The World Series is coming back to Cleveland after the Indians lost to the Chicago Cubs, 3-2 in Game 5 last night. But, the Indians won two out of three at Wrigley over the weekend and have a 3-2 series advantage. They can win it all tomorrow night in Game 6 at Progressive Field, and WKSU commentator Terry Pluto thinks they’ll get it done.
Time to panic?
Terry Pluto says it's not time to panic, Indians fans.
“You just hate to see the series go on. (But) very few people would have said they liked the Indians’ chances against Jon Lester in Chicago (on Sunday).
"The main the thing is they came away winning two out of three in Chicago. They’re up 3-2 and they line up with their two best starters at home for the final two games."
Star pitching for games 6 and 7
The Indians will start Josh Tomlin on Tuesday and Corey Kluber if Game 7 is necessary on Wednesday.
“You add up their records in the postseason, it’s 6-1 and they’re barely giving up more than one run a game. You have your bullpen rested. In fact, Andrew Miller, who’s been the star for the Indians or the Darth Vader for the other team when he came in, he didn’t even have to pitch yesterday. So, that was a tremendous victory for them that, if you’re going to get beat, at least don’t wear out your relief pitchers.”
Flashback to 2007?
Pluto says it’s easy for fans to have flashbacks to 2007, when the Indians were up 3-1 over the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series -- and then lost the next three games to be eliminated.
But, Pluto says there are several key differences this year:
1. “The last two games of that series were played in Boston and not Cleveland. I just think at home, the Indians have been a different team all year (58-29 record), and I expect that to be the same case, that they have been dominant.
2. The manager for Boston in those games was Terry Francona, the same manager for the Indians now. Francona’s had a calming effect on the Indians this year."
But, as a side note, Pluto says even a veteran manager gets the jitters.
"He ordered $44 of ice cream from room service. I found the story endearing; it does show that even a manager like him, who right now in the World Series for his career has an 11-2 record, he feels it! It could be a long 48 hours for the manager and the Indians fans.”
Why we should remain calm
Pluto believes the Indians will win Game 6 on Tuesday.
“We got spoiled in the postseason. Usually you don’t get this far without some other losses. They swept Boston in three games, won four out of five to Toronto, split the first two games against Chicago in Cleveland and then shockingly won the first two in Wrigley Field. My fear was when the Indians left town and it was 1-1, that the Indians would return to Cleveland and be down 3-2.”
