaming fans should help him overcome any fatigue.
The right-hander was terrific in Game 4, allowing just two hits in 4 2/3 innings as his dad, Jerry, who is paralyzed from the chest down and confined to a wheelchair, watched from behind home plate in noisy Chicago as Cleveland won 1-0. Tomlin only threw 58 pitches, so his arm should be fine. The bigger issue will be stifling the Cubs, who have momentum and will have slugger Kyle Schwarber back in the lineup as a designated hitter after he was reduced to a pinch hitter during three games played under NL rules.
The only other time Tomlin pitched on short rest was in his 2010 rookie season, when he gave up one run in 5 1/3 innings against Toronto.
On the eve of the biggest start of his career, the 31-year-old Tomlin said he's approaching Game 6 like any other even though he knows it isn't.
"I know the atmosphere of this game is not the same, but it's still the same game," he said. "Between the lines it's still 60 foot, 6 inches. It's still 90 feet to first base. It's still baseball. In the grand scheme of things it's still the baseball game whenever the umpire says 'Play ball!' So that's how you have to treat it."
Like any manager, Francona has his favorites and Tomlin is near the top of that list. They play cribbage together and as Francona turned the dais over to his starter following his news conference, Cleveland's manager couldn't miss a chance to have some fun at Tomlin's expense.
"If you guys have questions," he said to reporters. "Just use pictures."
On a more serious note earlier, Francona said he's confident Tomlin will give the Indians everything he has.
"If Tomlin doesn't win, he won't beat himself, and he won't back down," he said. "All the things we talk about, not backing down from a challenge and valuing winning and things like that - being a good teammate, he embodies all those better or as good as anybody I've ever seen."
When the Cavs won their title in June, it was no coincidence the Indians took off on a 14-game winning streak that propelled them to the AL Central title. Cleveland's players fed off the vibe created by James and his teammates, who will be forever remembered as the team that changed the city's sports fortunes.
Francona watched the Cavs win Game 7 at Golden State, and found himself cheering wildly at the game's climactic moments - Kyrie Irving's 3-pointer and James' chase-down block in the final seconds.
"I had to kind of remind myself I'm 57," he said with a laugh.
Then Francona watched as Cleveland united as never before, 1 million people converging as one to rejoice for a team that lifted a trophy - and then a town.
"There was sheer joy," he said. "I just thought it was really cool. It was hard not to get caught up in it."
He'd love to see it happen again.
October 31, 2016
CLEVELAND (AP) �� Terry Francona watched the mass of humanity from high above.
Four months ago, the Indians manager watched on a TV from his office at Progressive Field as Cleveland's streets overflowed during a joyous celebration honoring LeBron James and the Cavaliers for winning the NBA title and stopping the city's 52-year-title drought.
There were fans hanging from street signs, clinging to the walls of parking garages - everywhere. Francona wanted another view.
"I went up to the upper deck just because I wanted to watch the parade," he said Monday as the World Series returned from a weekend in Chicago. "From that vantage point, I think they were expecting 700,000 and they about doubled it. And from up in the upper deck you could see the people coming across the bridge in droves."
Francona wants to see them come again.
After missing on their first swing at their first title since 1948, the Indians are home with two cracks at a championship.
Down 3-1 and desperate, Chicago manager Joe Maddon used fire-balling closer Aroldis Chapman to get the final eight outs in Game 5 as the Cubs beat the Indians 3-2 at raucous Wrigley Field to extend their season and send this Series packing.
The Indians, who have been cast as underdogs throughout the postseason, can complete a remarkable run with one more win.
It's the one Cleveland fans have waited to see for 68 years, and would cap a year like no other in the city's sports history, which has been filled with more torture than triumph.
Josh Tomlin, the longest-tenured player on Cleveland's roster, starts Tuesday night against Cubs right-hander Jake Arietta, who held the Indians without a hit until the sixth inning in Game 2, a 5-1 Chicago victory.
Tomlin will be starting on just three days' rest for only the second time in his career, but adrenaline and a home crowd of more than 35,000 screaming fans should help him overcome any fatigue.
The right-hander was terrific in Game 4, allowing just two hits in 4 2/3 innings as his dad, Jerry, who is paralyzed from the chest down and confined to a wheelchair, watched from behind home plate in noisy Chicago as Cleveland won 1-0. Tomlin only threw 58 pitches, so his arm should be fine. The bigger issue will be stifling the Cubs, who have momentum and will have slugger Kyle Schwarber back in the lineup as a designated hitter after he was reduced to a pinch hitter during three games played under NL rules.
The only other time Tomlin pitched on short rest was in his 2010 rookie season, when he gave up one run in 5 1/3 innings against Toronto.
On the eve of the biggest start of his career, the 31-year-old Tomlin said he's approaching Game 6 like any other even though he knows it isn't.
"I know the atmosphere of this game is not the same, but it's still the same game," he said. "Between the lines it's still 60 foot, 6 inches. It's still 90 feet to first base. It's still baseball. In the grand scheme of things it's still the baseball game whenever the umpire says 'Play ball!' So that's how you have to treat it."
Like any manager, Francona has his favorites and Tomlin is near the top of that list. They play cribbage together and as Francona turned the dais over to his starter following his news conference, Cleveland's manager couldn't miss a chance to have some fun at Tomlin's expense.
"If you guys have questions," he said to reporters. "Just use pictures."
On a more serious note earlier, Francona said he's confident Tomlin will give the Indians everything he has.
"If Tomlin doesn't win, he won't beat himself, and he won't back down," he said. "All the things we talk about, not backing down from a challenge and valuing winning and things like that - being a good teammate, he embodies all those better or as good as anybody I've ever seen."
When the Cavs won their title in June, it was no coincidence the Indians took off on a 14-game winning streak that propelled them to the AL Central title. Cleveland's players fed off the vibe created by James and his teammates, who will be forever remembered as the team that changed the city's sports fortunes.
Francona watched the Cavs win Game 7 at Golden State, and found himself cheering wildly at the game's climactic moments - Kyrie Irving's 3-pointer and James' chase-down block in the final seconds.
"I had to kind of remind myself I'm 57," he said with a laugh.
Then Francona watched as Cleveland united as never before, 1 million people converging as one to rejoice for a team that lifted a trophy - and then a town.
"There was sheer joy," he said. "I just thought it was really cool. It was hard not to get caught up in it."
He'd love to see it happen again.
Cavs request time change to avoid conflict with World Series
October 31, 2016
CLEVELAND (AP) The NBA has moved up the start time for Tuesday night's Cleveland Cavaliers game because of the World Series.
The game against Houston at Quicken Loans Arena will now begin an hour earlier at 6 p.m. EDT.
The champion Cavaliers requested the change to avoid an extended overlap with Game 6 of the World Series, which starts at 8:08 p.m. at neighboring Progressive Field.
The Cleveland Indians lead the Chicago Cubs 3-2 and can win their first World Series since 1948. In June, the Cavaliers defeated Golden State in Game 7 of the NBA Finals to end the city's championship drought after 52 years.
October 31, 2016
CLEVELAND (AP) The NBA has moved up the start time for Tuesday night's Cleveland Cavaliers game because of the World Series.
The game against Houston at Quicken Loans Arena will now begin an hour earlier at 6 p.m. EDT.
The champion Cavaliers requested the change to avoid an extended overlap with Game 6 of the World Series, which starts at 8:08 p.m. at neighboring Progressive Field.
The Cleveland Indians lead the Chicago Cubs 3-2 and can win their first World Series since 1948. In June, the Cavaliers defeated Golden State in Game 7 of the NBA Finals to end the city's championship drought after 52 years.
Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack
Six of the more interesting football games this weekend:
— Colorado (-12) over UCLA Thursday. Buffs have come a long way to be a double digit favorite in a league game.
— Eagles scored five TDs during recent 1-3 stretch; interesting game with the Giants, who are coming off a bye.
— Pitt-Miami— Hurricanes are on a 4-game losing streak.
— Steelers-Ravens— Will Big Ben play for Pittsburgh?
— Alabama-LSU— Tide won last four series games by average score of 29-16.
—First place in AFC West is at stake in Denver-Oakland game Sunday night in the Coliseum.
**********
Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but…….
13) Cam Newton was whining about late hits again Sunday, after Carolina beat the Cardinals. Guess he did it then so people could not call him a sore loser, since they had won.
Best part of this is that Carolina goes to LA this week to play the Rams, usually thought of as a dirty team. Refs might start throwing flags during warmups, just to get loosened up. Great.
12) Coco Crisp was going to get $13M from the A’s in 2017 if he played in 140 games this year, something like that. Since his skills are in decline, they were making sure he wasn’t going to reach 140 games, and he voiced his displeasure with that.
Note: It would’ve been incredibly stupid to pay him $13M next year. Fair or unfair, it was good business.
So to quiet the storm and I guess reward a player who had helped the A’s over the last few years, Oakland dealt him to the Indians on August 31 for an obscure lefty reliever named Colt Hynes. Weird circumstances can help a team win a championship.
11) Phoenix Suns have a young player named Alan Williams who was a good very player at Cal-Santa Barbara. If any of the Suns have trouble with the law, they can call Alan up— his mom just got named police chief for the city of Phoenix.
10) Jacksonville Jaguars just fired their OC in large part because the QB had regressed. Who did they replace the OC with? the QB coach, who is in charge of making sure the QB didn’t regress. Oy.
9) Now that the Cleveland Cavaliers are champs, ever wonder what their former coach David Blatt is doing? Guy got fired last year; you have to wonder what he is doing now. Is he coaching somewhere? Did he go back overseas?
Would be interesting if Blatt went on TV, to hear what he had to say. Former coaches are usually better than former players on TV.
8) Who was the first DH in MLB history? Ron Blomberg walked with the bases loaded against Luis Tiant in Fenway Park, in April of 1973, in the first big league AB by a designated hitter.
7) Russell Westbrook is the first NBA player since at least 1983 with 40+ field goal attempts, 20+ free throws and 10+ assists in the same game. He is also the first guy since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975 to get a triple double with 50+ points.
6) Former Bills’ coach Mark Levy is 91; he looks great. Coach Levy was at Wrigley Field Friday night and was also there for the 1945 World Series, the last time the Cubs played in the Series, before this year.
5) Texas Longhorns haven’t had an offensive player taken in the first round of the NFL Draft since QB Vince Young, in 2006.
4) CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders closed out Taylor Field this week; lot of history there. Toronto Blue Jays actually played exhibition games in Regina in 1989 and 1993.
3) If you’ve never experienced Halloween in Las Vegas, I highly recommend it; few years ago, think it was 2012, i spent a weekend at the South Point Casino, which is a really good place, has a bowling alley, movie theater and 24-hour coffee shop as well as an excellent sports book. South Point also has an equestrian arena, so when the pro rodeo is in town, the cowboys stay there.
I had no idea there was such a thing as pro rodeo, so the first night I am there, I walk down into the casino and 95% of the people there are dressed like the cast of Blazing Saddles.
I ask the security guard if it is cowboy Halloween party and he says “No, the pro rodeo is in town.” I tell him I never heard of the pro rodeo. He looks at me and says “Where are you from?”
OK, so we don’t have rodeo in New York…….
2) So couple nights later, the rodeo is out of town and it is Saturday night and I notice a red carpet with TV cameras near the entrance. Ask the same security guard whats up.
“Oh, the fetish and fantasy ball is tonight.” he says. I give him a knowing look, not wanting to be a fool again, since I know we have fetish and fantasy here in New York but I had no idea what I was about to see.
An astounding parade of people in all kinds of costumes that were, um……revealing to say the least. I’m leaning up against a slot machine watching this in total amazement.
1) So I watch the parade for a little while then go watch the late college football games; after that I’m going up to my room for something and I get on the elevator with this couple from the fetish and fantasy ball.
He is dressed as a prison guard, handcuffs, night stick and all; she is in shackles and a neck collar, with an outfit that is torn in very strategic places. She had to be a model or a porn star, totally gorgeous and it is just the three of us on the elevator. I have zero idea what to do or say.
So I say nothing until we get to my floor and I wish them a Happy Halloween as I get off the elevator. I’m guessing they did.
Six of the more interesting football games this weekend:
— Colorado (-12) over UCLA Thursday. Buffs have come a long way to be a double digit favorite in a league game.
— Eagles scored five TDs during recent 1-3 stretch; interesting game with the Giants, who are coming off a bye.
— Pitt-Miami— Hurricanes are on a 4-game losing streak.
— Steelers-Ravens— Will Big Ben play for Pittsburgh?
— Alabama-LSU— Tide won last four series games by average score of 29-16.
—First place in AFC West is at stake in Denver-Oakland game Sunday night in the Coliseum.
**********
Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but…….
13) Cam Newton was whining about late hits again Sunday, after Carolina beat the Cardinals. Guess he did it then so people could not call him a sore loser, since they had won.
Best part of this is that Carolina goes to LA this week to play the Rams, usually thought of as a dirty team. Refs might start throwing flags during warmups, just to get loosened up. Great.
12) Coco Crisp was going to get $13M from the A’s in 2017 if he played in 140 games this year, something like that. Since his skills are in decline, they were making sure he wasn’t going to reach 140 games, and he voiced his displeasure with that.
Note: It would’ve been incredibly stupid to pay him $13M next year. Fair or unfair, it was good business.
So to quiet the storm and I guess reward a player who had helped the A’s over the last few years, Oakland dealt him to the Indians on August 31 for an obscure lefty reliever named Colt Hynes. Weird circumstances can help a team win a championship.
11) Phoenix Suns have a young player named Alan Williams who was a good very player at Cal-Santa Barbara. If any of the Suns have trouble with the law, they can call Alan up— his mom just got named police chief for the city of Phoenix.
10) Jacksonville Jaguars just fired their OC in large part because the QB had regressed. Who did they replace the OC with? the QB coach, who is in charge of making sure the QB didn’t regress. Oy.
9) Now that the Cleveland Cavaliers are champs, ever wonder what their former coach David Blatt is doing? Guy got fired last year; you have to wonder what he is doing now. Is he coaching somewhere? Did he go back overseas?
Would be interesting if Blatt went on TV, to hear what he had to say. Former coaches are usually better than former players on TV.
8) Who was the first DH in MLB history? Ron Blomberg walked with the bases loaded against Luis Tiant in Fenway Park, in April of 1973, in the first big league AB by a designated hitter.
7) Russell Westbrook is the first NBA player since at least 1983 with 40+ field goal attempts, 20+ free throws and 10+ assists in the same game. He is also the first guy since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975 to get a triple double with 50+ points.
6) Former Bills’ coach Mark Levy is 91; he looks great. Coach Levy was at Wrigley Field Friday night and was also there for the 1945 World Series, the last time the Cubs played in the Series, before this year.
5) Texas Longhorns haven’t had an offensive player taken in the first round of the NFL Draft since QB Vince Young, in 2006.
4) CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders closed out Taylor Field this week; lot of history there. Toronto Blue Jays actually played exhibition games in Regina in 1989 and 1993.
3) If you’ve never experienced Halloween in Las Vegas, I highly recommend it; few years ago, think it was 2012, i spent a weekend at the South Point Casino, which is a really good place, has a bowling alley, movie theater and 24-hour coffee shop as well as an excellent sports book. South Point also has an equestrian arena, so when the pro rodeo is in town, the cowboys stay there.
I had no idea there was such a thing as pro rodeo, so the first night I am there, I walk down into the casino and 95% of the people there are dressed like the cast of Blazing Saddles.
I ask the security guard if it is cowboy Halloween party and he says “No, the pro rodeo is in town.” I tell him I never heard of the pro rodeo. He looks at me and says “Where are you from?”
OK, so we don’t have rodeo in New York…….
2) So couple nights later, the rodeo is out of town and it is Saturday night and I notice a red carpet with TV cameras near the entrance. Ask the same security guard whats up.
“Oh, the fetish and fantasy ball is tonight.” he says. I give him a knowing look, not wanting to be a fool again, since I know we have fetish and fantasy here in New York but I had no idea what I was about to see.
An astounding parade of people in all kinds of costumes that were, um……revealing to say the least. I’m leaning up against a slot machine watching this in total amazement.
1) So I watch the parade for a little while then go watch the late college football games; after that I’m going up to my room for something and I get on the elevator with this couple from the fetish and fantasy ball.
He is dressed as a prison guard, handcuffs, night stick and all; she is in shackles and a neck collar, with an outfit that is torn in very strategic places. She had to be a model or a porn star, totally gorgeous and it is just the three of us on the elevator. I have zero idea what to do or say.
So I say nothing until we get to my floor and I wish them a Happy Halloween as I get off the elevator. I’m guessing they did.
MLB
Dunkel
Tuesday, November 1
Chicago Cubs @ Cleveland
Game 951-952
November 1, 2016 @ 8:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Chicago Cubs
(Arrieta) 14.990
Cleveland
(Tomlin) 18.525
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 3 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago Cubs
-155
7
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(+135); Under
MLB
Long Sheet
Tuesday, November 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHICAGO CUBS (112 - 64) at CLEVELAND (104 - 70) - 8:05 PM
JAKE ARRIETA (R) vs. JOSH TOMLIN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1600-1687 (-260.2 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 222-268 (-77.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Tuesday since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 177-206 (-53.7 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1543-1600 (-235.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1177-1252 (-196.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 23-23 (-10.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a win this season.
CLEVELAND is 104-70 (+18.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 58-29 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 14-3 (+12.2 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off this season.
CLEVELAND is 98-66 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 74-41 (+21.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CLEVELAND is 10-3 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in playoff games this season.
CLEVELAND is 57-38 (+16.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CLEVELAND is 33-20 (+13.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
TOMLIN is 22-10 (+13.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
TOMLIN is 21-10 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
TOMLIN is 15-6 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
TOMLIN is 18-5 (+13.7 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHICAGO CUBS are 29-9 (+17.0 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 128-76 (+26.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ARRIETA is 29-9 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARRIETA is 29-9 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 3-2 (+2.0 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.8 Units)
JAKE ARRIETA vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
ARRIETA is 2-1 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 7.10 and a WHIP of 1.697.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+0.9 units)
JOSH TOMLIN vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
TOMLIN is 0-0 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.642.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Tuesday, November 1
Cubs @ Indians
Arrieta is 3-4, 4.70 in eight starts since September 1, 3-2, 3.72 in six postseason starts. Cubs are 4-6 in his last ten road starts.
Tomlin is 4-1, 1.98 in his last seven starts, 2-0, 1.76 in three postseason starts. Indians are 3-4 in his last seven home starts.
Cubs are 9-6 in playoffs this year, 4-3 on road; they’ve been shut out in four of their last ten games. Chicago is 9-2 in playoffs if they score a run. Obviously Chicago hasn’t been in World Series since 1945, Indians since 1997. Cleveland is 10-3 in playoffs, 5-1 at home- they’ve tossed five shutouts in postseason.
Maddon is 26-28 as a playoff manager, 13-11 with Cubs. he lost 2008 World Series with Rays. Francona won World Series with Boston in 2004, 2007; he is 38-21 as a postseason manager, 11-2 in World Series games.
MLB
Tuesday, November 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8:08 PM
CHI CUBS vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chi Cubs's last 7 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 5 games at home
Cleveland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Dunkel
Tuesday, November 1
Chicago Cubs @ Cleveland
Game 951-952
November 1, 2016 @ 8:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Chicago Cubs
(Arrieta) 14.990
Cleveland
(Tomlin) 18.525
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 3 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago Cubs
-155
7
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(+135); Under
MLB
Long Sheet
Tuesday, November 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHICAGO CUBS (112 - 64) at CLEVELAND (104 - 70) - 8:05 PM
JAKE ARRIETA (R) vs. JOSH TOMLIN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1600-1687 (-260.2 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 222-268 (-77.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Tuesday since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 177-206 (-53.7 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1543-1600 (-235.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1177-1252 (-196.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 23-23 (-10.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a win this season.
CLEVELAND is 104-70 (+18.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 58-29 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 14-3 (+12.2 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off this season.
CLEVELAND is 98-66 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 74-41 (+21.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CLEVELAND is 10-3 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in playoff games this season.
CLEVELAND is 57-38 (+16.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CLEVELAND is 33-20 (+13.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
TOMLIN is 22-10 (+13.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
TOMLIN is 21-10 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
TOMLIN is 15-6 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
TOMLIN is 18-5 (+13.7 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHICAGO CUBS are 29-9 (+17.0 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 128-76 (+26.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ARRIETA is 29-9 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARRIETA is 29-9 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 3-2 (+2.0 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.8 Units)
JAKE ARRIETA vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
ARRIETA is 2-1 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 7.10 and a WHIP of 1.697.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+0.9 units)
JOSH TOMLIN vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
TOMLIN is 0-0 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.642.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Tuesday, November 1
Cubs @ Indians
Arrieta is 3-4, 4.70 in eight starts since September 1, 3-2, 3.72 in six postseason starts. Cubs are 4-6 in his last ten road starts.
Tomlin is 4-1, 1.98 in his last seven starts, 2-0, 1.76 in three postseason starts. Indians are 3-4 in his last seven home starts.
Cubs are 9-6 in playoffs this year, 4-3 on road; they’ve been shut out in four of their last ten games. Chicago is 9-2 in playoffs if they score a run. Obviously Chicago hasn’t been in World Series since 1945, Indians since 1997. Cleveland is 10-3 in playoffs, 5-1 at home- they’ve tossed five shutouts in postseason.
Maddon is 26-28 as a playoff manager, 13-11 with Cubs. he lost 2008 World Series with Rays. Francona won World Series with Boston in 2004, 2007; he is 38-21 as a postseason manager, 11-2 in World Series games.
MLB
Tuesday, November 1
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Trend Report
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8:08 PM
CHI CUBS vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chi Cubs's last 7 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 5 games at home
Cleveland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
MLB
Tuesday, November 1
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World Series Game 6 betting preview: Cubs at Indians
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Cubs' Jake Arrieta took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in Game 2 at Cleveland and ended up with the win, his first of the postseason.
Chicago Cubs at Cleveland Indians (+130, 7)
Indians lead series 3-2
The World Series could be decided by the team that gets a lead early and turns things over to the bullpen. The Chicago Cubs finally became that team with the early lead and the dominant reliever in Game 5 and play another elimination game when they visit the Cleveland Indians for Game 6 on Tuesday.
The Cubs, who trail 3-2 in the series, asked Aroldis Chapman to record eight outs in a one-run game Sunday and were rewarded when he allowed one hit and struck out four. "That was our best opportunity," Cubs manager Joe Maddon told reporters of the decision to have Chapman work overtime. "I thought right now, based on the bullpen usage recently, he's actually kind of fresh. He hasn't been overused in the last part of this season nor throughout the playoffs." The Indians, who used left-hander Andrew Miller for multiple innings since the start of the postseason, are keeping things loose while following the lead of manager Terry Francona. "We have the good plane again, so we can fly around for a while," Francona told reporters of the trip back to Cleveland. "I don't care. Then we'll show up whatever day is the next day, and see if we can beat them."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FOX
WEATHER REPORT: The weather in Cleveland is expected to be perfect for playoff baseball (the forecast for Game 7 may be a different story, but Indians fans are hoping it doesn't come down to a wet Wednesday). Tuesday at Progressive Field it is expected to be partly cloudy with temperatures in the mid-60's. There is a 10 percent chance of showers and there will be a light 5 mph breeze blowing straight out to center field.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Jake Arrieta (1-1, 3.78 ERA) vs. Indians RH Josh Tomlin (2-0, 1.76)
Arrieta took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in Game 2 at Cleveland and ended up with the win, his first of the postseason. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner had a little trouble controlling his arsenal with three walks, but struck out six. "I just want to execute with quality in and out of the strike zone, and try to get ahead in the count as early and as often as I can to open up some more options for myself," Arrieta told reporters of his approach to Game 6.
Tomlin surrendered two hits in 4 2/3 scoreless innings in Game 3 and was yanked by Francona at the first hint of trouble in a game the Indians went on to win 1-0. The 32-year-old Texan allowed two or fewer runs in each of his last eight appearances going back to the regular season and yielded one home run in that span. Tomlin is going on three days' rest in Game 6 but only threw 58 pitches in Game 3.
TRENDS:
* Cubs are 4-1 in Arrieta's last 5 starts with 5 days of rest.
* Indians are 7-0 in their last 7 when their opponent allows 2 runs or less in their previous game.
* Indians are 5-0 in Tomlin's last 5 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 6-1-1 in Cubs' last 8 interleague road games vs. a right-handed starter.
* Over is 12-3-3 in Arrieta's last 18 road starts.
* Under is 11-1 in Indians' last 12 playoff games.
* Under is 12-3-1 in Tomlin's last 16 starts overall.
* Cubs are 6-1 in their last 7 games with Joe West behind home plate.
CONSENSUS: The public is favoring the road favorite Cubs with their backs against the wall in Game 6 at a rate of 55 percent. Under is picking up 60 percent of the wagers on the total.
Tuesday, November 1
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World Series Game 6 betting preview: Cubs at Indians
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Cubs' Jake Arrieta took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in Game 2 at Cleveland and ended up with the win, his first of the postseason.
Chicago Cubs at Cleveland Indians (+130, 7)
Indians lead series 3-2
The World Series could be decided by the team that gets a lead early and turns things over to the bullpen. The Chicago Cubs finally became that team with the early lead and the dominant reliever in Game 5 and play another elimination game when they visit the Cleveland Indians for Game 6 on Tuesday.
The Cubs, who trail 3-2 in the series, asked Aroldis Chapman to record eight outs in a one-run game Sunday and were rewarded when he allowed one hit and struck out four. "That was our best opportunity," Cubs manager Joe Maddon told reporters of the decision to have Chapman work overtime. "I thought right now, based on the bullpen usage recently, he's actually kind of fresh. He hasn't been overused in the last part of this season nor throughout the playoffs." The Indians, who used left-hander Andrew Miller for multiple innings since the start of the postseason, are keeping things loose while following the lead of manager Terry Francona. "We have the good plane again, so we can fly around for a while," Francona told reporters of the trip back to Cleveland. "I don't care. Then we'll show up whatever day is the next day, and see if we can beat them."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FOX
WEATHER REPORT: The weather in Cleveland is expected to be perfect for playoff baseball (the forecast for Game 7 may be a different story, but Indians fans are hoping it doesn't come down to a wet Wednesday). Tuesday at Progressive Field it is expected to be partly cloudy with temperatures in the mid-60's. There is a 10 percent chance of showers and there will be a light 5 mph breeze blowing straight out to center field.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Jake Arrieta (1-1, 3.78 ERA) vs. Indians RH Josh Tomlin (2-0, 1.76)
Arrieta took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in Game 2 at Cleveland and ended up with the win, his first of the postseason. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner had a little trouble controlling his arsenal with three walks, but struck out six. "I just want to execute with quality in and out of the strike zone, and try to get ahead in the count as early and as often as I can to open up some more options for myself," Arrieta told reporters of his approach to Game 6.
Tomlin surrendered two hits in 4 2/3 scoreless innings in Game 3 and was yanked by Francona at the first hint of trouble in a game the Indians went on to win 1-0. The 32-year-old Texan allowed two or fewer runs in each of his last eight appearances going back to the regular season and yielded one home run in that span. Tomlin is going on three days' rest in Game 6 but only threw 58 pitches in Game 3.
TRENDS:
* Cubs are 4-1 in Arrieta's last 5 starts with 5 days of rest.
* Indians are 7-0 in their last 7 when their opponent allows 2 runs or less in their previous game.
* Indians are 5-0 in Tomlin's last 5 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 6-1-1 in Cubs' last 8 interleague road games vs. a right-handed starter.
* Over is 12-3-3 in Arrieta's last 18 road starts.
* Under is 11-1 in Indians' last 12 playoff games.
* Under is 12-3-1 in Tomlin's last 16 starts overall.
* Cubs are 6-1 in their last 7 games with Joe West behind home plate.
CONSENSUS: The public is favoring the road favorite Cubs with their backs against the wall in Game 6 at a rate of 55 percent. Under is picking up 60 percent of the wagers on the total.
