World Series Game 3: Cubs (103-58-1, 8-4) vs. Indians (94-67, 8-2)
- Game Time – 7:08pm CDT
- Coverage – TV: FOX – Radio: WSCR 670 The Score, Cubs Radio Network, XM Radio Channels 89, 844(Cubs), 176, 853(Indians)
- Location – Wrigley Field, Chicago
Kyle Hendricks, RHP (16-8, 2.13/0.97/3.20) vs. Josh Tomlin, RHP (13-9, 4.40/1.19/4.88)
The World Series – Game 3
Best-of-Seven Series tied 1-1
It’s Game 3 of The World Series … Kyle Hendricks versus Josh Tomlin at Wrigley Field.
The World Series shifts to Wrigley Field for the next three days. The Fall Classic is tied at 1-1 after the Cubs split the first two at Progressive Field.
The Cubs turn to Kyle Hendricks on what will be a very windy night at Wrigley.
The wind is expected to be howling out of Wrigley tonight. Hendricks must keep the ball down and in the park. If he gives up a home run it must be a solo shot, no multi-run homers, which means he simply cannot walk batters and possibly give the Indians free runs.
Hendricks has pitched in five games this season with the wind blowing out and he’s had success, especially in Game 6 against the Dodgers.
The Cubs will depend on Hendricks to keep the Indians off the board while they figure out Josh Tomlin.
Tomlin has pitched a lot better than he’s given credit. If you take out August from his season stats when he was dealing with personal issues and fatigue, his stats would look a lot different and closer to the way he’s pitched in the postseason against the Red Sox and Blue Jays.
Josh Tomlin is an extreme reverse splits guy. Joe Maddon should load his lineup with right-handers, which should give Jorge Soler another start. Willson Contreras will be in the lineup catching Hendricks.
Right-handers had a .845 OPS with 45 extra basehits (22 doubles, one triple, 22 home runs) against Tomlin during the regular season with a .299/.323/.522 slash line. Left-handers hit .229/.247/.438 with a .685 OPS (15 doubles, two triples, 14 home runs) against Tomlin.
Josh Tomlin served up his fair share of longballs this year. In 174 innings (30 games, 29 starts), teams hit 36 home runs … 21 in his first 16 games (100 innings) and 15 in the second half (14 games, 74 innings).
The Cubs will have to adjust to his off-speed stuff and jump on his mistakes. Tomlin threw nearly 40 curveballs with a lot of success against the Blue Jays.
Tonight all starts with Kyle Hendricks …
Kyle Hendricks pitched the best game of his career in Game 6 of the NLCS. Hendricks outpitched Clayton Kershaw in every way possible on the night the Cubs won the National League Pennant at Wrigley Field. Hendricks allowed two hits with no walks and six strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings as the Cubs beat the Dodgers 5-0.
Hendricks is 1-1 in his last three starts (Cubs, 2-1) with a 1.65 ERA and 0.80 WHIP.
Hendricks makes his fourth start of the postseason at Wrigley Field tonight. Hendricks will have started the last three games at the old ballyard. And the Cubs need for Hendricks to execute like he did against the Dodgers on a night at Wrigley that will be very difficult to pitch in.
Kyle Hendricks was 9-2 in 15 games, 14 starts, with a 1.32 ERA and 0.86 WHIP at Wrigley in the regular season.
Kyle Hendricks faces the Indians tonight for the first time outside of the Cactus League. Coco Crisp (0-for-3) is the only player on Terry Francona’s active roster that has stepped in the box in big league game against Hendricks.
The Cubs have to deal with Josh Tomlin and his off-speed stuff tonight. Tomlin is a lot like Kyle Hendricks but has not shown the command and control that the Cubs’ right-hander has.
Tomlin is a lot better than the media realizes. The Cubs will to make him work and take advantage of the mistakes he makes.
Tomlin has not allowed more than two earned runs in any start since Aug. 30. And if not for just a horrible August (0-5 in six starts with an 11.48 ERA, 1.95 WHIP), his numbers for the season would look significantly different.
Tomlin limited the Blue Jays to one run on three hits with two walks and six strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings his last time out. And he is 2-0 in his last two starts with a 2.53 ERA and 0.94 WHIP.
In 15 starts on the road this season, Tomlin was 8-4 with a 4.31 ERA and 1.15 WHIP.
Josh Tomlin makes his first start against the Cubs tonight. Joe Maddon has three players on his active roster that have faced Tomlin in a big league game … Ben Zobrist (2-for-19 with one double, one home run and two walks), Miguel Montero (2-for-5 with one double) and David Ross (0-for-1 with two walks).
Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball …
