In spite of Cubs’ zero, Zobrist on fire
CLEVELAND — The Cubs’ offense mostly fired blanks in Game 1 of theWorld Series on Tuesday night. Too many strikeouts ( 15) and not enough hard contact.
If only more Cubs hitters had followed the lead of Ben Zobrist, who went 3- for- 4 against a Cleveland Indians pitching staff that has four shutouts in nine playoff games.
“How about Zobrist’s great night?” said manager Joe Maddon, accentuating the positive after a 6- 0 loss.
Each of Zobrist’s hits set up as meaningful knocks. He led off the second inning with a double against Corey Kluber that bounced past center fielder Rajai Davis to the wall, but Kluber struck out Kyle Schwarber, Javy Baez and Chris Coghlan.
Zobrist led off the seventh with a single to left and was the last hitter to face Kluber, as Indians manager Terry Francona went to left- hander Andrew Miller to face Schwarber. The Cubs would load the bases with nobody out, but Miller pitched out of that jam.
Zobrist also singled in the eighth to bring Schwarber up as the tying run.
“He’s such a calming influence because he doesn’t get excited,” Maddon said. “You watch his at- bats — they are absolutely the same all the time, and I think you look at the ascension of Baez as an example, or Addison [ Russell]— I know they’re watching him. They watch how he’s never in trouble at the plate. Two strikes don’t bother him. He accepts his walks.
“I anticipate over the next couple years, you’ll see our young guys working those same kind of at- bats.”
Russell went 0- for- 4 with three strikeouts. If one of the NLCS hitting heroes gained anything Tuesday, it was getting an eyeful of Zobrist.
“Ben had very solid atbats,” Russell said. “He didn’t go outside his approach. Stayed within himself and didn’t go out of his swing. He did great tonight.”