Cleveland Indians at Chicago Cubs: World Series Game 4 GameThread

Cleveland and Chicago played the first World Series game in Wrigley Field since 1945 last night.

The Indians came out on top with a 1-0 win over the Cubs, led by Josh Tomlin and the usual suspects in Cleveland’s bullpen (Andrew Miller, Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen), that gave them a 2-1 advantage in the 112th edition of the Fall Classic.

Tonight, on the North Side of Chicago, it’s Corey Kluber vs John Lackey in Game 4.

Cubs’ skipper Joe Maddon talked to reporters after the game about turning to Lackey, his veteran right-hander, as they tried to avoid falling behind 3-1.

“I really anticipate John's going to pitch well tomorrow,” Madden said.

“I know he's going to be prepared for it. Like I said, I think in the pregame, he's come out relatively early in the last two, so I know that he's well and strong. I think that his arm's been properly given the time to get better from his injury earlier this season.

“So I'm very confident in John tomorrow.”

Lackey told reporters he had history with the Indians’ hitter and would be prepared for the start.

“I like scouting reports. I like having a little bit of history. I'm a guy that studies film, studies reports, studies past history,” Lackey said.

“So I think some of that information can help. But then again, you talk to hitters, most of the time they feel like a pitcher has an advantage over them the first time they see them. They get better as they see most guys. So it can work both ways. You've still got to execute pitches.”

Corey Kluber is going on three days’ rest tonight, as he pitched on short in the ALCS, but Indians’ skipper Terry Francona said he was comfortable with the fact that his ace will come through.

“We don't ever just do something without talking to our players or the coaches,” Francona explained.

“And I had talked to Kluber a lot about this. It was funny, because the last time in Toronto his legs got tired quick, and he was laughing about it after.

“He said, ‘You know, I was trying to be so conscious of my legs,’ and he goes, ‘I looked up, and my stuff was exactly the same.’

“In other words, I think he understands now that it was probably mental and that I think he'll have a lot more sense of being able to be himself going into this start than he did the first time. And I thought the first time he did just fine.”

Through four starts and 24 ¹⁄₃ IP so far in the postseason, Kluber, the Indians’ 30-year-old right-hander is (3-1) with a 0.74 ERA (2 ER) and a .193/.260/.261 line against.

Lackey, who just turned 38, has a 5.63 ERA (5 ER in 8 IP) and a .333/.432/.367 line against so far this October.

Here are the lineups for the Game 4 of the World Series: