Thursday 27 October 2016 12:36, UK
Chicago's Jake Arrieta was virtually unhittable and the middle of the Cubs line-up delivered to produce a 5-1 win over the Cleveland Indians in Game Two of the World Series on Wednesday to level the best-of-seven Fall Classic at 1-1.
Dazzling Cy Young winner Arrieta used his repertoire of fastballs, cutters, sinkers and sliders to baffle the Indians as he threw 5-1/3 innings of no-hit ball before Jason Kipnis doubled with one out in the sixth.
"I wanted to come out and pitch my game. I tried not to pitch with over-effort, trying to take my foot off the gas a little bit and throw some quality breaking stuff," said Arrieta.
"I was able to spin the ball in the zone, and in and out of the zone well and keep them off balance with the sinker pretty much all night."
Arrieta and two relievers combined on a four-hitter on a chilly night on the shores of Lake Erie that ended with a cold rain falling as the Cubs achieved a split of the opening two games in Cleveland before the next three are played in Chicago.
Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist and Kyle Schwarber, the numbers three through five hitters in Chicago's lineup, combined for five hits, four runs scored and four runs batted in after the hard-hitting Cubs were shut out 6-0 in Game One.
"There was traffic all night," Indians manager Terry Francona said of all the baserunners for the Cubs. "For us to win, we generally need to play a clean game and we didn't do that."
With the focus now shifting to Wrigley Field, the Cubs will host their first World Series game in 71 years on Friday with Kyle Hendricks taking the mound against Cleveland's Josh Tomlin.
