CLEVELAND USED
Indians blank Cubs on blustery night at Wrigley
a pinch-hit single from Coco Crisp to score the only run of Game 2 as the Indians beat the Cubs 1-0 for a 2-1 lead in the World Series.
CHICAGO — This city waited 71 years for the World Series to return to Wrigley Field. It will have to wait another day, at the earliest, to see the Cubs score a run in a World Series game at Wrigley Field. For the second time in four days, the Indians tossed a shutout, this one a 1-0 Game 3 victory that gave them a 2-1 edge in the series.
Coco Crisp hit the go-ahead RBI single for Cleveland in the seventh. The Indians relievers corralled the last 13 outs. And the team can sit pretty, knowing ace Corey Kluber will start for them in Game 4 today.
On Friday, the conditions appeared idyllic for hitters. The temperature sat in the low 60s. A southern wind blew across the park at 14 mph upon the first pitch. Yet the two clubs traded zeros.
Both starting pitchers benefited from the expansive strike zone of umpire John Hirschbeck. Willing to call strikes on the lower edge of the outer half, Hirschbeck allowed
the Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks and the Indians’ Josh Tomlin avoid the bats of their opponents and rush through the first four innings.
Hendricks hit a wall in the fifth. He gave up a leadoff single to outfielder Tyler Naquin. After a sacrifice by Tomlin, Hendricks favored his curveball in a matchup with outfielder Carlos Santana. Hendricks could not spot the pitch in the zone, and Santana walked. Hendricks drilled second baseman Jason Kipnis with a fastball, which loaded the bases and forced Cubs manager Joe Maddon to open up his bullpen.
Maddon chose righthanded reliever Justin Grimm. At the plate stood Francisco Lindor, Cleveland’s slick-fielding shortstop and No. 3 hitter from Montverde Academy. Grimm showed little interest in giving Lindor a fastball. He flung five curveballs, and Lindor pounded the last toward Chicago second baseman Javier Baez, who started an inning-ending double play.
Tomlin could not finish the fifth, either. A leadoff single by outfielder Jorge Soler supplied some pressure. Tomlin responded with a pair of outs. As Maddon sent catcher Miguel Montero to pinch-hit, Indians manager Terry Francona countered with lefthanded relief ace Andrew Miller. Montero lined out to tantalize the crowd.
The ballpark fell silent in the seventh inning as Cleveland broke through. Roberto Perez, the two-homer hero from Game 1, singled off Cubs reliever Carl Edwards Jr. After a bunt, a wild pitch and a walk to outfielder Rajai Davis, there were runners at the corners with none out for the Indians.
It was Miller’s turn to bat after he was doubleswitched into the game in the place of Santana, the leadoff hitter. Francona chose Crisp to hit for Miller. Edwards had been erratic, but Maddon stuck with him. Crisp pulled a fastball into right to put his team ahead with an RBI single.
The Cubs received a gift in the seventh. Soler lofted a two-out flyball down the right-field line. Racing toward it was converted infielder Lonnie Chisenhall. He leaped at the wall, only to see the ball land behind him. Soler galloped into third.
The ballpark lit up at the gaffe. The optimism did not last long. Bryan Shaw, another member of Francona’s vaunted bullpen, missed Baez’s barrel with a 2-0 cutter. Baez hit a harmless ground and stranded Soler.
Both starting pitchers benefited from the expansive strike zone of umpire John Hirschbeck. Hirschbeck allowed Hendricks and Tomlin avoid the bats of their opponents and rush through the first four innings.