Arrieta, Cubs even World Series score
CLEVELAND World Series rings are rarely claimed without a clean box score created here and there by a sublime pitching performance.
Corey Kluber did exactly that for Cleveland in Game 1, helping his team jump out to a one-game lead.
It was a short-lived World Series advantage, though, as Jake Arrieta returned the favour Wednesday night for the Chicago Cubs. Suddenly, we have a deadlocked affair heading back to a city that hasn’t hosted a Fall Classic on the north side in 71 years.
The stage is now yours for three games, Chicago.
Thanks to Arrieta, the 2015 National League Cy Young winner, rain threatened more than Cleveland did, while the Cubs’ powerful offence did what they’ve done all season long, but couldn’t do one night earlier — work counts, pile up baserunners, cross home plate.
Twenty-four hours or so after Kluber was dealing and Jon Lester was scuffling, the pitching script flipped during the Cubs’ 5-1 win in Game 2.
Arrieta didn’t give up a hit until the sixth inning, the same frame his night ended at 98 pitches, while Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer was at his inefficient best and couldn’t get through four innings.
As Arrieta was cruising, his offence was providing the support, building up an early five-run lead that would prove more than enough to help even the series 1-1, with Game 3 set for Friday night at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs lineup is as deep as it gets, but it was the meat of the order doing most of the series-tying damage, as 3-4-5 hitters Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist and Kyle Schwarber all reached base three times on a cold, dreary October night.
The first pitch Wednesday was moved up by an hour due to ominous looking weather reports, as rain washed out batting practice and kept the tarp on the Progressive Field diamond up until the last possible minute.
In the end, everything went as planned. For the visitors, at least.
The Cubs hadn’t held a World Series lead or scored a run in the Fall Classic since 1945, but after getting shut out by Kluber & Co. in Game 1, they wasted no time getting on the board in part deux.
Kris Bryant singled off Bauer and was cashed when Rizzo drove a fastball down the right field line for a double.
Schwarber doubled the Cubs’ lead when he laced an RBI single that scored Rizzo.
Bauer laboured from start to finish, which came in the fourth inning when he was lifted after 87 pitches and six Cubs hits.
Shortly after Cleveland manager Terry Francona turned to his bullpen, the Cubs broke the game open in the top of the fifth inning.
After Rizzo walked, Zach McAllister’s night ended on a Zobrist triple.
Francona dipped into his ’pen again, but right-hander Bryan Shaw promptly gave up an RBI single to Schwarber, making it 4-0.
With men on first and third for the Cubs, Shaw issued a free pass to Jorge Soler to load the bases. Shaw then walked in the Cubs’ fifth run of the night on four straight pitches to Addison Russell.
Jason Kipnis broke up the Arrieta no-hitter in the sixth with a double that, eventually, led to Cleveland’s only run of the ball game on a wild pitch.
Arrieta’s unblemished 5 1/3 innings was the longest World Series no-no bid since Jerry Koosman went six hitless innings for the New York Mets in 1969.
The Cubs will turn to right-hander Kyle Hendricks for Game 3 Friday, while Cleveland will counter with Josh Tomlin. FOR FULL WORLD SERIES, NBA AND NHL COVERAGE GO TO THESTARPHOENIX.COM