Cubs Are Very Much Alive
It’s easy to go down that dark tunnel, especially for Chicago Cub fans. We’ve seen a lot of very unimaginable things over the years, so much so that we’ve stopped looking away when the unthinkable happens. Going down in the series 3-1 is another test on what a Cubs fan can take, but this series is far from over – very much far from over indeed.
The series has played out just as a team with only one real feared starter would hope. The ace wins game one, they steal a game, the ace wins game four, and they expect to throw him again in game seven. And it’s not unthinkable for the Cubs to force a game seven either. Hell, it’s been done plenty before.
Game five is where it all starts. The Cubs have Jon Lester on the mound, facing off against Trevor Bauer. The same Bauer the Cubs knocked out after 3 and 2/3rds. The Same Trevor Bauer that hasn’t sniffed the sixth inning in these playoffs. The same Trevor Bauer that owns a 7.28 ERA over his last five starts. If Lester (1.74 home ERA) cannot out-duel Bauer – the Cubs don’t deserve to be here at all.
Game six would head back to Cleveland, which gives the tribe a slight advantage, but it would be returning to where Jake Arrieta no-hit the Indians for 5+ innings. With Jake on the bump again, you would have to feel good about the Cubs chances in that game. The Indians would likely counter with Josh Tomlin, who confused Chicago hitters in game three – but with his previous performance considered highly unlikely, would he be able to do it again? Not very likely.
Finally this is turned to a game seven, and all that stands between the Cubs and history is potentially the Indians playoff MVP – Corey Kluber. The Cubs will counter with no schmuck of their own, and very honestly the best suited starter for a game seven – Kyle Hendricks.
I won’t go out on a ledge and say Hendricks is better than Kluber, but I will say he will out-duel him. Kyle’s isn’t phased by these situations. His calm demeanor will prevail, similarly to the game six matchup against Clayton Kershaw in the NLCS.
Kluber will also have to prove that he is capable of pitching twice on three days rest. We already saw him a bit more worn in game five, while still dominate, he wasn’t close to the guy that dazzled Cubs hitters in the first game of the series. Kluber will certainly not be the same guy, and the Cubs will certainly be able to hit him if they see him a third time.
Now, I hate playing Internet manager, or pretending I know more than a highly decorated man like Joe Maddon, but some things need to change. First of which is the lineup. For game five against Bauer, this is how I would create a lineup.
1. Dexter Fowler CF
2. Ben Zobrist 2B
3. Kris Bryant 3B
4. Anthony Rizzo 1B
5. Jorge Soler LF
6. Addison Russell SS
7. Jason Heyward RF
8. David Ross C
9. Jon Lester
I dont have Javier Baez in this lineup because one, he needs a mental break and two, the guy cannot try to hit 700′ 3 run home runs (even with no one on). This gives the Cubs an incredible bench (Miguel Montero, Chris Coghlan, Kyle Schwarber, Willson Contreras, Javy Baez) and sets the Cubs up for late game substitutions when needed.
This isnt going to be easy, its the World Series afterall, but these Cubbies will force a game seven. Mark it.
