The set-up: Cleveland's incredible pitching performance during the 2016 postseason continued last night in Game 3 of the World Series, the first time since 1945 that Wrigley Field had hosted a Fall Classic contest. Cleveland won 1-0, as Tomlin, Miller, Shaw and Allen combined for the shutout, holding the Cubs to five hits. Miller and Allen have now pitched a combined 25 postseason innings without allowing a run plus have posted a 45-7 KW ratio. It marked Cleveland's fifth shutout of the 2016 postseason and for the Cubs, they've now been shut out four times over their last eight playoff games. The Chicago bats, hitting a combined .217 this postseason, wasted an excellent pitching performance by Hendricks and five relievers.

The pitching matchup: Corey Kluber (3-1, 0.74 ERA) makes another start on three days' rest for Cleveland, while John Lackey (0-0, 5.63 ERA) of the Cubs has not pitched since Game 4 of the NLCS and will be going on nine days' rest. Kluber dominated the Cubs' lineup in Game 1, leaving after 88 pitches in the top of the seventh inning with a shutout (Indians won 6-0). Kluber had much more in the tank but the Indians went into the series planning on getting three starts from their ace, Games 1, 4 and 7.
"I think they're obviously going to make adjustments based on last game," Kluber said. "I'm going to make adjustments based on last game. And it's just going to be that cat-and-mouse game." John Lackey will make his 23rd career postseason start Saturday night and his third of this postseason. While his 2016 postseason ERA is 5.63, the Cubs have won both of his starts. "It's kind of been a crazy schedule for me, for sure. I feel like I'm pitching every two weeks kind of deal," said Lackey. "I like scouting reports. I like having a little bit of history. I'm a guy that studies film, studies reports, studies past history. So I think some of that information can help."

The pick: The Cubs trail 2-1 and will have to face not only the red-hot Kluber but likely the seemingly impregnable Cleveland bullpen. The better news is, the Indians enter this contest batting just .216 in 11 playoffs games this postseason, scoring a total of just 35 runs (3.18 per). The Cubs likely won't need to score too much off of Kluber and the Cleveland pen but they WILL have to score some. Lackey's a vet and has a load of postseason experience (owns a decent 3.42 ERA in 26 1/3 career innings in the Fall Classic) and may be a steadying influence for this talented but young Chicago team. The Cubs were down 2-1 to the Dodgers in the NLCS after getting shut out in back-to-back games but recovered to win three in a row, while scoring 23 runs in those three victories. Let's not predict past Game 4 but make the Cubs a 10* play in this one.