CLEVELAND -- Jake Arrieta made a teasing attempt at history, Kyle Schwarber drove in two runs and the Chicago Cubs brushed off a Game 1 shutout to even the World Series with their first Fall Classic win in 71 years, 5-1 over the Cleveland Indians, in Game 2 on Wednesday night.
Arrieta carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, briefly invoking Don Larsen's name, before the Indians touched him for two hits and a run. However, the right-hander helped give Chicago just what it needed -- a split at Progressive Field -- before the Cubbies return to their Wrigley Field den for the next three games of the Series, starting Friday night.
The Cubs hadn't won in the Series since beating Detroit 8-7 in 1945 to force Game 7.
The free-swinging Schwarber, who made it back for Chicago's long-awaited Series return after missing most of the season with an injured left knee, hit an RBI single in the third off Cleveland's Trevor Bauer and had another in the Cubs' three-run fifth, which was highlighted by Ben Zobrist's run-scoring triple.
Even the presence of star LeBron James and the NBA champion Cavaliers, sporting their new rings, couldn't stop the Indians from losing for the first time in six home games this postseason.
And Cleveland manager Terry Francona's magical touch in October finally fizzled as he dropped to 9-1 in Series games.
With rain in the forecast, Major League Baseball moved the first pitch up an hour in hopes of avoiding delays or a postponement.
It turned out to be a good call, as the game went on without a hitch and ended after more than four hours as light rain was beginning to fall.
Arrieta and the Cubs provided the only storm.
The bearded 30-year-old coasted through five innings without allowing a hit, the first pitcher to get that deep in a Series game with a no-hitter since David Cone of the New York Yankees in 1998.
For a brief period, Arrieta looked as if he might challenge Larsen's gem -- a perfect game -- in 1956. before Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis, a die-hard Cubs fan as a kid, doubled with one out in the sixth .
Before that, Cleveland hitters had a couple of good swings and drew three walks, but it couldn't mount a real threat. Arrieta has two career no-hitters, in fact, including the only one in the majors this year.
Cubs lefty Mike Montgomery replaced Arrieta and worked two scoreless innings before Aroldis Chapman came in and unleashed his 103 mph heat while getting the last four outs.
The teams will have an off day before the series resumes with Game 3 at Wrigley, which will host its first Series game since Oct. 6, 1945, when tavern owner Billy Sianis was asked to leave with his pet goat, Murphy, and a curse was born.
Josh Tomlin will start for the Indians, who will lose the designated hitter in the National League ballpark, against Kyle Hendricks.
Schwarber might also wind up on the bench after two days as the DH.
With a game-time temperature of 43, the weather was more fitting for the Browns and Bears to bang heads than the boys of summer.
The Cubs were the ones who came up thumping after being blanked 6-0 in Game 1 by Corey Kluber and Cleveland's shut-down bullpen.
Zobrist's one-out triple triggered the fifth for the Cubs, as they opened a 5-0 lead, not that Arrieta needed it.
After Anthony Rizzo walked following a 10-pitch at-bat, Zobrist laced a ball off Zach McAllister that was going to be a double until right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall slipped and fell. Rizzo was waved around and Zobrist hustled into third.
Schwarber followed with his second RBI, and reliever Bryan Shaw later walked No. 9 hitter Addison Russell with the bases loaded.
Unlike his start in Toronto on Oct. 17, when his stitched cut opened up and Bauer was forced to make a bloody departure in the first inning, his finger held up fine.
The Cubs, though, put a few nicks in him in 3⅔ innings.
His drone accident has brought attention to the quirky Bauer, and one Chicago fan tried to rattle the right-hander by sending a smaller version of the remote-controlled, flying object that cut him.
Bauer posted a photo of it on Twitter, saying, "I see the @Cubs fans love me! How nice of them to send me a gift!"
The Cubs, who were off balance from the start against Kluber, scored their first run in a Series game since 1945 in the first on Rizzo's RBI double.
Bauer needed 51 pitches to get through two innings, and he was one strike from getting out of the third unscathed when Chicago turned a walk and to singles into a 2-0 lead.
UP NEXT
Cubs: Hendricks is coming off his brilliant performance in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series, when he pitched two-hit ball for seven innings as the Cubs clinched their first pennant in 71 years. The right-hander went 16-8 during the regular season with a league-leading 2.13 ERA.
Indians: It will be an emotional night for Tomlin, who will pitch on 12 day's rest with his ailing father, Jerry, in attendance. The elder Tomlin became stricken with a spinal condition in August, when Tomlin was struggling on the mound. The right-hander more than recovered, and he rescued Cleveland's rotation in the postseason, winning both starts.
Chicago Cubs
Arrieta carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, briefly invoking Don Larsen's name, before the Indians touched him for two hits and a run. However, the right-hander helped give Chicago just what it needed -- a split at Progressive Field -- before the Cubbies return to their Wrigley Field den for the next three games of the Series, starting Friday night.
The Cubs hadn't won in the Series since beating Detroit 8-7 in 1945 to force Game 7.
The free-swinging Schwarber, who made it back for Chicago's long-awaited Series return after missing most of the season with an injured left knee, hit an RBI single in the third off Cleveland's Trevor Bauer and had another in the Cubs' three-run fifth, which was highlighted by Ben Zobrist's run-scoring triple.
Even the presence of star LeBron James and the NBA champion Cavaliers, sporting their new rings, couldn't stop the Indians from losing for the first time in six home games this postseason.
And Cleveland manager Terry Francona's magical touch in October finally fizzled as he dropped to 9-1 in Series games.
With rain in the forecast, Major League Baseball moved the first pitch up an hour in hopes of avoiding delays or a postponement.
It turned out to be a good call, as the game went on without a hitch and ended after more than four hours as light rain was beginning to fall.
Arrieta and the Cubs provided the only storm.
The bearded 30-year-old coasted through five innings without allowing a hit, the first pitcher to get that deep in a Series game with a no-hitter since David Cone of the New York Yankees in 1998.
For a brief period, Arrieta looked as if he might challenge Larsen's gem -- a perfect game -- in 1956. before Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis, a die-hard Cubs fan as a kid, doubled with one out in the sixth .
Before that, Cleveland hitters had a couple of good swings and drew three walks, but it couldn't mount a real threat. Arrieta has two career no-hitters, in fact, including the only one in the majors this year.
Cubs lefty Mike Montgomery replaced Arrieta and worked two scoreless innings before Aroldis Chapman came in and unleashed his 103 mph heat while getting the last four outs.
The teams will have an off day before the series resumes with Game 3 at Wrigley, which will host its first Series game since Oct. 6, 1945, when tavern owner Billy Sianis was asked to leave with his pet goat, Murphy, and a curse was born.
Josh Tomlin will start for the Indians, who will lose the designated hitter in the National League ballpark, against Kyle Hendricks.
Schwarber might also wind up on the bench after two days as the DH.
With a game-time temperature of 43, the weather was more fitting for the Browns and Bears to bang heads than the boys of summer.
The Cubs were the ones who came up thumping after being blanked 6-0 in Game 1 by Corey Kluber and Cleveland's shut-down bullpen.
Zobrist's one-out triple triggered the fifth for the Cubs, as they opened a 5-0 lead, not that Arrieta needed it.
After Anthony Rizzo walked following a 10-pitch at-bat, Zobrist laced a ball off Zach McAllister that was going to be a double until right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall slipped and fell. Rizzo was waved around and Zobrist hustled into third.
Schwarber followed with his second RBI, and reliever Bryan Shaw later walked No. 9 hitter Addison Russell with the bases loaded.
Unlike his start in Toronto on Oct. 17, when his stitched cut opened up and Bauer was forced to make a bloody departure in the first inning, his finger held up fine.
The Cubs, though, put a few nicks in him in 3⅔ innings.
His drone accident has brought attention to the quirky Bauer, and one Chicago fan tried to rattle the right-hander by sending a smaller version of the remote-controlled, flying object that cut him.
Bauer posted a photo of it on Twitter, saying, "I see the @Cubs fans love me! How nice of them to send me a gift!"
The Cubs, who were off balance from the start against Kluber, scored their first run in a Series game since 1945 in the first on Rizzo's RBI double.
Bauer needed 51 pitches to get through two innings, and he was one strike from getting out of the third unscathed when Chicago turned a walk and to singles into a 2-0 lead.
UP NEXT
Cubs: Hendricks is coming off his brilliant performance in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series, when he pitched two-hit ball for seven innings as the Cubs clinched their first pennant in 71 years. The right-hander went 16-8 during the regular season with a league-leading 2.13 ERA.
Indians: It will be an emotional night for Tomlin, who will pitch on 12 day's rest with his ailing father, Jerry, in attendance. The elder Tomlin became stricken with a spinal condition in August, when Tomlin was struggling on the mound. The right-hander more than recovered, and he rescued Cleveland's rotation in the postseason, winning both starts.
| View: Play-By-Play | Pitch-By-Pitch | Inning: All | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Chicago - Top of 1st | SCORE | |
|---|---|---|
| Trevor Bauer pitching for Cleveland | CHC | CLE |
| Fowler grounded out to pitcher. | 0 | 0 |
| Bryant singled to right center. | 0 | 0 |
| Rizzo doubled to right, Bryant scored. | 1 | 0 |
| Zobrist lined out to left. | 1 | 0 |
| Schwarber struck out swinging. | 1 | 0 |
| 1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Cleveland - Bottom of 1st | SCORE | |
| Jake Arrieta pitching for Chicago | CHC | CLE |
| Santana popped out to third. | 1 | 0 |
| Kipnis struck out swinging. | 1 | 0 |
| Lindor walked. | 1 | 0 |
| Napoli walked, Lindor to second. | 1 | 0 |
| Ramírez flied out to center. | 1 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Chicago - Top of 2nd | SCORE | |
| Trevor Bauer pitching for Cleveland | CHC | CLE |
| Báez reached on infield single to shortstop. | 1 | 0 |
| Contreras flied out to right. | 1 | 0 |
| Soler flied out to center. | 1 | 0 |
| Russell lined out to right. | 1 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Cleveland - Bottom of 2nd | SCORE | |
| Jake Arrieta pitching for Chicago | CHC | CLE |
| Chisenhall grounded out to second. | 1 | 0 |
| Crisp lined out to second. | 1 | 0 |
| Naquin struck out swinging. | 1 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Chicago - Top of 3rd | SCORE | |
| Trevor Bauer pitching for Cleveland | CHC | CLE |
| Fowler grounded out to second. | 1 | 0 |
| Bryant lined out to shortstop. | 1 | 0 |
| Rizzo walked. | 1 | 0 |
| Zobrist singled to center, Rizzo to second. | 1 | 0 |
| Schwarber singled to center, Rizzo scored, Zobrist to third. | 2 | 0 |
| Báez struck out swinging. | 2 | 0 |
| 1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Cleveland - Bottom of 3rd | SCORE | |
| Jake Arrieta pitching for Chicago | CHC | CLE |
| Pérez struck out swinging. | 2 | 0 |
| Santana struck out looking. | 2 | 0 |
| Kipnis flied out to left. | 2 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Chicago - Top of 4th | SCORE | |
| Trevor Bauer pitching for Cleveland | CHC | CLE |
| Contreras walked. | 2 | 0 |
| Soler grounded into double play, second to shortstop to first, Contreras out at second. | 2 | 0 |
| Russell singled to center. | 2 | 0 |
| McAllister relieved Bauer. | 2 | 0 |
| Fowler struck out swinging. | 2 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Cleveland - Bottom of 4th | SCORE | |
| Jake Arrieta pitching for Chicago | CHC | CLE |
| Lindor struck out looking. | 2 | 0 |
| Napoli flied out to center. | 2 | 0 |
| Ramírez walked. | 2 | 0 |
| Chisenhall popped out to shortstop. | 2 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Chicago - Top of 5th | SCORE | |
| Zach McAllister pitching for Cleveland | CHC | CLE |
| Bryant struck out swinging. | 2 | 0 |
| Rizzo walked. | 2 | 0 |
| Zobrist tripled to right, Rizzo scored. | 3 | 0 |
| Shaw relieved McAllister. | 3 | 0 |
| Schwarber singled to center, Zobrist scored. | 4 | 0 |
| Schwarber to second on wild pitch by Shaw. | 4 | 0 |
| Báez struck out swinging. | 4 | 0 |
| Contreras safe at first on error by second baseman Kipnis, Schwarber to third. | 4 | 0 |
| Soler walked, Contreras to second. | 4 | 0 |
| Heyward ran for Soler. | 4 | 0 |
| Russell walked, Schwarber scored, Contreras to third, Heyward to second. | 5 | 0 |
| Fowler struck out swinging. | 5 | 0 |
| 3 Runs, 2 Hits, 1 Errors | ||
| Cleveland - Bottom of 5th | SCORE | |
| Jake Arrieta pitching for Chicago | CHC | CLE |
| Heyward in right field. | 5 | 0 |
| Crisp lined out to left. | 5 | 0 |
| Naquin struck out swinging. | 5 | 0 |
| Pérez flied out to left. | 5 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Chicago - Top of 6th | SCORE | |
| Danny Salazar pitching for Cleveland | CHC | CLE |
| Salazar relieved Shaw. | 5 | 0 |
| Bryant lined out to center. | 5 | 0 |
| Rizzo grounded out to first. | 5 | 0 |
| Zobrist walked. | 5 | 0 |
| Schwarber walked, Zobrist to second. | 5 | 0 |
| Báez flied out to center. | 5 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Cleveland - Bottom of 6th | SCORE | |
| Jake Arrieta pitching for Chicago | CHC | CLE |
| Santana flied out to left. | 5 | 0 |
| Kipnis doubled to right center. | 5 | 0 |
| Lindor grounded out to second, Kipnis to third. | 5 | 0 |
| Kipnis scored on Arrieta's wild pitch. | 5 | 1 |
| Napoli singled to shallow left. | 5 | 1 |
| Montgomery relieved Arrieta. | 5 | 1 |
| Ramírez grounded out to pitcher. | 5 | 1 |
| 1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Chicago - Top of 7th | SCORE | |
| Jeff Manship pitching for Cleveland | CHC | CLE |
| Manship relieved Salazar. | 5 | 1 |
| Contreras walked. | 5 | 1 |
| Heyward lined out to center. | 5 | 1 |
| Russell grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, Contreras safe at second on error by second baseman Kipnis. | 5 | 1 |
| Fowler singled to right, Contreras to third, Russell to second. | 5 | 1 |
| Otero relieved Manship. | 5 | 1 |
| Bryant grounded into fielder's choice to third, Contreras out at home, Russell to third, Fowler to second. | 5 | 1 |
| Rizzo lined out to left. | 5 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 1 Errors | ||
| Cleveland - Bottom of 7th | SCORE | |
| Mike Montgomery pitching for Chicago | CHC | CLE |
| Davis hit for Chisenhall. | 5 | 1 |
| Davis struck out swinging. | 5 | 1 |
| Crisp struck out swinging. | 5 | 1 |
| Guyer hit for Naquin. | 5 | 1 |
| Guyer singled to shallow center. | 5 | 1 |
| Guyer to second on wild pitch by Montgomery. | 5 | 1 |
| Pérez walked. | 5 | 1 |
| Santana struck out swinging. | 5 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Chicago - Top of 8th | SCORE | |
| Dan Otero pitching for Cleveland | CHC | CLE |
| Davis in center field. | 5 | 1 |
| Guyer in right field. | 5 | 1 |
| Zobrist grounded out to shortstop. | 5 | 1 |
| Schwarber struck out looking. | 5 | 1 |
| Báez grounded out to shortstop. | 5 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Cleveland - Bottom of 8th | SCORE | |
| Mike Montgomery pitching for Chicago | CHC | CLE |
| Kipnis struck out swinging. | 5 | 1 |
| Lindor grounded out to third. | 5 | 1 |
| Napoli singled to center. | 5 | 1 |
| Chapman relieved Montgomery. | 5 | 1 |
| Ramírez struck out swinging. | 5 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Chicago - Top of 9th | SCORE | |
| Mike Clevinger pitching for Cleveland | CHC | CLE |
| Clevinger relieved Otero. | 5 | 1 |
| Contreras lined out to center. | 5 | 1 |
| Heyward struck out swinging. | 5 | 1 |
| Russell lined out to shortstop. | 5 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Cleveland - Bottom of 9th | SCORE | |
| Aroldis Chapman pitching for Chicago | CHC | CLE |
| Davis struck out swinging. | 5 | 1 |
| Crisp grounded out to second. | 5 | 1 |
| Guyer walked. | 5 | 1 |
| Guyer to second on fielder's indifference. | 5 | 1 |
| Pérez grounded out to shortstop. | 5 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
Chicago Cubs
| Hitters | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | #P | AVG | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fowler CF | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17 | .111 | .111 | .111 |
| Bryant 3B | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16 | .125 | .222 | .125 |
| Rizzo 1B | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 32 | .143 | .333 | .286 |
| Zobrist LF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 22 | .625 | .667 | 1.000 |
| Schwarber DH | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 22 | .429 | .556 | .571 |
| Báez 2B | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 23 | .222 | .222 | .222 |
| Contreras C | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 22 | .200 | .429 | .400 |
| Soler RF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | .000 | .333 | .000 |
Heyward PR-RF
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Russell SS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 17 | .125 | .222 | .125 |
| Totals | 37 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 196 | |||
| BATTING 2B: Rizzo (1, Bauer) 3B: Zobrist (1, McAllister) RBI: Rizzo (1), Schwarber 2 (2), Zobrist (1), Russell (1) 2-out RBI: Schwarber, Russell GIDP: Soler Cubs RISP: 3-12 (Schwarber 2-3, Báez 0-3, Fowler 1-2, Zobrist 0-1, Contreras 0-1, Bryant 0-1, Rizzo 0-1) Team LOB: 13 | ||||||||||
Game Information
| Stadium | Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH |
| Attendance | 38,172 (103.6% full) - % is based on regular season capacity |
| Game Time | 4:04 |
| Weather | 43 degrees, cloudy |
| Wind | 11 mph |
| Umpires | Home Plate - Chris Guccione, First Base - John Hirschbeck, Second Base - Marvin Hudson, Third Base - Tony Randazzo, Left Field - Joe West, Right Field - Larry Vanover |
