The Cubs entered Game 4 of the World Series in an unexpected—albeit familiar—position: down 2-1 and desperately needing a slumping offense to awaken. Tonight’s challenge was exacerbated by facing the indomitable Corey Kluber, the former Cy Young winner who shut them down in Game 1. The wind reversed from last night, steadily blowing in and […]
Tag: Second City October
Second City October: World Series Game Four Preview, Cleveland (2-1), at Cubs (1-2)
There’s the plan and then there’s the outcome, and very often those two things don’t wind up in sync. When the flyball pitcher from Cleveland takes the mound at Wrigley with the wind blowing out, a 1-0 finish in his favor is not the expected outcome. But it was, and that’s put the Cubs in […]
Second City October: A Decision in the Seventh Inning
I know that in the middle of the World Series no one cares about the argument over the DH…and yet, on another level, it’s during the World Series that that argument is most prominent, because the entire baseball world becomes centered around a faceoff between the two philosophies. That’s an opportunity we who are interested […]
Second City October: A Wrigley Renaissance, And a Tough Loss
Game 3 featured two of the softest-tossing right-handed starters in the game, with Cleveland’s Josh Tomlin (87.8 mph average fastball) and Chicago’s starter Kyle Hendricks (89.9) squaring off in the momentous contest. Game conditions were a classic Wrigley Field experience, with gusting winds between 20-40 mph blowing straight out. The scene was everything you could […]
Second City October: World Series Game Three Preview, Cleveland (1-1) at Cubs (1-1)
The Wrigleyville neighborhood has long been known for its restraint and overall calm demeanor on the Friday night of Halloween weekend. So, really, why should we expect any different for Game Three of the World Series? The Cubs averaged eights run a game during the final three games of the NLCS, and after failing to cash […]
Second City October: State of the World Series
The Caray-Carey Series (that’s Harry versus Drew, for those scratching their heads) is knotted at one game apiece, with a pair of games in Cleveland split due to hot bats and hotter starting pitching. The contrast between the two games is nigh impossible to overstate, with the Cubs’ hitters rallying frequently in Game Two after […]
Second City October: Make That An Even Series
A World Series between the two teams with the longest championship droughts comes with enough intrigue before the games start, but add a split set of games in the first two at Progressive Field, and that drama only grows. Last night, the bandage was pulled off quickly when Jon Lester gave up two first inning runs […]
Second City October: The Beauty of Belief, And Those Who’d Take It Away
Javier Baez, Most Valuable Player of the 2016 NLCS, has fourteen postseason hits for seven RBIs through Game One of the World Series. That’s better than Kris Bryant. It’s better than every other Cub. And it says nothing of his dazzling defense. Willson Contreras has knocked a cool .409 in his October attempts, which is […]
Second City October: World Series Game Two Preview, Cubs (0-1) vs. Cleveland (1-0)
Looming is what this game feels like. The start time has been moved an hour ahead to try to avoid the impending rain fall in Cleveland. The Cubs need at least one game in Cleveland no matter what, and the Cubs have, on paper, a favorable pitching matchup, and so the math has not changed […]
Second City October: Game One Goes to Cleveland
The hope is that the experience of watching the Cubs in the World Series for the first time in 71 years isn’t marred by watching them picked apart in the first game of that series by the American League Cy Young winner of two seasons ago. Both teams came into the Fall Classic with long histories […]