Image credit: CNN.com - Jamie Squire, Getty Images
Before the Indians and Cubs play Game 3 of the 2016 World Series from Wrigley Field, the first Fall Classic game played at Wrigley since 1945, here are four quick takeaways from Games 1 and 2 of a historic series. Kyle Schwarber is the real deal You’re not supposed to be able to recover from a torn ACL in six months and hit Major League pitching in the World Series. That just doesn’t happen. But through two World Series games, Kyle Schwarber is defying odds. Serving as the designated hitter in both games in Cleveland, Schwarber is 3-for-7 with a double, two RBIs and two walks. And that’s after going hitless in four April at-bats and just 1-for-6 rehabbing in the Arizona Fall League. It just doesn’t add up. But then again, some guys just know how to hit. And a select few know how to hit in big moments. Schwarber flashed star potential in 2015. He slugged 16 homers in 273 regular season plate appearances before mashing five in the postseason, becoming the Cubs’ all-time postseason home run leader in the process. Yeah, let that sink in. And in just two World Series games this year, Schwarber is showing us all why the Cubs refused to include him in any trade offer this summer when the club was trying to add at the deadline. His double in Game 1 was inches from leaving the yard while both of his RBI singles in Game 2 were hard-hit shots up the middle of the diamond. In his other at-bats, he let the count run deep and has looked disciplined on breaking balls. In 11 career postseason games, Schwarber is hitting .353 with 10 RBI and a 1.274 OPS. Yep, you read that right. There’s no doubt the Cubs’ lineup is significantly deeper and more dangerous when Schwarber is in there. He hasn’t been medically cleared to play the outfield, so he won’t be in the starting lineup in Chicago, but he’ll still be a scary option off the bench in the late innings. Corey Kluber and Andrew Miller can carry the Indians The Indians’ convincing Game 1 win was the perfect indication that they can ride their two best arms to a World Series title. Kluber had everything working, specifically his two-seam fastball, which had insane movement all night. I’ve never seen a two-seamer move like that and I can’t remember the last time I saw a pitcher generate that much consistent movement on all of his pitches. Even in the cold air, Kluber was getting incredible tail on his two-seamer and his slider had a tight break throughout the game. He finished with nine strikeouts in six-plus innings of work. The Cubs looked awful against him all night and half the time, they left the bat of their shoulders. Chicago should be worried about facing Kluber in Game 4 and then facing him in a potential Game 7 in Cleveland. Once Terry Francona turned the ball over to Miller with a man on first in the seventh, it was game over. Even though Miller walked Rizzo and gave up a single to Zobrist to load the bases with no outs, it never actually felt like he was in trouble; Miller wasn’t going to let the Cubs get on the board. Miller has entered most of his appearances this postseason with men on base instead of starting an inning fresh, and he’s excelled in those high-leverage situations. He’s also been able to consistently work multiple innings at any point in the game, which has increased his already sky-high value. In 13.2 IP this October, Miller has 24 strikeouts and has yet to allow a run. With Kluber in line to make at least one more start and Miller available for extended work at any point, the Indians are in good shape with the series tied 1-1. They need just one win in Chicago to send the series back to Cleveland, and it’s clear that Kluber and Miller alone can just about will their team to victory. The Cubs are scary when they’re hitting The Cubs have arguably the deepest starting rotation of any of the 2016 postseason teams. Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta are proven aces, Kyle Hendricks is a rising star and John Lackey is a reliable veteran with big-game experience. They’re so deep, Jason Hammel couldn’t crack the postseason roster after posting very solid numbers in the regular season. But it’s the lineup that fuels this Cubs team. One through nine, they can all rake. After being shutout by the Dodgers in both Games 2 and 3 of the NLCS, the Cubs faced some unfamiliar adversity. But they broke out the bats in Game 4 of that series, exploding for 10 runs, and kept it going in Games 5 and 6 to secure the NL Pennant with ease. That’s when Anthony Rizzo locked in and Addison Russell started swinging the bat better. Now, Schwarber is back and already making his presence felt, and Ben Zobrist, who hit like crazy last World Series for the Royals, is locked in with five hits (two XBH) in two games against the Tribe. Then there’s NL MVP frontrunner Kris Bryant and Javy Baez, who both have hit consistently all October. The Cubs’ hitters know they’re going to get solid efforts from their starting pitchers every night, they just need to back them up. Well, after Corey Kluber, Andrew Miller and Cody Allen shut them down in Game 1, the bats came back out in Game 2, and it looks like they’ll stay out as the series heads to Wrigley Field. Francisco Lindor is a future MVP He’s easily the best player on his own club, but after Kris Bryant, Lindor might be the best overall talent among position players in this series. He’s that good. Lindor’s phenomenal rookie season in 2015 was a direct indication that he is going to be a special player for years to come, and in just his second season, he’s the catalyst of this scrappy Indians lineup. He’s hit well all postseason, which is no surprise, because he was nothing short of outstanding with the bat during the regular season. But for him to be the best hitter on a World Series team at 22 years old is something special. In 10 postseason games, Lindor is batting .342 with a .954 OPS. Lindor had a tough go of it at the plate in Game 2, but he collected three hits in Game 1 and was a nightmare for the Cubs’ pitching staff. He was no slouch on the bases, either. Lindor swiped one bag in Game 1 and gave Jon Lester fits all nights, getting in Lester’s head with his antics leading off first. The shortstop from Puerto Rico also made things happen with his glove. In the middle innings of Game 2, he made a sweet diving stop on a hot shot to his left that might have been a double play if Jason Kipnis hadn’t dropped the ball at second base. Lindor has been flawless on routine plays as well. And maybe most importantly, the kid is having fun playing the game. You see the smile and how loose he plays on the field; it’s refreshing. Make no mistake, Lindor will win an MVP Award some time soon, maybe within the next two or three years, and he might just help the Indians bring home their first World Series title in 64 years before that. BONUS: Roberto Perez in elite company This isn’t an observation, but I had to share a few crazy stats about the Indians’ catcher from this World Series, thanks to his impressive Game 1 performance. *Perez is one of five catchers, including Johnny Bench and Gary Carter, to hit two home runs in a World Series game. *Perez and Yogi Berra are the only two catchers to hit two home runs and catch a shutout in the same World Series game. *Perez is the first player born in Puerto Rico to hit two home runs in a World Series game.
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