It’s been 71-year wait for Wrigley

CHICAGO — Chicago Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber was followed by cameras and cellphones. A couple of pitchers from the Cleveland Indians played hacky sack in the outfield. The giant videoboard in left field flashed “World Series.”

So, no, nothing like the last Fall Classic at Wrigley Field.

The World Series returns to one of baseball’s iconic ballparks on Friday when the Cubs and Indians face off in Game 3 after splitting the first two nights in chilly Cleveland. It’s the first World Series game at Wrigley since Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg helped the Detroit Tigers to a 9-3 victory in Game 7 on Oct. 10, 1945.

The expectation is, well, even more bedlam than usual. The Cubs, seeking their first championship in 108 years, played in front of packed, frenzied crowds for much of the season, and even the Indians are looking forward to the scene.

“Tomorrow’s going to be unbelievable,” Cleveland slugger Mike Napoli said. “I watched when they clinched to go to the World Series and how crazy it was and seeing the fans in the streets where they had to have police escorts. You could just see the crowd just part ways.”

It’s been pretty great so far, and it’s only getting started.

Corey Kluber pitched the Indians to a 6-0 win Tuesday, striking out nine in a dazzling performance. After Josh Tomlin makes his third playoff start in the Wrigley opener, Kluber looms over Game 4 on Saturday on short rest.

The Cubs returned to Chicago on a high after working over Cleveland’s pitching staff in a 5-1 victory Wednesday night. Trevor Bauer lasted just 3 2/3 innings, beginning a parade to the mound that included six relievers and a total of 196 pitches.

Schwarber will be relegated to pinch-hitting moments for the next three games after doctors said it was too soon after major left knee surgery to risk putting him in the outfield. The move takes one of Chicago’s best bats out of the lineup after a surprising return by the slugger for the Series.

Playing left in Wrigley Field isn’t easy under normal circumstances.

Carlos Santana is about to find out what it’s like — in Game 3 with the wind blowing out to Waveland Avenue, millions watching on TV and well-oiled Cubs fans breathing down his neck.

Unable to use Santana as his designated hitter with the Series switching to Wrigley for the next three games, Indians manager Terry Francona plans to move his DH into left field Friday. Santana has only played four innings in left in his career.

The first two games of the World Series averaged 18.3 million viewers on Fox, up 27 percent from last year and the most since 2009. The Nielsen company said that Chicago’s 5-1 win over Cleveland on Wednesday received an 11.3 rating and 19 share and averaged 17.4 million viewers.