World Series 2016: Keys to victory for Chicago Cubs in Game 7
Winning the World Series is every player’s dream, and here are five ways the Cubs can make those dreams a reality.
Roaring back like a freight train, the Chicago Cubs have forced a winner-take-all Game 7 of the World Series. After being shut out twice at home, the bats did just enough in Game 5 to send the series back to Cleveland before breaking out in a major way to blow out the Indians 9-3 in Game 6. Addison Russell provided the biggest blow, blasting a grand slam in the top of the third inning.
Momentum is on the side of the Cubs, even though they will be playing on the road. If the Cubs do find a way to win the final game of the World Series, they will end a 108-year title drought and become just the sixth team in league history to recover from a 3-1 deficit.
The Cubs will send out Cy Young candidate Kyle Hendricks, who will look to turn in a better performance than he did in Game 3. Behind Hendricks, it will be all hands on deck, with Jon Lester expected to be available for a few outs.
Do the Cubs have what it takes to make baseball history? Here are the five biggest keys to victory for Joe Maddon’s Chicago Cubs.
5. Play relaxed baseball
When one team is on the verge of a historic comeback, and the other is on the verge of a historic collapse, momentum typically favors the comeback. In Game 6, the Cubs played with a different energy. Unencumbered of the added pressure and excess fanfare surrounding the first World Series at Wrigley Field since 1945, the Cubs looked like the team that won 103 games during the regular season.
From the first inning on, it was evident that the Cubs were locked in at the plate. They jumped all over Josh Tomlin, and were aggressive early in the count against him. That allowed the Cubs to tee off on the soft-tosser’s underwhelming fastball and cutter. That confidence must carry over to Game 7.
Joe Maddon is one of the most masterful managers of people and personalities in all of professional sports, and he has lived up to that reputation in the postseason. After finally getting the World Series monkey off their backs at home, Maddon allowed his players to spend extra time at home with family before flying to Cleveland. When the team did fly to Cleveland on Monday night, they did so in Halloween costumes.
Game 7 of the World Series is the most pressured-packed game in baseball, but the Cubs have the right manager and temperament to handle the extra stress of a winner-take-all game.