Starting pitchers tonight were righthander Corey Kluber (Cleveland) and lefthander Jon Lester (Chicago), two pitchers who both had a very successful season with almost equal stats.
30-year old Kluber was 18-9 this season and closed with a 3.14 ERA, while striking out 227 batters in 215 innings.
Kluber pitched in 32 games (all starts).
Kluber made his debut in the Major League in 2011 and since then has played for Cleveland.
In the AL Division Series against Boston Red Sox, Kluber started Game 2 and then was the winning pitcher, striking out seven batters in seven innings, while giving up only three hits.
He then started Game 1 of the AL Championship Series against Toronto Blue Jays.
This time, he struckout six batters and gave up six hits in 6 1/3 inning and again was the winning pitcher.
Kluber then also started Game 4 against Toronto, but then was the losing pitcher, giving up four hits and two runs in five innings, while striking out seven batters.
32-year old Lester was 19-5 this season with a 2.44 ERA.
The lefthander also pitched in 32 games (all starts) and struckout 197 batters in 202 2/3 inning.
Lester made his Major League-debut in 2006 pitching for Boston Red Sox, for whom he played through 2014.
In August of that season, he was traded to Oakland A's, where he played in the remainder of the season.
Afterwards, Lester became a Free Agent and signed with the Cubs in December 2014.
Lester was the starter in Game 1 of the NL Division Series against San Francisco Giants, which the Cubs won only 1-0.
In that game, he was the winning pitcher, striking out five batters in eight scoreless innings, while giving up only five hits.
Lester then started the opener of the NL Championship Series against Los Angeles Dodgers and had a no-decision, giving up four hits in six innings.
Hereafter, he was the starter in Game 5 against the Dodgers and was the winning pitcher again, striking out six batters in seven innings, while giving up five basehits.
In his career, Lester started 15 games against the Indians and is 7-1 with a 3.03 ERA.
In those games, he struckout 93 batters in 95 innings.
He last faced the Indians in 2015.
Before the game, the ceremonial first pitch was thrown by former Cleveland Indians-player Kenny Lofton, who in 1995 played for the team when it won the title in the American League.
In the top of the first inning, Cleveland-starter Corey Kluber had a strong start.
He retired the side, including striking out the first two batters (both called).
Chicago-starter Jon Lester then also retired the first two batters he faced, including a strikeout, in the bottom of the first.
But hereafter, the lefthander gave up a single to Francisco Lindor, who then stole second base.
It was expected in advance that the Indians were probably going to run (when possible) off of Lester, who is known for having trouble throwing to the bases and almost never makes pick-off attempts.
This season, Cleveland led the American League with 134 stolen bases.
Hereafter, the bases got loaded when Lester walked Mike Napoli and Carlos Santana.
Moments later, Cleveland opened the score on an infield-hit by José Ramirez towards third baseman Kris Bryant, who was unable to make a play after fielding the ball halfway the infield.
Another run was then scored when next batter Brandon Guyer was hit by a pitch.
This season, Guyer was hit by a pitch 31 times to lead the Major League.
Early August, Guyer came to Cleveland in a trade with Tampa Bay Rays.
Three runners were left behind when a pop-fly on foul territory was nicely caught by catcher David Ross.
...Rajai Davis was 1-for-5 for the Indians...
...On the photo, he plays for...
...Toronto Blue Jays in 2012...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In the top of the second inning, Ben Zobrist led off for the Cubs with a double.
Last year, Zobrist won the World Series with the Kansas City Royals.
With Zobrist on second base, Kyle Schwarber stepped into the batter's box.
As mentioned above, Schwarber sustained a severe knee-injury on April 7 and missed the remainder of the season.
Last Saturday and on Monday, he played his next two games in the Arizona Fall League and afterwards flew to Cleveland to join the Cubs.
He was added to the roster and tonight was in the starting line-up as the designated hitter.
Corey Kluber struck Schwarber out in his first Major League-at bat since April 7.
Hereafter, Kluber also struckout Javier Baez and Chris Coghlan (both called).
Kluber continued his dominance in the bottom of the third inning, as the righthander struckout three more batters.
Only 39-year old veteran-catcher David Ross was able to reach base, as he singled with one out.
Herafter, Kluber struckout the next two batters to raise his total to eight.
With that, he became the first pitcher in World Series-history to record eight strikeouts in the first three innings.
The record had been seven, realized by Bob Gibson, Orlando 'El Duque' Hernandez and Randy Johnson.
In the bottom of the third inning, Francisco Lindor led off with his second single of the evening.
With one out, he again tried to steal second base, but this time was caught stealing on a close play.
Hereafter, Carlos Santana walked and José Ramirez singled (also his second).
After having reached second base, Santana needed some medical assistance for a cramp (which isn't seen much in baseball), but was able to continue.
The two runners stranded, as Jon Lester closed with a strikeout.
With two outs in the top of the fourth inning, Kyle Schwarber doubled off the wall in rightfield, barely missing a homerun.
That was his first Major League-basehit of the season, as he was 0-for-4 when he got injured on April 7 and was out of the season thereafter.
He stranded on second base, as next hitter Javier Baez flied out on the first pitch he saw.
Cleveland added its third run in the bottom of the fourth inning when catcher Roberto Perez homered with one out.
Corey Kluber and Jon Lester both retired the side in the fifth inning.
Kluber added his ninth strikeout, while Lester struckout two batters.
After Kluber retired the side again in the top of the sixth, Cleveland reached base again in its sixth.
José Ramirez led off with a double (and was now 3-for-3), then a strikeout followed.
When next batter Lonnie Chisenhall hit a long flyout, Chicago-Manager Joe Maddon came out to make a pitching change.
Pedro Strop, whose father is from Curaçao and whose mother is from the Dominican Republic, took over and ended the inning with a strikeout.
In the top of the seventh, Corey Kluber also was relieved after giving up a lead-off single to Ben Zobrist.
Relief-ace Andrew Miller took over, but the Most Valuable Player of the American League Championship Series got the bases loaded with no outs.
Miller, who came to the Indians on July 31 in a trade with the New York Yankees, walked Kyle Schwarber, then gave up a single to Javier Baez.
With the bases loaded, pinch-hitter Willson Contreras flied out to short centerfield, where Rajai Davis made the catch.
Schwarber had left the base on the hit and was halfway when Davis made the catch, making it (almost) easy for the centerfielder to complete a double play at second base.
However, Davis had his eye on the runner from third base and threw the ball to the plate, enabling Schwarber to return to second base.
With that, the bases remained full, but hereafter, Miller followed with two strikeouts to end the at bat and keep the Cubs scoreless.
In the bottom of the seventh, there were two pitching changes made by Chicago and Francisco Lindor doubled with two outs, but he stranded.
In the top of the eighth inning, Andrew Miller got two Chicago-batters to reach base.
With one out, he walked Kris Bryant, who then advanced to third base on a 2-out single by Ben Zobrist (his third basehit).
Miller then again ended the threat with a strikeout, this time for Kyle Schwarber.
Another pitching change at the side of Chicago followed in the bottom of the eighth inning.
With two outs, Brandon Guyer walked and Lonnie Chisenhall singled off of reliever Justin Grimm, who was then replaced by Hector Rondon.
On his fifth delivery, he gave up a 3-run homerun to next hitter Roberto Perez, his second homerun in the game, which lifted the lead to 6-0.
In the top of the ninth, closer Cody Allen took the mound for the Indians.
He began with a strikeout for Javier Baez, then gave up a double to Willson Contreras.
A strikeout for Addison Russell followed, then Allen ended the game by also striking out pinch-hitter Miguel Montero.
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Cleveland shuts out Chicago in World Series-opener
CLEVELAND, Ohio (USA) -
Cleveland Indians shutout Chicago Cubs 6-0 on Tuesday-evening (October 25) in the opener of the 112th World Series.
Game 2 will be played on Wednesday, but will start one hour earlier due to expected rain later in the evening.
The game now starts at 7:08 PM (1:08 AM Dutch time).
This years World Series already is a historic one before it has even started, as it is one between two of the oldest Major League-clubs.
Chicago Cubs was one of the founding members of the National League in 1876 and played in this league ever since.
Cleveland Indians was founded in 1894 in Grand Rapids, then moved to Cleveland in 1900 and is playing in the American League since that league became the second Major League in 1901.