Cubs
crush Indians to send World Series to Game 7
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[November 02, 2016]
By Larry Fine
CLEVELAND (Reuters) - The Chicago Cubs
set up a winner-take-all Game Seven of the World Series by crushing
the Cleveland Indians 9-3 on Tuesday to level Major League
Baseball's best-of-seven championship.
Facing elimination, reigning Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta won
his second of the series, backed by 22-year-old shortstop Addison
Russell, who smashed a grand slam on his way to logging a World
Series record-tying six runs batted in.
Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant, who had four hits, also homered for
Chicago, who erupted for 13 hits off six Indians pitchers.
The victory kept alive the Cubs' quest of winning their first Fall
Classic title in 108 years, and for the second time in as many games
Chicago put on hold Cleveland's celebration of a first World Series
crown since 1948.
"Anybody who plays this game grows up dreaming of winning a World
Series," said Bryant, 24. "We get to play in a Game Seven tomorrow,
that's pretty special."
One of the teams will end their drought on Wednesday, but Cleveland
fans who came to celebrate a Game Six clincher on an unusually warm
night were deflated and left the ballpark early as the Cubs romped.
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"It's OK," said Leah Hoheaverger, who left before the end of the
eighth inning as fans streamed out of Progressive Field. "We are
used to being the underdogs."
Arrieta pitched 5-2/3 innings, giving up three hits and two runs,
striking out nine in registering the win helped by four relievers.
The desperate Cubs entered the game with a team batting average of
.210 with only 10 runs in the first five games and were shut out
twice.
CUBS ROAR
But the National League champions, who led the majors with 103 wins
in the regular season, quickly turned the game into a laugher with
two big innings.
The Cubs roared out of the gate with three runs in the first, two
coming on a huge gaffe by Chicago outfielders.
Bryant crushed a hanging curve from losing pitcher Josh Tomlin to
left-center for a two-out home run.
Anthony Rizzo and Ben Zobrist lined singles before Russell slapped a
pop fly that center-fielder Tyler Naquin and right-fielder Lonnie
Chisenhall allowed to drop between them in a communication lapse.
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![](../images/110216PICS/sports45.jpg)
Cubs players Willson Contreras (40) and Addison Russell celebrate
after defeating the Cleveland Indians in game six of the 2016 World
Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA
TODAY Sports
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Rizzo trotted home and Zobrist charged around the bases, bowling
over Roberto Perez to score.
"In the regular season, crowd noise is not that loud," second
baseman Kipnis explained. "It's tough when you have to keep looking
up and down to see who is waving you off."
Russell fully earned his next four RBIs.
The shortstop rocked a grand slam over the wall in center to score
Kyle Schwarber, Rizzo and Zobrist ahead of him to make it 7-0.
The bases-loaded blast gave Russell six RBIs for the game, which
tied him with Bobby Richardson (1960), Hideki Matsui (2009) and
Albert Pujols (2011) for most in a World Series game.
Cleveland got their first hit and first run in the fourth when
Kipnis doubled and scored on Mike Napoli's single. Kipnis homered in
the fifth to make it 7-2.
A two-run shot by Rizzo in the ninth and a last-gasp run by
Cleveland closed out the contest.
Game Seven will be played in Cleveland on Wednesday with the Indians
starting ace Corey Kluber, winner of two games already this series,
against Chicago's Kyle Hendricks, the National League ERA leader.
"It's Game Seven," said Indians manager Terry Francona. "You've got
two really, really good pitchers, and it will be exciting. It's an
honor to even be a part of it, and we're going to give it everything
we have."
(Editing by Frank Pingue/Steve Keating.)
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