After Tuesday night’s opening game of the World Series, it seemed that the Cubs would remain Chicago’s loveable losers for the foreseeable future.
Down by two runs at the bottom of the first inning of Game 1, the Cubs let the Cleveland Indians’ early lead turn into a thorough smackdown. After Cleveland scored another three runs in the 8th and ended the game 6-0, it seemed clear that the Cubs weren’t going to break the Curse of the Billy Goat any time soon.
Or was it? Right of the bat Wednesday night, Chicago fans could tell that the Cubs were back in the game.
In addition to the tenacious pitching by Jake Arrieta at the top of the game, part of the Cubs key to success was waiting out the Indians and staying strong throughout the game. Once again, Chicago demonstrated their post-season strategy: it’s not about winning the game, it’s about winning the series.
"We don't lose many series,” Cubs infielder Javier Baez said after their Game 1 loss. "We just gotta go out and play our game and we'll be fine."
And it seems that’s exactly what they did.
Scoring one run in the top of the first inning and another in the top of the third to establish an early lead, Chicago had a much stronger performance than the Indians. Cleveland’s performance was, by most accounts, sloppy and error ridden, with critical mistakes made by the Indians’ second baseman Jason Kipnis and right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall.
By the fifth inning, the Cubs had added three more runs to their score, further padding their lead.
Looking ahead to Game 3 of the World Series, Cleveland will no doubt be looking to clean up their game, learning from the mistakes they made Wednesday night; Chicago, on the other hand, will be hoping to ride the wave of their Game 2 win.
And the odds will be in the Cubs’ favor Friday night when the World Series moves to Chicago. Playing in their first Fall Classic since 1945 and having a home field advantage at the historic Wrigley Field with thousands of cheering fans may prove to be the golden ticket for the Cubs.
But whether they finally beat the Curse or remain lovable losers remains to be seen.
You can catch all the action live streaming, continuing with Game 3 of the 2016 World Series on Friday, October 28th at 8:00 p.m. ET.
How to Watch Game 3:
Game 3 of the World Series will take place Friday, October 28th, at 8:00 p.m. ET in Chicago.
In order to watch the games online, fans can use the Fox Sports GO website (or app for mobile viewing), but access requires a valid login through a cable provider. Games are also available for streaming on TBS Sports and you can find even more ways to watch without a cable login from Cut Cable Today.
You can also find the complete postseason schedule, along with the latest baseball news at MLB.com.
The 2016 World Series Schedule
Game 3: 8:00 p.m. ET, Friday, October 28 in Chicago
Game 4: 8:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, October 29 in Chicago
Game 5: 8:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, October 30 in Chicago
Game 6*: 8:00 p.m. ET, Tuesday, November 1 in Cleveland
Game 7*: 8:00 p.m. ET, Wednesday, November 2 in Cleveland
* if necessary