Indians blank Cubs in WS opener
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COREY Kluber and the Cleveland Indians are off to a pitch-perfect start in the World Series.
The Chicago Cubs, meanwhile, fell completely flat in their first appearance since 1945.
Kluber dominated into the seventh inning, Roberto Perez had four RBI with a pair of home runs and the Indians beat the Cubs 6-0 in Tuesday night’s opener of a highly anticipated matchup between the teams with baseball’s longest championship droughts.
“It’s almost like you have that extra level of intensity,” said Kluber, who became the first WS pitcher to strike out eight batters in the first three innings.
American League Championship Series MVP Andrew Miller escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the seventh and stranded runners at the corners in the eighth, preserving a three-run lead and delighting the sellout crowd of 38,091 in Cleveland’s first-ever WS home opener.
“The atmosphere in the World Series is so great,” Miller said. “You can’t help but get caught up in it and enjoy it.”
The Indians pitched their fourth shutout in nine games this postseason. After stifling two dangerous lineups in Boston and Toronto during the AL playoffs, Cleveland shut down a hard-hitting Cubs team that scored 23 runs against the Dodgers in the final three games of the National League CS.
Back in the WS for the first time since 1997, the Indians scored twice in the first off October ace Jon Lester.
Perez hit a fourth-inning solo shot and added a three-run drive in the eighth against Hector Rondon, becoming the first Cleveland player and the only No. 9 batter to homer twice in a WS game.
He has three home runs in 27 at-bats during the postseason after hitting three in 153 during the regular season.
Francisco Lindor added three hits as the Indians improved to 8-1 this postseason. Cleveland manager Terry Francona is 9-0 in the WS, including sweeps by his Boston teams in 2004 and 2007.
The Game 1 winner has taken the title in the last six WS and 17 of 19.
“I have no concerns,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s the first game. I’m fine. We’re fine.”
Trevor Bauer, trying to come back from a sliced pinkie caused by a freak drone accident, starts Game 2 for the Indians today against Jake Arrieta.
Kluber combined with Miller and Cody Allen to fan 15 — two shy of the WS record for a nine-inning game — and Chicago went 2 for 15 with 10 strikeouts.
With the Indians hoping for their first title since 1948 and the Cubs seeking their first since 1908, Lester stumbled in the opening inning.
He entered 3-0 with a 0.43 ERA in three WS starts and got his first two outs on five pitches before Cleveland loaded the bases. Jose Ramirez had a run-scoring swinging bunt single and Brandon Guyer was hit by a pitch.
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