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  • Indians blank Cubs 1-0, lead series 2-1
    October 28, 2016


    CHICAGO (AP) The Latest on Game 3 of the World Series at Wrigley Field on Friday night (all times Central):

    10:41 p.m.

    Cody Allen struck out Javier Baez with two runners in scoring position for the final out, and the Cleveland Indians held on to beat the Chicago Cubs 1-0 for a 2-1 lead in the World Series.

    It was the first Series game at Wrigley Field in Chicago since 1945.

    Cleveland pitched its fifth shutout of this postseason.

    ---

    10:20 p.m.

    Indians closer Cody Allen has struck out Kris Bryant with a runner on, and Cleveland has a 1-0 lead over the Chicago Cubs heading into the ninth inning of Game 3.

    Bryan Shaw got five outs for the Indians, riding the latest stingy performance by their stellar bullpen.

    Allen is 5 for 5 in save chances this postseason. He has tossed nine scoreless innings with 16 strikeouts and three walks.

    ---

    9:55


    Bryan Shaw has worked a scoreless seventh inning out of the bullpen to preserve Cleveland's 1-0 lead over the Chicago Cubs in Game 3.

    ---

    9:50 p.m.


    Actor and comedian Bill Murray led the crowd in a rousing version of ''Take Me Out To The Ball Game'' during the seventh-inning stretch.

    Murray, a huge Cubs fan, reminded the crowd of 41,703 that it was the last chance to buy beer, and then said they were there to win games rather than drink. He also said he was going to sing ''Take Me Out To The Ball Game'' as the cartoon character Daffy Duck.

    ---

    9:45 p.m.

    Cleveland has broken through in the seventh inning of Game 3, taking a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by pinch-hitter Coco Crisp off reliever Carl Edwards Jr.

    Roberto Perez, the light-hitting catcher who homered twice in Game 1, got things started with a leadoff single. Pinch-runner Michael Martinez advanced on Tyler Naquin's sacrifice and went to third on a wild pitch.

    After a walk to Rajai Davis, Crisp batted for reliever Andrew Miller and singled to right field. The Indians might have had a good chance for more, but Davis was thrown out at third by Jorge Soler.

    ---

    9:20 p.m.

    Featuring that wicked slider, Indians reliever Andrew Miller has struck out the top three batters in Chicago's lineup during a perfect sixth inning. Game 3 is still scoreless.

    ---

    9:05 p.m.

    Andrew Miller is on for the Indians after replacing starter Josh Tomlin with a runner on second and two outs in the fifth inning.

    The left-hander retired pinch-hitter Miguel Montero on a line drive to right field.

    Both starting pitchers are out of the game.

    ---

    8:55 p.m.


    The Cubs escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fifth when reliever Justin Grimm got Francisco Lindor to ground into an inning-ending double play.

    Grimm entered after Kyle Hendricks plunked Jason Kipnis with a pitch. The right-hander went after Lindor with breaking balls and got ahead 0-2. The count ran full before Lindor grounded a curve to second base.

    Grimm gave a huge fist pump and shouted along with first baseman Anthony Rizzo at a roaring Wrigley Field after the Cubs turned two to keep Game 3 scoreless.

    Hendricks gave up six hits and struck out six in 4 1/3 innings. He gave Grimm a big hug back in the dugout.

    ---

    8:30 p.m.

    Indians starter Josh Tomlin has allowed only one hit through four innings, and Game 3 is still scoreless.

    Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks threw a called third strike past Roberto Perez with runners at the corners to end the top of the fourth.

    Hendricks made a fine defensive play earlier in the inning to prevent Cleveland from scoring. Runners were at first and second when Chicago tried to turn a 3-6-1 double play. The relay to first bounced in the dirt as Hendricks was running over to cover the bag, but he picked it clean.

    That kept Francisco Lindor at third base. Lindor, who has singled twice, is 5 for 9 in the Series (.556).

    ---

    8:25 p.m.

    The Cubs honored former Buffalo Bills coach and World War II veteran Marv Levy during Game 3 as part of their military appreciation program.

    The 91-year-old Levy was greeted with loud cheers when he was introduced during the fourth inning.

    Levy, a Chicago native, coached the Bills to four straight Super Bowls from 1991-94. He was on furlough from the Army Air Corps when he attended the previous World Series game at Wrigley Field in 1945.

    ---

    8 p.m.

    Three innings in the books and Game 3 between the Indians and Cubs remains scoreless.

    Cleveland had an excellent opportunity to jump ahead in the first inning after Jason Kipnis reached on a one-out infield single and went to third on Francisco Lindor's single to left-center.

    Chicago starter Kyle Hendricks, however, picked off Lindor at first base. Lindor initially was called safe, but the ruling was overturned after a replay challenge by the Cubs.

    Mike Napoli struck out to end the inning.

    Both starting pitchers in control on a windy night at Wrigley Field, hosting its first World Series game since 1945.

    ---

    7:15 p.m.

    Game 3 between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians is underway.

    Carlos Santana swung and missed at a cutter from Kyle Hendricks on the first pitch of the night and struck out swinging on four pitches.

    The Cubs and Indians split the first two games in Cleveland. This is the first World Series game at Wrigley Field since Hall of Fame slugger Hank Greenberg helped the Detroit Tigers to a 9-3 victory in Game 7 on October 10, 1945.

    ---

    7 p.m.

    Jerry Tomlin made it to the World Series to see his only son pitch.

    Two months after nearly losing his life to a spinal condition that has left him partially paralyzed, Tomlin sat behind home plate in a wheelchair as Josh Tomlin started for the Cleveland Indians against the Chicago Cubs.

    A moment he'll never forget.

    ''It's hard to put into words,'' said the elder Tomlin, wearing an Indians cap and sweatshirt. ''I didn't know what I was going to say when I got here and I still don't. The way everything planned out and the way people helped me to get here, man, it's definitely a dream come true. There was no way I was going to miss this.''

    When Josh was growing up in Whitehouse, Texas, he and his dad - like so many fathers and sons - would pretend they were playing in the World Series. And for it to be happening, on the night the Cubs were hosting their first Series game since 1945, was almost beyond the 57-year-old's wildest imagination.

    ''How could you plan it out or write it out any better than what it is?'' he said. ''To be here for this historic thing they're having here and to be the first World Series here and my first World Series and my son to be here, I don't know, man, it's just hard to explain.''

    ---

    6 p.m.

    Indians manager Terry Francona is admittedly biased, but he would like to see the designated hitter used in both World Series ballparks.

    After playing all season with a DH - except for interleague road games - the Indians won't have one during their three games at Wrigley Field.

    Francona said the rules ''are what they are'' but he believes American League teams are penalized by the inability to use their best lineups.

    ''I don't think it makes it a bad game,'' he said before Game 3. ''I just don't necessarily agree with this. I just think you set your team up the way you set it up and then you get to the most important games and you're doing something different.''

    On top of not having their best hitters in the lineup, Cleveland's pitchers will have to hit - something they've barely done all season.

    ''It's a disadvantage,'' Francona said. ''It doesn't mean you can't win.''

    For the record, Cleveland starter Josh Tomlin takes a lofty .500 career batting average into Game 3. And it's legit - 6 for 12, including 2 for 5 this year with a double.

    ---

    3 p.m.

    Jorge Soler is the starting right fielder for the Chicago Cubs for Game 3, and Carlos Santana is in left for the Cleveland Indians .

    The Cubs tried to get Kyle Schwarber medically cleared to play left, but doctors said no on Thursday. That meant Ben Zobrist stayed in left instead of moving to right, and manager Joe Maddon decided on Soler for right.

    Chicago also had rookie Willson Contreras at catcher, batting fifth. Soler was in the sixth slot, followed by second baseman Javier Baez, shortstop Addison Russell and pitcher Kyle Hendricks.

    Santana, Cleveland's usual designated hitter, was playing his second career game in left. He also played four innings at the position in 2012.

    Santana also was in the leadoff spot. Rookie Tyler Naquin got the start in center, batting eighth, and Lonnie Chisenhall was in right, batting sixth.

    ---

    2:15 p.m.


    Those notorious, game-changing winds are beginning to whip at Wrigley Field.

    After a fairly calm morning in Chicago, the wind is picking up and heavy gusts of 40 mph are expected during Game 3, which could send some routine fly balls to left field into the bleachers - or on to Waveland Avenue - for home runs.

    Hey, this is the Windy City.

    The flags bearing the retired jersey numbers of Cubs greats Ernie Banks, Ron Santos and Ferguson Jenkins, were flapping in a stiff breeze atop the left-field foul pole as members of the grounds crew prepared the infield as a dozen pigeons circled the pitching mound.

    The wind has always been a factor at Wrigley, turning pitching duels into high-scoring affairs or knocking down balls that might otherwise be over the wall.

    It could be a problem for the Indians, who are expected to start designated hitter Carlos Santana in left. He's only played four innings there in his career.

    ---

    1:20 p.m.

    After waiting 71 years to witness a World Series game, Chicago Cubs fans can hardly contain themselves.

    More than six hours before the first pitch of Game 3, thousands of fans - many of them wearing jerseys with names like Banks, Sandberg and Rizzo on their backs - were already in the streets ringing Wrigley Field on Friday as the Cubs prepared to play the Cleveland Indians.

    It's the first Series game at the fabled ballpark since 1945, and many Chicagoans skipped work to begin a weekend of baseball they'll never forget.

    There was a long line outside Murphy's Bleachers, the renowned tavern on the corner of Sheffield and Waveland Avenues. Vendors worked the crowd, one of them peddling a T-shirt that said, ''I Ain't Afraid of No Goat.''

    Generations of Cubs fans believed their team was denied a trip to the Series partly because of ''The Curse of the Billy Goat,'' which began when a Chicago tavern owner supposedly put a hex on the team after it refused to let his pet goat, Murphy, into Wrigley Field during the `45 Series.

    The Cubs haven't won the World Series since 1908. It's only been a 68-year drought for the Indians, who last won it all in 1948.
    Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

    Comment


    • Saturday’s six-pack

      Some college football trends to ponder…….

      — Underdogs are 5-2-1 vs spread in last 8 Kansas State-Iowa State games.

      — Favorites covered four of last five Stanford-Arizona games.

      — Home side won eight of last nine Clemson-Florida State games.

      — Georgia is 2-7-1 vs spread in last 10 games as an underdog.

      — Ohio State is 11-4 vs spread in games off a SU loss.

      — Underdogs covered five of last six Tennessee-South Carolina games.


      Saturday’s List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud…….

      13) I’d be curious to know the winning %age of fantasy football teams that own various star players; for example, on November 3, 2013, Nick Foles threw seven TDs in a game for Philly against the Raiders in Oakland. Seven TDs; it would be good to have Foles on your fantasy team, right?

      Foles was on my team that year, but we lost that week; I’d be curious to know what %age of fantasy teams that owned Foles lost that week? Stuff like this interests me.

      12) Jimmer Fredette made a comment in an article this week that he wasn’t highly recruited coming out of Glens Falls HS in upstate NY. I live 45 miles south of Glens Falls; I’m not sure why he said that, because I remember watching Jimmer play down in Florida in AAU Nationals and I was talking with a St John’s assistant and they loved Jimmer.

      There was a school of thought amongst some coaches that because Fredette’s family is Mormon, he was signed and sealed for BYU. Maybe fewer teams offered him a scholarship because of that, but everyone wanted him, believe me. Jimmer is playing in the Chinese pro league this year, by the way.

      11) In Game 2 of the 1980 World Series, Steve Carlton threw 159 pitches in a 6-4 loss to the Royals. 159 freakin’ pitches; in eight innings, Carlton allowed 10 hits, walked six, struck out 10.

      If that happened today, how long before the manager/pitching coach were either fired by the owner or sued by the player’s agent (or both)?

      10) If you’ve been to Las Vegas, there is a strip-**** like gift shop on the corner of Sahara and Las Vegas Blvd; you’ve seen shots of it on TV. The two acres that shop sits on recently sold for $50M; it is very close to the Stratosphere, across the Strip from the SLS Hotel.

      $50M for that area; makes you wonder if another hotel will be built there soon. A new hotel is opening in that area in early December; totally Asian-themed and geared towards attracting the 200,000+ people who fly from China to Las Vegas each year.

      9) ESPNU was doing ACC Media Day while I typed this up; in one segment they had Miami coach Jim Larranaga on, asking him what restaurants he goes to in Miami, silly stuff.

      Then they had Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski on in separate segments and they are diagramming offenses on a telestrator like they’re too good to be asked the silly stuff. Why can’t they can’t ask those two where they eat in Chapel Hill/Durham?

      The lower tier ACC coaches (BC, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest) were lucky to even get on air.

      8) Eagles’ coach Doug Pederson played 10 years in the NFL, but started only 17 games, all in 1999-2000. First four years he was in the NFL? No starts. Last four years? No starts. He was 2-7 as a starter for the ’99 Eagles, 1-7 for the ’00 Browns.

      Best coaches weren’t always the best players. Playing? Coaching? Two different skills.

      7) Cleveland Cavaliers’ NBA championship rings are really, really big. They look like you’d get carpal tunnel if you wore one for too long.

      6) Speaking of the Cavs, JR Smith looks like the happiest person in America, like he put one over on the authorities and he and everyone else knows it. He is making $12.8M to stand on the wing and jack jumpers whenever Lebron gets him the ball. It is good to be trusted by the King.

      5) Tampa Bay Bucs’ OC Todd Monken was head coach at Southern Miss the last three years; he did a good job building up the USM program, but jumped to the NFL this year. I’d love to know if he is enjoying himself, if not having to recruit anymore is worth not being the boss.

      4) 36-year old Steve Blake still hopes to make it back to the NBA to continue his long career, but for now, he is playing pro ball in Australia.

      3) Singer Tim McGraw has a white Mercedes convertible with license plate “NYMTS69”. His dad was Tug McGraw, the terrific relief pitcher who pitched for both the Mets and Phillies.

      2) Los Angeles Rams are 3-0 this season when they have 2+ takeaways, 0-4 when they do not.

      1— I mention this now and then, but lot of football coaches are gypsies; here is where Giant coach Ben McAdoo’s journey took him, before he landed in the NFL:

      2001- Michigan State, 2002- Fairfield, 2003- Pitt, 2004- Akron, 2005- Stanford

      Five years, five jobs, five different states. Tough way to make a living.
      Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

      Comment


      • World Series

        Indians @ Cubs


        Kluber is 3-1, 0.74 in his first four postseason starts, all this month. Indians won four of his last five road starts.

        Lackey is 2-1, 3.79 in his last seven starts, 8-5, 3.26 in 22 postseason starts. Cubs won six of his last seven home starts.

        Cubs are 8-5 in playoffs this year, 4-2 at home; they’ve been shut out in four of their last eight games. Chicago is 8-1 in playoffs if they score a run. Obviously Chicago hasn’t been in World Series since 1945, Indians since 1997. Cleveland is 9-2 in playoffs, 4-1 on road- they’ve tossed shutouts in postseason.

        Maddon is 25-27 as a playoff manager, 12-10 with Cubs. he lost 2008 World Series with Rays. Francona won World Series with Boston in 2004, 2007; he is 37-20 as a postseason manager.
        Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

        Comment


        • World series record:

          10/25/2016 1-1-0 50.00% -50

          10/26/2016 0-2-0 0.00% -1050

          10/28/2016 0-2-0 0.00% -1565

          ats: 1 - 1

          o/u: 0 - 3
          Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

          Comment


          • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29

            GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

            CLE at CHC 08:00 PM

            CLE +112 *****

            O 6.5 *****
            Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

            Comment


            • Down 3-1 in Series, Cubs on brink of seeing special year end
              October 30, 2016


              CHICAGO (AP) There could be a championship celebration at Wrigley Field on Sunday, just not the kind the Chicago Cubs and generations of their long-suffering fans dreamed of seeing.

              Tops in the majors with 103 wins, the Cubs simply can't afford to lose another game. Otherwise, a championship drought dating to 1908 will continue.

              The Cubs once again got shut down by Corey Kluber on Saturday night and didn't get the dominant start they needed from John Lackey.

              Throw in two errors by third baseman Kris Bryant and it added up to a 7-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians in Game 4 of the World Series.

              They trail 3-1, and if they don't get more from their lineup or a big effort by ace Jon Lester on Sunday, it will once again be wait `til next year for the Cubs.

              ''We got to win tomorrow,'' Anthony Rizzo said. ''That's the bottom line. We've got to do whatever we can to win the ballgame tomorrow and that's it. There's no looking past that.''

              Only six teams have come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the World Series, most recently the 1985 Kansas City Royals. The Cubs sure did not envision falling into such a hole. Nor did their fans, who packed Wrigley Field and the neighboring bars.

              The surrounding streets were a sea of blue hours before the ballpark opened just as they were prior to Game 3. But the excitement and enthusiasm surrounding the Cubs' first trip to the World Series since 1945 has given way to disappointment after two tough losses.

              By the time Javier Baez grounded to pitcher Dan Otero to end the game, there was almost an eerie quiet inside Wrigley after the 102-year-old ballpark had been rocking.

              ''It's just a matter of us gaining offensive confidence,'' said manager Joe Maddon, whose team is hitting .204 in the Series. ''That's what we need right now. More than anything, when you're not hitting like that, the whole vibe's very difficult to push in that real positive direction. So you'll continually try to be positive in the dugout during the course of the game. But, you know, it's difficult. It's difficult especially this time of the year. We just need that offensive epiphany somehow to get us pushing in the right direction.''

              The Cubs have not won a World Series game at Wrigley since they beat Detroit in Game 6 in 1945. They lost the next one at home to the Tigers and have been haunted by curses and disappointment in the decades since then.

              But for fans who have suffered through it all, this team has provided hope for them like no other. Even if the Cubs don't find a way to dig themselves out of this hole, their lineup is loaded with young sluggers such as Bryant and Rizzo and budding stars like Addison Russell and NLCS co-MVP Javier Baez.

              They boast one of the top rotations in baseball, with Lester, Kyle Hendricks and Jake Arrieta leading the way.

              There is reason to believe that a team that got to the NLCS a year ago and advanced to the World Series this year will be in the title picture for years to come. That's some consolation for their fans even if they want it all now.

              Dexter Fowler got the Cubs off to a good start in this game, hitting a leadoff double and scoring in the first against Kluber. He added a solo homer off Andrew Miller in the eighth.

              Rizzo and the struggling Jason Heyward had two hits apiece. But a team that finished third in the majors in runs, once again failed to produce.

              ''As long as there's an out, as long as there's a pitch, we still have a good shot,'' Russell said. ''We've won three games in a row before.''

              They at least scored in this game after getting shut out in four of the previous eight. But they didn't do much against Kluber.

              The 2014 AL Cy Young Award winner went six innings, allowing one run and five hits pitching on three days' rest. It was about as good as his previous start, when he went six scoreless innings and struck out nine in Game 1.

              Lackey simply couldn't match that. The veteran right-hander allowed three runs - two earned - and four hits over five innings.

              He gave up a leadoff homer to Carlos Santana in the second, and another run came home in the inning thanks to a pair of throwing errors by Bryant.

              ''We knew coming into this series, stuff is going to hit the fan,'' Russell said. ''We score a run and they score a run. We have to score back. That's just the name of the game. We didn't do that. Our team is better than just one run, two runs, but the team played their heart out tonight.''
              Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

              Comment


              • Indians sending Bauer to mound with Series title in reach
                October 30, 2016


                CHICAGO (AP) Trevor Bauer can fly the Indians to a championship.

                Go finger, er, figure.

                The eccentric right-hander, who cut his right pinkie while repairing a drone and almost ruined his team's postseason chances, will start Game 5 on Sunday as Cleveland tries to win its first World Series title since 1948.

                Manager Terry Francona had other options like Danny Salazar or rookie left-hander Ryan Merritt, who started the Indians' AL pennant-clinching win over the Toronto Blue Jays. But he has decided to stick with Bauer, who lost Game 2 but can now make up for his off-field mishap.

                ''Ryan Merritt did a nice job for us against Toronto, but Trevor Bauer has been a good pitcher for us for four years,'' Francona said before Cleveland beat the Chicago Cubs 7-2 Saturday night at Wrigley Field for a 3-1 lead.

                Bauer's run-in with a propeller on one of the drones he built, threatened to upend Cleveland's storybook season. The Indians were already missing starters Danny Salazar (forearm tightness) and Carlos Carrasco (broken hand) and Bauer's odd accident only make things more complicated.

                He was scheduled to start Game 2 of the AL Championship against Toronto, but Bauer sustained a cut that required 11 stitches. His start got pushed back one game, but Bauer didn't make it out of the first inning because his finger ripped open and bled profusely after just four batters.

                The Indians were able to win the pennant anyway and Bauer's hand wasn't a problem during his first Series start.

                Everything else was.

                After the Indians won the opener 6-0 behind Corey Kluber, Bauer couldn't keep the momentum going with a laborious 87-pitch outing that lasted just 3 2/3 innings and had a lot to do with a 5-1 game lasting more than four hours.

                Bauer spent the first few innings constantly shaking off catcher Roberto Perez's signs and wound up allowing two runs and six hits. Those stats aren't bad, but Cleveland's hitters couldn't do anything against Cubs starter Jake Arrieta and the Indians left for Chicago tied 1-1.

                It's been a different story at Wrigley Field, where the Indians have gotten solid starts from Josh Tomlin and Kluber and will now turn to Bauer, who won 12 games during the regular season but is 0-1 with a 5.00 ERA in just nine innings in the postseason.

                The 25-year-old said his finger is completely healed and he's approaching his biggest start - and potentially a history-making one for the Indians - like he always does.

                ''You prepare for the game the same way, and some games you go out there and you have a feel right away, and some games you go out there and you don't,'' he said. ''So, for whatever time I'm in the game, I do the same thing. I try to go with what's working and find a feel for what's not. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't. So it's very similar to a regular season game in that regard.''

                The Indians are never sure what they'll get from Bauer, who began the season in Cleveland's bullpen before joining the rotation in late April.

                ''We expect a Trevor start,'' second baseman Jason Kipnis said with a chuckle. ''We're not sure what that means but we expect Trevor to go out there He's a competitor. Don't let him fool you. He's a guy who competes and never makes a moment too big. Whether he has it or not, it isn't because the situation's too big.

                ''It's just that he tries to find it, he's a rhythm pitcher and there's not one guys on the staff they we don't feel confident is going to give us a chance to win and he's one of those guys.''
                Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                Comment


                • LEADING OFF: Can Bauer, Indians celebrate at Wrigley?
                  October 30, 2016


                  What to watch for tonight in Game 5 of the World Series:

                  BAUER UP

                  Trevor Bauer has a chance to pitch the Cleveland Indians to their first World Series title since 1948 in Game 5 at Wrigley Field. Manager Terry Francona is sticking by the oddball right-hander, even after he struggled in a Game 2 loss to the Cubs while pitching with a gash on his pinkie he got tinkering with a toy drone. Bauer's finger should be fine to pitch, but there is some concern about what he'll be able to do at the plate. The 25-year-old is 0-1 with a 5.00 ERA in three appearances in these playoffs.

                  JON'S JOB

                  Jon Lester tries to play stopper for the Cubs. He's pitched in one World Series Game 5 before, delivering 7 2/3 pivotal innings for Boston in a 3-1 win over St. Louis in 2013, but this will be the first time Lester pitches for a team trailing in the Series. Even after allowing three runs in Game 1, Lester is 3-1 with a 1.35 ERA career in the Series. The co-MVP of the NL Championship Series has been outstanding in his other three starts this postseason and may have to dominate for a Chicago team that's averaged 1.75 runs per game against Cleveland.

                  PARTY ON

                  Francona said he'll go back to Mike Napoli at first base for Game 5. The jolly slugger didn't start in Game 4 because Francona wanted to play Carlos Santana at first base, and even though the move led to Santana's three-run homer, Francona said he ''still wasn't pleased that Nap didn't play, because ... he's kind of the heart and soul of our team.'' Napoli - the namesake behind the ''Party at Napoli's'' meme that's accompanied the Indians all season - is batting .179 with one homer in 12 postseason games.

                  GETTING THERE

                  The only good news for Chicago in a 7-2 loss Saturday night was that a couple key bats finally began to break out. Leadoff man Dexter Fowler homered and doubled, lifting his Series average to .235, while Anthony Rizzo also had two hits and an RBI. Even Jason Heyward - a big-money free agent acquisition who disappointed in his first year with the Cubs - got into it with a pair of singles. Of course, more help is still needed. Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Willson Contreras and Javier Baez are a combined 6 for 59 (.102) in the Series.
                  Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                  Comment


                  • World series record:

                    10/25/2016 1-1-0 50.00% -50

                    10/26/2016 0-2-0 0.00% -1050

                    10/28/2016 0-2-0 0.00% -1565

                    10/29/2016 2-0-0 100.00% +1060

                    ats: 2 - 1

                    o/u: 1 - 3
                    Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                    Comment


                    • World Series

                      Indians @ Cubs


                      Bauer is 0-1, 4.80 in his last three starts, 0-1, 5.00 in three postseason starts, which lasted a total of only nine innings. Monday is a day off; could be a bullpen game for Cleveland, which is 3-4 in Bauer’s last eight road starts.

                      Lester is 7-2, 1.56 in his last ten starts, 8-7, 2.60 in 18 postseason starts. Cubs are 12-0 in his last dozen home starts.

                      Cubs are 8-6 in playoffs this year, 4-3 at home; they’ve been shut out in four of their last nine games. Chicago is 8-2 in playoffs if they score a run. Obviously Chicago hasn’t been in World Series since 1945, Indians since 1997. Cleveland is 10-2 in playoffs, 5-1 on road- they’ve tossed five shutouts in postseason.

                      Maddon is 25-28 as a playoff manager, 12-11 with Cubs. he lost 2008 World Series with Rays. Francona won World Series with Boston in 2004, 2007; he is 38-20 as a postseason manager, 11-1 in World Series games.
                      Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                      Comment


                      • Game 5 - Indians at Cubs
                        October 30, 2016


                        World Series - Game 5
                        Cleveland Indians (104-70) at Chicago Cubs (111-64)
                        First pitch: Sunday, 8:00 p.m. ET
                        Sportsbook.ag Line: Chicago -220, Cleveland +185, Total: 7.0

                        Series Results - Indians lead 3-1
                        Game 1) Chicago at Cleveland (-110) 6-0 (Favorite - Under 6.5)
                        Game 2) Chicago (-155) at Cleveland 5-1 (Favorite - Under 7.5)
                        Game 3) Cleveland (+190) at Chicago 1-0 (Underdog - Under 8)
                        Game 4) Cleveland (+110) at Chicago 7-2 (Underdog - Over 6.5)

                        In the final game at Wrigley Field in 2016, Jon Lester and the Cubs host Trevor Bauer and the Indians in Game 5 of the World Series.

                        The Cubs (103-58) will have a clear pitching advantage over the Indians (94-67) in the final game at Wrigley Field in 2016. LHP Jon Lester (19-5, 2.44 ERA during the regular season) will take the ball for Joe Maddon, and he’ll be opposed by Indians RHP Trevor Bauer (12-8, 4.26 ERA during the regular season).

                        Lester threw eight scoreless innings against the Giants in the NLDS and allowed just two earned runs in 13 innings against the Dodgers in the NLCS, but he struggled in Game 1 of the Fall Classic. The lefty lost the series opener after allowing three earned runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He also walked three and forced in a run after hitting LF Brandon Guyer with the bases loaded.

                        Bauer earned a no-decision (3 ER in 4 2/3 IP) against the Red Sox in the ALDS and was pulled after just four batters in his ALCS start because his pinkie was bleeding. He took the loss in Game 2 of the World Series after allowing two earned runs on six hits in just 3 2/3 innings of work.

                        The Indians looked confident against Lester in Game 1, but it won’t be easy to replicate their success just five days later. 3B Jose Ramirez had three hits off Lester in Game 1, SS Francisco Lindor had two and C Roberto Perez hit a 388-foot homer off him.

                        The Indians have seen a fair share of Lester, considering the amount of time he spent in the American League with the Red Sox. 1B Mike Napoli, his former teammate in Boston, has homered off Lester twice, and LF Rajai Davis and OF Coco Crisp have taken him deep as well. Look for manager Terry Francona to go to his bullpen early if Bauer gets into trouble. LHP Andrew Miller—the ALCS MVP—and RHP Cody Allen have been brilliant in relief for Cleveland.

                        The Cubs punished Bauer on Wednesday night, knocking him out in the fourth inning, and there’s no reason to think they won’t do it again. DH Kyle Schwarber and 1B Anthony Rizzo had RBI hits against him, and 3B Kris Bryant, IF Javier Baez, LF/2B Ben Zobrist and SS Addison Russell hit singles before Zach McAllister came out of the bullpen to replace Bauer. Schwarber hasn’t been cleared to play the field, so he more than likely won’t get a chance to face Bauer again. You can expect the left-handed slugger to pinch-hit late in the game, though.

                        If the Cubs have a lead in the ninth inning, they’ll more than likely protect it behind dominant left-handed closer Aroldis Chapman. Lester, a two-time World Series champion and the co-MVP of the 2016 NLCS (along with Baez), has had a brilliant postseason career.

                        In 124 2/3 playoff innings over 20 appearances (18 starts), Lester is 8-7 with a 2.60 ERA, and 108 strikeouts to 30 walks.
                        Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                        Comment


                        • Column: Will Cubs fans cry, 'If we lose, it's rigged'?
                          October 30, 2016


                          CHICAGO (AP) The T-shirt in the window of a shop on Damen Avenue elicited plenty of nervous laughs from Cubs fans before Game 4.

                          It read: ''If We Lose, It's Rigged.''

                          While it's unlikely that line from GOP candidate Donald Trump's stump speech will catch on in a deep-blue, Democratic stronghold like Chicago, Cleveland's 7-2 win Saturday night left more than a few of those fans were grasping at straws.

                          How could a team that had five starters picked and seven players total at the All-Star game find itself on the brink of elimination? How could a team that won a major league-leading 103 times in the regular season turn around and hit .204 - 50 points lower - in the biggest games?

                          Here's how: Third baseman Kris Bryant, last season's Rookie of the Year and the front-runner for the NL's Most Valuable Player Award this season, is batting just .071. Shortstop Addison Russell, who collected 21 home runs and 95 RBIs in the regular season, has two total bases in the four games. Javier Baez, who tore through the Giants and Dodgers pitching staffs in both the division and championship series, is at .118.

                          Small wonder the Indians have won as many World Series games in two nights at Wrigley as the Cubs have in total since the ballpark opened more than a century ago.

                          ''It's just been abnormal in some ways,'' Chicago manager Joe Maddon said afterward. ''But they've been pitching great. ...

                          ''We just need that offensive epiphany somehow to get us pushing in the right direction. And if we do that,'' he added a moment later, ''based on what they have left pitching-wise, I kind of like our chances.''

                          Try telling that to fans who've waited 71 years just to see a World Series game in their hometown, never mind the 108 years since their beloved Cubbies actually won it all. Then again, plenty of them believe they saw it coming.

                          Behind the old ballpark on Waveland Avenue, the limousines and town cars were lined up and idling in the bottom of the eighth. It didn't help that Cub fans were again done in by one of their own. Just an inning earlier, Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis, who grew up in suburban Northbrook - and went to the same high school as Steve Bartman - put the game out of reach with a three-run home run, then pointed to his family in the stands.

                          ''I did, I knew where they were sitting and I saw the red towel,'' Kipnis said, nearly blushing, ''so I knew where to look.''

                          Vendors, meanwhile, were fast changing their pitch. One selling Cubs-themed floppy hats had already begin hawking them as warm-weather gear instead of historic souvenirs. ''Stay warm, look cool, wear them for Halloween,'' he yelled.

                          If you want to scare Cubs fans, sure.

                          Anne Riecken, 92, was being wheeled out of the park by her daughter trying to beat the rush. She stopped long enough to register her displeasure.

                          ''I don't know why I though this year was going to be different,'' she said. ''But I guess it's enough we finally made it back.''

                          She thought about it, then added quickly, ''Last night I was so mad about the way they were hitting I would have kicked some of them in the shins.''

                          Considering the lack of success most of the moves Maddon has made have registered in that department, it might have been as good a suggestion as any. As she headed for a waiting gold cart to shuttle her back to the family's car, Riecken was asked whether she'd lost faith in the team's unofficial motto, ''Wait `Til Next Year.''

                          ''I don't think I'm going to be around next year,'' she replied with smile and a rueful laugh.

                          But John Hurley, with his 5-year-old son in tow, vowed to return if the Cubs made it back. Both wore Cubs caps and matching oversized, black-rimmed glasses, a style made popular around town by the late Harry Caray, the team's legendary announcer. John Hurley grew up here, but lives in California now.

                          ''Just another year of being a Cub fan, I guess,'' Hurley said. ''But don't call me `disappointed.' This is progress and it's historic. And if they get back, and this team is more than good enough to do it, we'll definitely come back.

                          ''Of course, he starts kindergarten next year so I'm not sure we'll be able to do this for a whole week again. Or maybe we'll just pull him out of school,'' he laughed. ''I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

                          ''Right now,'' he said, brightening, ''we're just concentrating on tomorrow night.''

                          They're not alone.
                          Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                          Comment


                          • Cubs on brink of seeing special year end down 3-1 in Series
                            October 29, 2016


                            CHICAGO (AP) There could be a championship celebration at Wrigley Field on Sunday, just not the kind the Chicago Cubs and generations of their long-suffering fans dreamed of seeing.

                            Tops in the majors with 103 wins, the Cubs simply can't afford to lose another game. Otherwise, a championship drought dating to 1908 will continue.

                            The Cubs once again got shut down by Corey Kluber on Saturday night and didn't get the dominant start they needed from John Lackey.

                            Throw in two errors by third baseman Kris Bryant and it added up to a 7-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians in Game 4 of the World Series.

                            They trail 3-1and if they don't get more from their lineup or a big effort by ace Jon Lester on Sunday, it will once again be wait `til next year for the Cubs.

                            That's not the way the Cubs or the fans who packed Wrigley Field and the neighboring bars envisioned it.

                            The surrounding streets were a sea of blue hours before the ballpark opened just as they were prior to Game 3. But the excitement and enthusiasm surrounding the Cubs' first trip to the World Series since 1945 has given way to disappointment after two tough losses.

                            By the time Javier Baez grounded to pitcher Dan Otero to end the game, there was almost an eerie quiet inside Wrigley after the 102-year-old ballpark had been rocking.
                            Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                            Comment


                            • MLB

                              Sunday, October 30


                              ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              Trend Report
                              ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                              8:15 PM
                              CLEVELAND vs. CHI CUBS
                              Cleveland is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games
                              Cleveland is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs
                              The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games
                              Chi Cubs are 9-4 SU in their last 13 games at home

                              -------------------------------------

                              MLB
                              Long Sheet

                              Sunday, October 30


                              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                              CLEVELAND (104 - 69) at CHICAGO CUBS (111 - 64) - 8:05 PM

                              TREVOR BAUER (R) vs. JON LESTER (L)
                              Top Trends for this game.
                              CHICAGO CUBS are 127-76 (+25.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
                              LESTER is 19-3 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
                              CLEVELAND is 104-69 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
                              CLEVELAND is 12-2 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in October games this season.
                              CLEVELAND is 98-65 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
                              CLEVELAND is 74-40 (+22.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
                              CLEVELAND is 10-2 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in playoff games this season.
                              CLEVELAND is 57-37 (+17.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
                              CLEVELAND is 33-19 (+14.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
                              CHICAGO CUBS are 1599-1687 (-261.2 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
                              CHICAGO CUBS are 856-787 (-155.4 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
                              CHICAGO CUBS are 15-22 (-18.0 Units) against the money line in home games in October games since 1997.
                              CHICAGO CUBS are 1542-1600 (-236.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
                              CHICAGO CUBS are 1176-1252 (-197.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.

                              Head-to-Head Series History
                              CLEVELAND is 3-1 (+3.0 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
                              3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.8 Units)

                              TREVOR BAUER vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
                              BAUER is 1-1 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 1.69 and a WHIP of 1.406.
                              His team's record is 1-1 (+0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.2 units)

                              JON LESTER vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
                              LESTER is 7-2 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 3.13 and a WHIP of 1.172.
                              His team's record is 12-4 (+5.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-7. (+0.7 units)

                              -------------------------

                              MLB
                              Dunkel

                              Sunday, October 30


                              Cleveland @ Chicago Cubs


                              Game 905-906
                              October 30, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

                              Dunkel Rating:
                              Cleveland
                              (Bauer) 18.404
                              Chicago Cubs
                              (Lester) 15.011
                              Dunkel Team:
                              Dunkel Line:
                              Dunkel Total:
                              Cleveland
                              by 3 1/2
                              5
                              Vegas Team:
                              Vegas Line:
                              Vegas Total:
                              Chicago Cubs
                              -230
                              7
                              Dunkel Pick:
                              Cleveland
                              (+200); Under
                              Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                              Comment


                              • SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30

                                GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

                                CLE at CHC 08:00 PM

                                CLE +210 *****

                                U 7.0 *****
                                Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                                Comment

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