Andrew Miller was the winning pitcher with Cody Allen getting the save.
Game four in Wrigley will see Cleveland start Corey Kluber with the Cubs countering with John Lackey.
Smoke Signals
1) What a phenomenal game with both teams getting tremendous pitching and with one exception-good fielding.
This game had it all-drama,a big play or two,managing skill and the aforementioned pitching....
2) I worried about this game because of Josh Tomlin and his fringy stuff at Wrigley Field,but Tomlin's 4 and two third's were sharp and I wondered if Terry Francona's move in the fifth for Andrew Miller was premature.
It wasn't because the Indians won ,but I still think Tomlin had a few more outs in him.
That could be a decision that may benefit Cleveland as Tomlin may have a few more innings or even outs on short rest ready.
3) More from the bullpen as once again Andrew Miller and Cody Allen (along with Brian Shaw) were able to be keep teams off the scoreboard,even through threats.
Shaw had the heavier lifting as both Miller and Allen were under 20 pitches to get the win and help their availability for tonight's game four..
4) Many on Twitter (even Cubs fans) were ranting about the different strike zones that John Hirschbeck was calling for for starters Kyle Hendricks and Josh Tomlin.
I always find balls and strikes to be subjective and can live with whatever zone an umpire would call-as long as it is a consistent one from team to team.
All the way down to little league baseball,both the pitcher(who needs to know where to throw) and the hitter (what to swing at and what to lay off of) need to have a good idea on what is being called.
Hirschbeck seemed to call the outside strike for Hendricks and not for Tomlin.
The strike zone did begin to even out after the starters were removed,but it still was a less than strong job behind the plate...
5) More postseason heroics from Coco Crisp as it was his single that scored the only run of the game.
Crisp was a late season addition for outfield depth and has turned out to be a key addition...
6) Michael Martinez scored the only run in a pinch running capacity,but the former Hagerstown Sun was nearly picked off third just before Coco Crisp's single on a play so close that the Cubs looked at it on video replay.
The journeyman utility player dove back to third beating the throw of Willson Contreras by inches.
It brought to mind to mind similar plays in little league that made me wince as the umpire was usually going to call the runner out even if he was back to the bag in now.
It almost cost the Indians a chance to win..
7) Joe Buck's favorite player Kyle Schwarber pinch hit in the eighth with a feeble pop up against Brian Shaw,
Schwarber is clearly a nice player,but the drooling over his bat like he is Babe Ruth still is old...
8) The Indians tried to keep the Cubs alive with two outs with Mike Napoli's error on a Jason Heyward that could have ended the game.
That would have been so Cleveland to lose such a great game that way,but Cody Allen whiffed Javier Baez in the following at bat.
9) I know that I'm rooting for the Indians,but I'm still a non-DH guy and the National League rules made the Indians choose with Mike Napoli-glove or bat.
No half and half players in NL play,you want the bat,live with the glove.
10) So that means on to game four and Corey Kluber on short rest against John Lackey.
Lackey's post season numbers are solid,so the Indians aren't getting off easy and Kluber will be pitching on short rest for the second time in the postseason.
Kluber may have to do this again if a game seven if needed,so this will likely be a six inning stint at best and the Cubs will try to work the pitch count to remove him sooner.
Don't I wish the Indians had Carlos Carrasco about now....
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