Chapman slams door to keep Cubs’ hopes alive
CHICAGO— Aroldis Chapman got eight outs for a pressure-packed save and the Chicago Cubs held off the Cleveland Indians 3-2 on Sunday night to force Game 6 in the World Series.
It was Chicago’s first Series win at Wrigley Field since 1945.
Game 6 goes Tuesday night in Cleveland. The Indians are hoping to capture their first championship since 1948 and extend a drought for the Cubs that dates to 1908. The Cubs led the majors with 103 wins in the regular season and won their first pennant in 71 years.
Needing a win, Cubs manager Joe Maddon took a page out of counterpart Terry Francona’s book and brought in his best reliever in the seventh inning with a runner on second and Chicago clinging to a one-run lead.
Chapman relieved Carl Edwards Jr. with one out and struck out Jose Ramirez swinging at a 100-m.p.h. fastball. Chapman hit Brandon Guyer in the leg with his next pitch before retiring Roberto Perez on a groundout to second, delighting the towel-waving crowd at Wrigley Field.
Chapman hadn’t pitched in the seventh inning since 2012. His career high had been 2 1⁄ innings.
3 Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer lasted five innings. The Indians brought in Mike Clevinger to start the bottom of the fifth, with the Cubs leading 3-1. The right-hander gave up six hits and struck out seven without a walk.
Bauer was sailing along with a 1-0 lead before the Cubs broke out with three runs in the fourth, starting with Kris Bryant’s leadoff homer. Bryant lined a1-and-1 fastball just beyond the left-field wall for his second post-season homer — and first since Game 3 of the NL Division Series against San Francisco.
Fans were still dancing and shaking the upper deck when Anthony Rizzo lined the next pitch off the ivy in right for a double. He moved up on a single by Ben Zobrist and came around on Addison Russell’s infield single to third. Retiring catcher David Ross, playing his final home game, added a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to make it 3-1.
Ramirez opened the scoring in the second inning with a two-out solo home run off the first pitch he saw from Cubs starter Jon Lester, who had struck out the side in the first. It was Ramirez’s first homer of the playoffs, after 11 in the regular season.
Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward made a highlight-reel catch on Bauer’s foul in the third. He planted his foot and grabbed the top of the wall, then reached back toward the field with his glove to snag it.
Francisco Lindor hit an RBI single with two out in the sixth inning to trim Cleveland’s deficit to 3-2. Rajai Davis singled off Lester with one and stole second. He scored on Lindor’s line drive to centre.