3 things the Chicago Cubs need to do to win Game 6
Now down 3-2 after winning Game 5 of the 2016 World Series, the Chicago Cubs still have some work to do to force a Game 7 in Cleveland. Here’s a few things that need to happen for them to win Game 6 on Tuesday night.
It’s not over yet, Cubs fans.
Following yet another strong outing from Cy Young contender Jon Lester, a rare lengthy outing from closer Aroldis Chapman and some timely hitting from the offense, including a big home run from slumping MVP candidate Kris Bryant, the Chicago Cubs kept their World Series hopes alive on Sunday night with a 3-2 victory at Wrigley Field.
It was their first home victory in the Fall Classic since 1945, staving off elimination as the series moves back to Cleveland for Game 6 on Tuesday night.
In case you haven’t heard, the Chicago Cubs are trying to win their first title in 108 years. Through five games, it’s been the Cleveland Indians, who themselves are attempting to snap a 68-year championship drought, who have looked like the better team, even though the Cubs finished nine games better in the regular season standings and came into this 2016 World Series as the favorite.
Indians ace and former Cy Young winner Corey Kluber dominated Game 1 of this World Series and was nearly just as good in Game 4. If the Cubs want one more crack at him in Game 7, they’ll first have to get past Game 3 starter Josh Tomlin, who pitched 4 and 2/3 innings of shutout baseball last Friday night in the Indians’ 1-0 victory. The Cubs will counter with Game 2 winner and last year’s National League Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta.
Here are three things that the Cubs need to happen for this series to get to a seventh game.
Oct 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Josh Tomlin (43) delivers a pitch during the first inning in game three of the 2016 World Series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
3. The Cubs need to get to Josh Tomlin early
On July 27, 2010, Josh Tomlin made his big-league debut with the Cleveland Indians. He gave up one run on three hits in seven solid innings of work in a victory over the New York Yankees. Four days later, he threw 5 1/3 innings against the Toronto Blue Jays and took a no-decision after giving up one run on four hits. That marks the only time in the 32-year-old right hander’s career that he’s pitched on short rest….until Tuesday night, that is.
Now, for a guy with a career ERA of 4.58, Tomlin has been extremely effective this postseason, posting a 1.76 mark in three postseason appearances, giving up just three runs on nine hits in 15 and 1/3 innings, including his 4 and 2/3 innings of scoreless work in Game 3. He’s relied on his curveball quite a bit and has been able to rely on it on a constant basis. Given the Cubs’ offensive issues hitting the curveball in this series, this game could be over early if Chicago can’t get to Tomlin in the early innings.
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It all starts at the top of the lineup with Dexter Fowler, who’s been starting to see the ball a little better as the series has progressed. Kris Bryant came up with a big home run in Game 5 after struggling through the first four games of this series, Anthony Rizzo has gone 4-for-10 over the last three games and Ben Zobrist, despite some struggles the past few nights, is still hitting .368 in this World Series.
This top four in the Cubs’ lineup needs to get at Tomlin in the very first inning to set a pace for the game and get on the board first. The Cleveland bullpen and specifically Andrew Miller, who did not pitch in Game 5 and also had an extra day off on Monday, will be well-rested and likely used often by Terry Francona. The Cubs do not want to put themselves in a position in which they have to fight back in the late innings, which is why they need to pounce early on an average pithcer who is on short rest.
Oct 26, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta throws a pitch against the Cleveland Indians in the fifth inning in game two of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
2. Jake Arrieta needs another strong outing
It would have been virtually impossible for Jake Arrieta to have the kind of season he had a year ago, specifically the second half of 2015 in which he was basically unhittable. Nevertheless, the reigning Cy Young winner still had a very solid season, even with some of the inconsistency that has spilled over into the postseason.
However, after giving up six runs and two home runs in his first two starts of the playoffs, Arrieta bounced back with 5 and 2/3 innings of one-run, two-hit baseball last Thursday night in Game 2. He certainly didn’t have the best control early on, giving up three walks, but he was able to fight through his control issues and keep the Indians at bay before handing the ball over to the bullpen in the sixth inning.
Arrieta has always had nasty stuff and the key is to get the Indians to chase some of those pitches that are out of the strike zone. They were able to lay off of his slider for the most part in Game 2 and he’ll need to overpower Cleveland a bit more in this elimination game.
As it is with the Cubs’ offense, Arrieta will need to establish his dominance early in the ballgame and quiet what is sure to be a hostile and energetic crowd at Progressive Field. Arrieta came into the year as the Cubs’ No. 1 starter and he’ll need to pitch like one to give them a chance to get to Game 7.
Oct 29, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo (44) celebrates after hitting a double during the sixth inning in game four of the 2016 World Series against the Cleveland Indians at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
1. The Cubs need to relax and have fun
There are actually a few different ways in which the Chicago Cubs need to relax.
First of all, the Cubs have to be more patient at the plate. They’re simply not making the Indians’ pitchers work for much of anything. In the games that the Cubs have lost in these playoffs, the majority of them could be attributed to this problem.
They’ve been swinging at way too many balls out of the zone, with Javier Baez being the worst offender recently, and haven’t been taking nearly as many walks as they could have throughout this World Series. Along with taking walks, making the pitcher throw more pitches means there’s a higher probability of them making a mistake and the Cubs won a lot of their 103 games by capitalizing on mistakes.
I know there’s a lot of pressure that comes with being the team that is looking to end a 108-year drought, but the team that had the most fun out of any team in baseball during the regular season, the Cubs seemingly haven’t been having as much fun.
Yes, it’s hard to be in a good mood when the other team is shutting you down, but this club’s identity is based around their youthful behavior and there hasn’t been as much of that during this series. When the Cubs are laughing and joking with one another, they seem to play better. It’s that simple.
To win this game, and eventually this series if it gets that far, the NL champs have to do the things that got them here. The stakes on Tuesday night couldn’t be any higher and Chicago needs to come out and play Cubs baseball. That’s the only way they can win Game 6, because Cleveland certainly isn’t going to hand them anything.
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