Indians vs. Cubs: Keys for Each Team to Win World Series Game 3
Though the World Series is knotted at one game apiece, the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians didn't play either game close.
Game 1 went to the Indians by a score of 6-0, while the Cubs took Game 2 5-1.
Regardless, both games underscored the ways each team could win the requisite three games moving forward and netted us some keys for Friday night's Game 3.
Indians: Keep the Ball Down
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Wrigley Field is a chameleon of sorts. Depending on the day, it can look vastly different.
Just a few blocks west of Lake Michigan, the stadium can play as if the fences are a mile away when the wind is blowing in. When the wind blows out, it might seem smaller than a Little League field.
It will be crucial for Indians pitchers to keep the ball down in the zone, especially in the latter circumstance. When they miss their spots in the strike zone, they should miss low.
The Cubs have power throughout their lineup. Every player, with the exception of the team's struggling group of right fielders, has home run power.
Cleveland cannot allow the Cubs to go deep. That could put the game out of reach for an Indians team that, despite its six-run performance in Game 1, has struggled offensively this postseason.
Indians: Manufacture Runs
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Given that the Cubs will start Kyle Hendricks, who was statistically among baseball's best pitchers this season, the Indians will have to plan as if their run-scoring opportunities will be scarce.
Cleveland should try to manufacture them with heads-up baserunning and potential sacrifices. The good news for Cleveland is that perhaps no team in baseball was better at doing so this year.
In an era in which teams are stealing less, the Indians snagged 134 bases this regular season. That was good enough for fourth in MLB. Cleveland's 81.21 stolen-base percentage was second in baseball, only .34 percent behind the MLB-leading Arizona Diamondbacks.
Manager Terry Francona can't—and probably won't—be afraid to take the bat out of his hitters' hands by asking them to bunt. If Hendricks is throwing well, the Indians might need to concede outs in order to score.
Most importantly, Cleveland needs to be aware of opportunities when it might be able to take an extra base on a ball into an outfield gap.
Indians: Win the Walk Battle
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Though it may not be a dramatic element, whichever team is able to win the walk battle might very well win Game 3.
In Game 1, the Indians walked four times and the Cubs two. In Game 2, the Cubs walked a whopping eight times, while the Indians drew five free passes.
Throughout the regular season, there was a direct correlation between the Cubs' ability to draw walks and their offensive success. The team drew an MLB-leading 656 bases on balls this season.
If Indians pitchers are able to consistently get ahead in the count and limit walks, they could help stymie Chicago's offense. Furthermore, working the count and drawing walks would generate more run-scoring opportunities for Cleveland and run up the pitch count on Kyle Hendricks.
That could force Cubs manager Joe Maddon to go to his bullpen earlier in the game, and that unit hasn't been foolproof this postseason.
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Cubs: The Kyles
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It's a mere coincidence that the two biggest surprises for the Cubs this postseason share a first name.
For different reasons, Game 3 starter Kyle Hendricks and outfielder Kyle Schwarber have shocked the baseball world with their performances this past month. Both will be paramount to Chicago's success in Friday night's Game 3.
Last postseason, Hendricks allowed five runs over two starts in 8.2 innings pitched. Heading into this season, he was considered the Cubs' fourth starter and a potential liability in the playoffs.
But the right-hander put up Cy Young-worthy numbers, leading MLB with a 2.13 ERA and posting a 0.979 WHIP during the regular season. He has followed that up with a postseason in which he has allowed only three runs over three starts and 16.1 innings pitched.
Schwarber tore his ACL on April 7. He missed the rest of the regular season and the divisional and championship rounds of this year's postseason. But after only five plate appearances in 2016, Schwarber was in the lineup for the first two games of the World Series as the Cubs' designated hitter.
Schwarber has gone 3-for-7 with a double, two RBI, a run scored and two walks. He has not been medically cleared to play in the outfield for Chicago, so over the course of the next three games at Wrigley Field, when the series adopts NL rules and the pitcher hits, Schwarber will be relegated to a pinch hitter role.
But be certain of this: He'll appear in every game.
Even though he may get only one at-bat, that's more than enough for a player of his caliber to swing a game in the Cubs' favor.
Cubs: Shut Down the Cleveland Running Game
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As mentioned earlier, Cleveland's best chance to score runs might be stealing bases and taking extra bases on slow-hit balls into outfield gaps.
The Cubs need to be aware of that running game. Kyle Hendricks will need to keep baserunners close to first base by attempting pickoff plays. Likewise, catcher Willson Contreras could try snap throws to first and will need to be ready to quickly throw to second base.
Chicago's outfielders will need to cut off balls in the gaps and alertly get throws to the cutoff man. Bunt coverage will be key too. Cleveland is certain to try to play small ball and move its speedy baserunners into scoring position.
It's possible that players will attempt to bunt to get on base. Expect the Indians to be crafty with the way they create offense early, trying to steal the lead so they can hand an advantage to their shutdown bullpen.
Cubs: Right Field
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With Kyle Schwarber unable to play the field, the Cubs are faced with a quartet of terrible choices to insert into right field for Game 3.
Albert Almora, Chris Coghlan, Jason Heyward and Jorge Soler have all disappointed at the plate this postseason. Though Heyward and Almora offer great defense at the position, Joe Maddon's moves indicate the priority is to start someone who could get the team going offensively.
Maddon has sat Heyward, who is making $21 million this season, in five postseason games despite the fact that he is regarded as one of baseball's best defensive players.
Had Schwarber been cleared to play in the outfield, Maddon likely would have played Ben Zobrist in right and the aforementioned slugger in left. But with Schwarber only able to bat, Maddon will be forced to use one of the four struggling outfielders.
Josh Tomlin, the Indians' starter Friday, is a righty. It might make sense to start the left-handed hitting Heyward or Coghlan.
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