It’s a magical phrase for a sports fan, Game Seven. Just look at all the previous ones from the World Series.
Here you’ll find Grover Cleveland Alexander’s masterful job of relief in 1926, when he entered the game in the seventh inning of Game Seven after winning Game Six the day before and struck out the Yankees’ Tony Lazzeri with the bases loaded to retire the side. You’ll find Dizzy Dean’s 11-0 shutout of the Tigers in 1934, with the left field fans showering Ducky Medwick with bottles after he spiked Mickey Owens in the previous inning. You’ll find Bill Mazeroski’s home run in 1960 and Luis Gonzalez’s bloop single over second base off Mariano Rivera in 2001. And you’ll find Gene Larkin’s single in the 10th inning of the Jack Morris shutout game in 1991.
Cubs at Indians, 8:00PM ET, TV: Fox
The Cubs ask Kyle Hendricks to be the man. He started Game Three, went 4 1/3 innings and gave up six hits but no runs in the eventual 1-0 loss to the Indians. He’ll be opposed by the Indians’ Corey Kluber, who’s already won Games One and Four in this Series for the Tribe. He’ll try to join a very exclusive club of pitchers who’ve won three games in a Series; the last member to join was Randy Johnson of the D-Backs in 2001.
Cubs Lineup:
The change in start time eluded us. The clock is fixed! #FlyTheW pic.twitter.com/2es8V7IyHt
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) November 2, 2016
Indians Lineup:
Game 7.
Here we go.#RallyTogetherPREVIEW: https://t.co/a8GKoeQTtW pic.twitter.com/iKpoUxb5zZ
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) November 2, 2016
Look closely at Kris Bryant’s face here. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player do this while fielding a ball.
Here’s a lovely tale of mourning and celebration in Chicago.
NPUT
It was an interesting game, with a few exciting moments, but nevertheless a disappointing result.
I would venture to say that it’s completely disappointing only to Indians fans . . . and disciples of schadenfreude.
The Cubbies were deserving winners, but the Series on the whole was lackluster and Game Seven was truly sloppy on both sides.
“Sloppy” to you — and it wasn’t perfect, but “best ever” to many writers (not posters).
Two runs scored on wild pitch, good relievers coughing it up, infield and outfield misplays – all detracted from what could have been a truly memorable game.
What a game that was. Phew.
Some more good news:
“In a move that could shake up the three-year-old stalemate over carriage of L.A. Dodgers games, the U.S. Department of Justice filed an antitrust suit on Wednesday accusing DirecTV of colluding with competitors in negotiations with Time Warner Cable.”
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/Sued-over-Dodgers/ar-AAjM3Jc
Night all. Maybe next year the team we all want to win will come through.
What a nicer way to end it all!
The season which saw the retirement of a legend — Vinny . . . and a curse — on the Cubs . . . is over.
What a way to cap it all!
So Theo has a couple of curses on his belt.
Maybe he should go to Seattle or Houston – etc next.
We were cursed by Fox!
The run differential in this series was 0.
27 runs for and 27 runs against. Just wish there were a few more close games.
It was close enough at the end!
Final assist by Las Vegan Kris Bryant.
Most Valuable Call — Heyward’s players-only meeting during the rain delay.
One of the greatest miniseries in television history.
That was one heckuva game.
It had its moments, but very sloppy. It’s fair to say the Cubbies were baseball’s best team this year, but they’re still a disappointment.
Again, for a sense of perspective:
Inappropriate.
No, it’s ironic.
So – who do people like for 2017?
Ha! Us!
Very valuable ball that Rizzo stuck in his back pocket.
Ugh. Congratulations Cubs.
Oh good. I was concerned there wouldn’t be another pitching change to sit through again this baseball season. Thanks Joe Madden.
Ha!
Now for a walkoff!
Can Rajai repeat?
Sorta.
Need a bloop (or a walk) and another blast from Davis!
This game reminds me of the classic “Peanuts” strip about sports, which recently ran again:
http://www.peanuts.com/search/?pubdate=10%2F23%2F2016&sort_by=bydate&seasonal=&selectcharacter=&keyword=&type=comic_strips#.WBq-p2orI4d
Imagine Pedro Baez in this spot? That would be fun.
Another rain delay?
Cleveland staring down another extra inning Game 7 WS loss.
Montero is now the designated bases loaded hitter.
If Chicago holds this lead then Chapman gets the win. Yuck.
Maybe the Dodgers should have signed Zobrist last off season. Ain’t hindsight great?
He won in blue last year . . . hopefully this year . . .
Dodger Blue in the future?
That put me in mind of Don Baylor who went to the WS 3 years in a row with 3 different teams. He lost with the Red Six in 1986, won with the Twins in 1987, and lost with the A’s in 1988.
Ha! I had “won lost with the Red Sox in 1986.” Which is as about as true as it comes.
Kenny Lofton had some kind of playoff streak going toward the end of his career, as I recall. I know he played for a bunch of teams one year at a time after his first few years in the bigs.
That run has a lot to do with that pinch runner moving to second.
And Schwarber getting the hit — what a story he’s been!
If this was our team, I’d have to be on sedatives.
And you could be referring to the Dodgers subbing in for either team!
Exactly.
Very smart base running again.
That’s one way to advance the runner.
Here we go.
Joe Buck is a prime example of the power of post-mortem nepotism.
Who was Chicago’s closer this year before Chapman?
Rondon
*Rondón
The only thing more fitting would have been this scenario but Boston vs Chicago circa 2003.
What else can possible happen?
Rain delay?!?!?! Seriously? To be continued tomorrow?
Guessing at least an hour if not more.
Ha! Already looks like they are taking the tarp off.
Let’s call it and play it all over again!
Was it 2008 or 2009 that finished the next day? Rays vs Phillies.
The TV ratings for this must be astronomical.
5th time Game 7 has gone to extras I believe: 2016, 1997, 1991, 1924, 1912
1991 was an extra-inning Game 7, I remember. Jack Morris.
I can’t believe Chapman goes out for another . . . but then i thought he would not’ve been there in the 9th (nor last night’s 9th . . . or 8th . . . ).
Free baseball!
Extras — definitely fitting for this Series.
Starting to actually feel sorry for Chapman.
Not I.
I didn’t realize the shift and thought that was into the outfield.
Well, either a walkoff win . . . or extra innings.
Maddon has NO trust in his bullpen!
Whoever wins, a great game seven. But putting Chapman out again?
Big out.
Bunting is often stupid, but rarely stupider than that.
If this was the Dodgers in this game (as either the team that lost the lead or the team that tied it up), I would be losing my mind a bit.
The Utley rule in application?
Allen is out of gas. Bring in Shaw.
I’m sad that Ross is out of the game now.
His finale.
Hope he goes out a winner. 🙂
Technically, he went out a tie-er. 6-6.
Good point — but no one will remember that.
This is too good of a game/series/Series for it to be decided by weather!
Wow.
Credit to the Indians for making it happen, but this is on Maddon for wasting Chapman last night. He should not have been in there with a 7-2 lead, much less the 9-2 lead. And he started giving up runs last night.
Go, Blue — go, Cubs!
Yep bringing Chapman in for game six did increase their likelihood of winning that game, but only from 90% to 95%. Not sure it was worth it.
6/10/3 vs 6/10/0
Took me a minute to figure that out, Dave — because my birthday is 6/10!
incredible
Could Brazilian hit the game-winner?
Not with swings like the last 2.
The pitching changes haven’t gone smoothly tonight.
That’s for sure.
Chapman sweating hard.
Too much Chapman over two games?
Absolutely.
Not quite enough yet.
Madden managed to make sure he won game six, when he actually needed to manage to win games 6 and 7.
Miller got dinged and now Chapman. How will this one end?
Don’t stop now!
That was a great great at bat by Davis.
Pretty good one by Guyer, too.
Holy Cow!
I was Holy Cow for Halloween.
Got a picture?
IMG_3918.JPG
Tie game! Tie game!!!!!
Cra-cra.
I love this game.
At its best: Lots of drama. Lots of tension.
And I wrote that before the HR.
Well done!
Nails getting chewed in the stands.
Giving Indian fans late hope.
Too little, too late?
We shall see!
Interesting to think back to last Dec or Jan when the Dodgers initially tried to trade for Chapman. And now here he is trying to get the last 4 outs to win the World Series.
He is basically the reason I don’t want the Cubs to win. But I would be happy for Ross to win.
Ump now calling balls strikes, after calling strikes balls…
A Lester-Chapman meltdown would please me.
6 more outs!
I would put Lester back out there until he gets in trouble.
I didn’t like Chapman going in last night with the huge lead and if he comes in now and falters, who backs him up?
For even more context: https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/94b02a7128034ead0105e2f0f75dc44f1be1dae0743ec55a70152c8248b3cfa5.png
— which is why it’s time.
And hopefully that time is now.
It’s only the bottom of the 6th? Wow.
I was going to post that the Indians don’t deserve to be blown out . . . but a couple-run lead would be nice on my nerves!
Ross getting one back after helping give up two.
Miller not getting the “shutdown inning,” this year’s buzzphrase.
We can name that tune!
Ross Redemption!
After Baez, they need to make more errors!
This is such a weird experience for me. I want both teams to win.
I respect the Indians, but I went into the season hoping the Cubs would win if the Dodgers didn’t.
It’s rare that I’m not rooting AGAINST someone. (Maybe because the Giants aren’t playing. 🙂 )
I don’t mind having lost to the world champions. And perhaps if they win they won’t be as likely to next year? But I really like the Indians team as well.
Perspective, not politics:
Speaking of ulcers.
A week from today it will be over. Sort of.
Doesn’t it seem cruel that Election Day is after Daylight Saving Time goes off . . . and we have to have an extra hour of all this?
Another excellent reason to live in Hawai’i, where we don’t observe DST.
Some great base running during this series.
And some sloppy defence.
Yes, that, too.
Maddon must be fomenting an ulcer here.
I fractured my collarbone on a play like that, playing 1B and trying to get an errant throw.
Last softball game I played in.
I broke two ribs in a coed game once, when a woman running to first put her elbows up to protect her head and hit me straight on in the chest.
Ouch!
Female on male violence.
Hendricks out, Lester in. We’ll see if this is the right decision.
I just got back to the game. Do you think Maddon is overthinking this? Hendricks only had 60 pitches. He had a walk earlier when I was listening — is his control a problem?
No control problem whatsoever.
And yes, Maddon definitely overthinking.
Not to take anything from the Cubbies, but run 5 should have been a strike out instead of a walk, leading to Rizzo’s RBI.
Cleveland needs to play better if they want to win. Put LeBron in for his D.
Confused Wahoo outfield continues, bad throw by Davis.
Baseball man. That ball hit the lip of grass and changed the whole play. Of course trying to make a bare handed catch and throw is always risky.
Utley did that in a key play v. the Cubbies, unfortunately.
C’mon Indians!
Here come the Wahoos!
Here we all are, waiting for Cubbies tradition to reassert itself.
Taking the lead in the 1st is no way for that to happen.
They just need to embrace their inner Bartman. Seeing Báez throw away an easy play was somewhat encouraging.
Seeing Baez’s HR is even more encouraging.