World Series 2016: Five reasons the Indians win it

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Oct 15, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Josh Tomlin (43) throws against the Toronto Blue Jays during the third inning of game two of the 2016 ALCS playoff baseball series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Tomlin and Merritt keep the Cubs off balance

By no stretch of the imagination should soft-tossing hurlers like Josh Tomlin and Ryan Merritt be able to shut down the All-Star studded Chicago lineup, but things work differently in the postseason. Both Tomlin and Merritt have far outpitched their “stuff” in the playoffs, combining for three starts, 15.1 innings, and a 1.76 ERA. Neither has allowed a home run.

Tomlin will start Game 3 of the series, and Merritt may start Game 4 or 5 depending on how the first three games of the series go. By flirting with the edges of the strike zone and relying on their ability to generate soft contact, Tomlin and Merritt have done enough to keep the Tribe in games in the postseason.

With the heightened pressure of October, crafty pitchers like Tomlin and Merritt are able to feed off the anxiety of hitters. Their command and ability to place the ball on the edges of the zone kept the potent lineups of the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. As was the case in the first two rounds of the playoffs, Francona will not ask too much of his back-end starters. Both are capable of holding down the Cubs to two or three runs over five innings. If they are able to do that before Miller and the bullpen enter the game, the Indians will have a chance to steal a game or two in the series.

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