Get a whiff of this: Kluber, pen fan 15
In support of gem, unheralded Perez wallops 2 homers and drives in four
CLEVELAND — Corey Kluber got the Cleveland Indians off to a great start, and Roberto Perez finished off the Chicago Cubs in their first World Series game since 1945.
Kluber pitched neatly into the seventh inning, Perez hit two home runs, and the Indians beat the Cubs 6-0 in the opener Tuesday night. American League Championship Series MVP Andrew Miller escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the seventh and got out of trouble in the eighth, preserving a 3-0 lead.
“It’s almost like you have that extra level of intensity,” said Kluber, who became the first Series pitcher to strike out eight batters in the first three innings.
In a matchup between the teams with baseball’s longest championship droughts, the Indians scored twice in the first inning off October ace Jon Lester and were on their way.
Perez drove in four runs — he became the first No. 9 batter to homer twice in a Series game, and the first Indians player to accomplish the feat. He hit a three-run drive to put it away.
Francisco Lindor added three hits, helping Cleveland manager Terry Francona to improve to 9-0 in the Series. Francona’s success includes sweeps by his Boston teams in 2004 and 2007.
The Game 1 winner has taken the title in the last six Series and 17 of 19.
Trevor Bauer, trying to come back from a sliced pinkie, starts Game 2 for the Indians on Wednesday night against Jake Arrieta. Because the forecast called for an increased chance of rain later in the evening, Major League Baseball took the extraordinary step of moving up the first pitch by an hour.
Kluber combined with Miller and Cody Allen to fan 15.
With the Indians hoping for their first title since 1948 and the Cubs seeking their first since 1908, Lester stumbled in the opening inning.
Cleveland loaded the bases with two outs, Jose Ramirez had a run-scoring swinging bunt single and Brandon Guyer was hit by a pitch.
Lester had been 3-0 in three Series starts with a 0.43 ERA.
Perez, who had three homers in 153 at-bats during the regular season, connected in the fourth for a 3-0 lead. His drive in the eighth was his third homer this postseason.
“I’ve come a long ways,” said Perez.
Kluber, whose win in the All-Star Game gave the AL home-field advantage on the Series, improved to 3-1 in the postseason and lowered his ERA to a sparkling 0.74.
“I think his ball was moving too much today,” said Perez, Cleveland’s catcher.
Kluber struck out nine in six innings and walked none. He stranded Ben Zobrist after a leadoff double in the second and David Ross following a one-out single in the third.
Kyle Schwarber, making a surprise return in his first big league game since tearing knee ligaments on April 7, doubled off the right-field wall in the fourth. Kluber then got Baez to fly out.
Zobrist’s leadoff double in the seventh finished Kluber, and Cleveland loaded the bases with no outs against Miller on Schwarber’s walk and Javier Baez’s single. Pinchhitter Willson Contreras flied to Rajai Davis in short center.
Using his intimidating slider, Miller struck out Addison Russell and Ross to escape the jam, then fanned Schwarber to strand runners at the corners in the eighth, his 46th pitch. Miller has thrown 20 scoreless innings in postseason play, including 132⁄3 innings with 24 strikeouts this year.
Allen completed Cleveland’s fourth postseason shutout.
“I have no concerns,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s the first game. I’m fine, we’re fine.”