Wednesday, October 26, 2016

World Series: Game One

Not much to say about last night's game.  Cleveland's pitching dominated the Cubs -- just as it dominated the Red Sox and the Blue Jays in the A.L. playoffs.  Unless you were a Tribe fan, it was pretty boring.

Cleveland 6 - 0 Chicago

Cleveland leads Chicago 1-0.

58 comments:

  1. I saw one half inning--the Cubs loaded the bases with no out and got no one home, and even that was pretty boring.

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  2. We're starting early tonight due to the threat of rain in Cleveland, and the Cubs are already on the board. Kris Bryant singled, and then Anthony Rizzo whacked a double to right. Cubs lead 1-0 in the top of the first, with Rizzo on second and one out.

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  3. By the way, this is the third time Terry Francona has managed a team to the World Series. His Red Sox swept to victory in 2004 and 2007, and the Indians lead 1-0. So he's 9-0 in World Series games.

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  4. It takes 10 pitches, but Trevor Bauer gets Ben Zobrist to fly out to left.

    This brings up Kyle Schwarber, the DH. He's been hurt for almost the entire season, but he's back now. (He literally played only two games in the regular season.)

    Bauer v. Schwarber

    Pitch 1: Foul (0-1)
    Pitch 2: Foul (0-2) (almost a double)
    Pitch 3: Ball high (1-2)
    Pitch 4: Swinging strike

    So that ends the top of the first: Cubs 1, Indians coming to the plate.

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  5. In the bottom of the first, Jake Arrieta quickly retired the first two Indians, but then lost his control, walking Francisco Lindor and Mike Napoli. This brings up Jose Ramirez:

    Arrieta v. Ramirez:

    Pitch 1: Ball (1-0)
    Pitch 2: Ball (2-0)
    Pitch 3: Strike (2-1)
    Pitch 4: Ball (3-1)
    Pitch 5: Ramierez hits the ball 390 feet to center field, where it is caught for the third out.

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  6. They started this game early, in the hopes of finishing before the rains started. The first inning took almost 40 minutes.

    Cubs 1, Indians 0

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  7. FOX just pointed out that no manager other than Francona has won his first nine World Series games.

    By the way, it's really cold tonight -- temperature in the 40's, and lots of wind.

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    1. By the way, one of the other people here for dinner last night is a southern Californian by birth and most of her life. She has lived here since 2010 or so. She says it has felt like "earthquake weather" the last couple of days in western Kentucky, which is terrifying.

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  8. In the top of the 2d, Cubs get their leadoff man on first, but do nothing thereafter. Still Cubs 1-0 after 1 1/2 innings. Cubs looking for their first World Series win since October 8, 1945 -- when they won Game Six of the 1945 World Series.

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  9. Here's a way to put Cubs' history in perspective, using Super Bowl Numbers. The Cubs won World Series IV (in 1907) and V (in 1908). They last appeared in World Series XLII (in 1945).

    This year's Classic is World Series CXII.

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  10. For the record, the Chiefs won Super Bowl IV, and I think it's very likely that when the NFL gets to CXII, the Chiefs will not have won another.

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  11. Arrieta sets down the Tribe in order. After two, the Cubs lead 1-0.

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  12. With two outs in the top of the third, Rizzo draws a walk and Zobrist grounds a single up the middle. This brings up Schwarber -- who, again, has been hurt for virtually the whole season and who did not play in the N.L. playoffs. Now he rifles a shot up the middle, and Rizzo scores, with Zobrist going to third.

    Cubs 2, Indians 0.

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  13. Bauer retires Baez to end the top of the third, but the Cubs now lead 2-0.

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  14. The Indians do nothing in the bottom of the third. Cubs still lead 2-0. According to Fangraphs, Cubs have a 74 percent chance of victory.

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  15. With two out and one on in the top of the fourth, Cleveland Manager Francona comes out of the bullpen, and Trevor Bauer's night is finished. The Indians bring in Zach McAllister (3-2, 3.44 E.R.A.).

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  16. McAllister retires Dexter Fowler to end the inning. Cubs still lead 2-0 after 3 1/2.

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  17. A shout-out here to the excellent radio commercials from GEICO throughout the baseball playoffs, featuring messages from "water," "washing machine," and other inanimate objects apologizing for the harm they've done to your house -- but refusing to pay for any damage. I particularly like the one where Water says, "let's up that someday, this will all be, you know, me under the bridge."

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    1. "Let's hope that someday, this will be, you know, me under the bridge."

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    2. those are great. the geico ad people are excellent.

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  18. FOX is now showing LeBron and the other Cavs. I would love to know if LeBron ever attended an Indians game or a Browns game at Municipal Stadium.

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  19. Arrieta is not affected by the Cavs, and he mows down the Cavs in the fourth. So far, they have a total of zero hits.

    After 4: Cubs 2, Tribe 0.

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    1. The Guardian claims that mentioning a no-hitter on a live blog doesn't create jinx issues, as live blogs didn't exist in the old days of baseball.

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    2. This is a good point.

      We had some people over to the house last night, and I was really impressed that one of them--a giant Cubs fan--followed through on her commitment. In Game 5 of the NLCS, she listened to the second half of the Cubs' win on her car radio while sitting in the driveway of her home, while her spouse waited inside. So then she ended up listening to the entire Game 6 on her car radio in her driveway. Last night, I made the mistake of turning on the game on TV just as everyone was getting ready to leave, and Chicago was up 4-0. She seriously considered staying in our living room the rest of the game, but she didn't--and I was quite relieved that the Cubs eventually won and I didn't mess it up.

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    3. By the way, the Guardian is clearly wrong, as the no-hitter was broken up soon after its post.

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  20. The heart of the order continues to do damage for Chicago. In the top of the fifth, Rizzo works a one-out walk (on 10 pitches), and then Zobrist rips a triple to right that scores Rizzo. Cubs 3, Indians 0.

    That's all for McAllister. The Tribe brings in Brian Shaw (2-5, 3.24 E.R.A.)

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  21. Shaw faces the Miracle Man, Kyle Schwarber -- who, again, only played two games all season until serving as the Cubs' DH in the World Series. Schwarber smacks a single up the middle, Rizzo comes home, and the Cubs lead 4-0.

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  22. Things are getting ragged for the Tribe now. An error by second baseman Jason Kipnis and a walk by Shaw loads the bases for Addison Russell. Then Shaw walks Russell to score Schwarber. Cubs lead 5-0, and the bases are still loaded.

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  23. Shaw finally gets out of the fifth, but the Cubs lead 5-0 after 4 1/2 innings.

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  24. Three up, three down for the Indians in the fifth.

    Cubs 5, Indians 0 after 5. Cubs now have a 96 percent chance of victory.

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  25. In the top of the 6th, the Tribe sends out Danny Salazar (11-6, 3.87 E.R.A. in 25 starts). They are obviously saving their bullpen, as they must.

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  26. A shout-out to Dan Shulman and Aaron Boone, who do a great job on ESPN Radio. They're not quite at the level of my old faves, Jon Miller and Joe Morgan, but they are very good.

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    1. I like it that Dan Shulman is getting reward for his years of towing the line.

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  27. Meanwhile, on FOX, Joe Buck has called the play-by-play of every World Series game since 1999. This fact alone seriously undermines the usual arguments in favor of capitalism.

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  28. In 1999, the last time Bob Costas did the World Series on NBC, the Series had an average TV rating of 16.0. It's pretty much been in decline ever since -- last year it was 8.7. And yet FOX continues to impose Joe Buck on the nation's baseball fans.

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  29. It doesn't affect me -- but then, I don't think I've heard Buck call a baseball game since Game Seven of the 2001 World Series.

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  30. Salazar survives the top of the 6th, but the Cubs still lead 5-0.

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  31. By the way, the other day I tuned into WTEM-AM, Sports Talk 980 here in Washington. It was Saturday morning. There were a bunch of big college football games coming up, and the Cubs were going to play the Dodgers in the NLCS that night. When I tuned in, at about 11 A.M., Andy Pollan was talking about the touchdown celebrations of the Redskins' "Fun Bunch" back in the 1980's. He told how Tex Schramm lobbied for rules changes to ban the "Fun Bunch." Then he started talking about other NFL celebrations of the 1980's and 1990's, such as the Ickey Shuffle. After about five minutes of this, he was up to the "Dirty Birds," and I turned the channel.

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  32. In the bottom of the 6th, Jason Kipnis doubles to right center, and Arrieta's no-hitter is gone.

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  33. Kipnis advances to third on a ground ball, and then scores on a wild pitch. Chicago 5, Cleveland 1.

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  34. Now Mike Napoli lines a single to left, and that's all for Arrieta. The Cubs are bringing in Mike Montgomery (4-5, 2.52 E.R.A.)

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  35. That was an odd start by Arrieta. He pitched well for hours, but he only threw 5 2/3 innings.

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  36. Montgomery gets Jose Ramirez to ground out, and the inning is over. After 6, the Cubs lead 5-1. Cubs with a 95 percent chance of victory.

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  37. For the top of the 7th, the Tribe brings out Jeff Manship (2-1, 3.12 E.R.A.) He is Cleveland's fifth pitcher of the night.

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  38. The Cubs have loaded the bases thanks to a walk, an error, and single, and they still only have one out. That's all for Manship, who is replaced by Dan Otero (5-1, 1.53 E.R.A.) It's like "Meet the Indians' Bullpen" night in Cleveland.

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  39. Otero works out of the jam, and Chicago leads 5-1 after 6 1/2 innings.

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  40. For any reporter or pundit who complains about pace of play, I have one question: Do you support instant replay? Because if you do, then you're one of the biggest problems with pace of play.

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  41. In the bottom of the 7th, Montgomery gives up a single and a walk with two outs. But then he strikes out Carlos Santana to end the inning.

    After 7: Cubs 5, Indians 1.

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  42. Cubs go down 1-2-3 in the top of the 8th. Still 5-1.

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  43. The rain has started to fall. With two outs in the bottom of the 8th, Mike Napoli whacks a single up the middle. That's all for Montgomery, and the Cubs will bring in Aroldis Chapman (4-1, 1.55 E.R.A., 36 saves) in an effort to close this game out.

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  44. Chapman strikes out Ramirez, and the 8th inning is over. Cubs 5, Indians 1.

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  45. Mike Clevinger (3-3, 5.26 E.R.A.) is Cleveland's 7th pitcher of the night.

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  46. The Cubs, who are ready for this game to be over, go down 1-2-3 in the 9th.

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  47. Chapman retires the Indians, and the Cubs win 5-2 in a game that took only four hours and four minutes to play.

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