Josh Tomlin is undefeated thus far in this postseason and he intends to notch his third victory in as many starts when he gets the ball for this Friday’s showdown with the Cubs.
Tomlin was on the mound in the Indians’ 2-1 home win over Toronto in the ALCS, silencing the Blue Jays’ big bats in 5.2 innings of action. Tomlin allowed just an earned run on three hits, while striking out six Toronto hitters in the process. The right-hander entered the postseason with an 8-4 record to go with an unimpressive 4.31 ERA in 15 road starts, though the Indians are 3-0 in his last three away from Progressive Field.
The offense, meanwhile, is looking to bounce back strong after paltry output in the 5-1 loss in Game 2.
Francisco Lindor leads Cleveland in the World Series with a .429 batting average (3-for-7) in the first two games. Jose Ramirez, on the other hand, is also hitting .429 (3-for-7) with a double and an RBI in the past two outings.
Betting on the Chicago Cubs
After getting shutout in Game 1 of the World Series, the Cubs finally got it together at the plate on Wednesday, scoring five runs on their way to a series-tying victory. They’ll head home for Game 3, hoping that their bats remain hot. The Cubs are 8-2 in their last 10 games at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs’ decision to play Kyle Schwarber in the World Series after missing all but one game in the regular season finally paid off on Wednesday, when the hefty outfielder went 2-for-4 at the plate and drove a run.
The added firepower provided by Schwarber is good news for Kyle Hendricks, who was sensational in his most recent start. Hendricks crippled the Dodgers’ offense in Game 6 of the NLCS, pitching 7.1 scoreless innings and allowing just two hits while recording six punchouts of a 5-0 victory.
So far in the postseason, Hendricks is 1-1 with a 1.65 in three starts, spanning 16.1 total innings.
The Cubs are 7-3 in Hendricks’ last 10 home starts.
