Trevor Bauer was far from great the last time he took the mound. The Indians need him to bring his a-game later tonight.
Bauer started for the Tribe in Game 2, pitching for just 3.2 frames and allowing two earned runs on six hits in the 5-1 loss to Chicago. His control wasn’t there as evidenced by the two free passes he issued. It remains to be seen how Bauer will do on the hill but if anything goes south for the righty, Terry Francona will turn to the Indians’ bullpen that is among the best in the majors since September, ranking inside the top 10 in the majors in ERA and FIP when graded over a 14-day timeline.
Bauer will also look for the Indians’ hitters to back him up. Batting against tried and tested Jon Lester could be daunting, but Cleveland appears to have the lineup to give the Cubs’ lefty troubles. The Cubs’ active roster has a collective batting average of .306 against Lester. Among them is Rajai Davis, who is 14-for-46 (.304) with a homer, three triples, and three doubles thus far in his career against Lester.
The Indians are 2-0 in Bauer’s last two road starts.
Jon Lester is a been-there-done-that type of player, a rare commodity in the majors. And tonight, he’ll be called upon by the Cubs to help them move closer to a dream World Series title.
Lester, however, was far from fantastic in Game 1 of this World Series. In that game, Lester allowed three earned runs on six hits, while also allowing three walks in 5.2 innings of a 6-0 loss to the Indians. That could be treated as an aberration though for Lester, who was otherwise exceptional in three postseason starts before struggling against the Indians last Tuesday.
Prior to Game 1, Lester was 2-0 with a 0.86 ERA in three starts, spanning 21.0 total innings. He’s almost money in the bank in the regular season when pitching at home, too, going 10-2 with a 1.74 ERA in 15 starts at Wrigley Field before the postseason. To further demonstrate how dominant the Cubs have been at home with Lester working the hill, consider the fact that they are 12-0 in the lefty’s last 12 home starts.
Behind Lester, meanwhile, is the Cubs’ offense that has provided him with 5.37 RS/9 thus far on the season.
