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 and level the best-of-seven Fall Classic 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.
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 line-up, 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.
With the Fall Classic shifting to Wrigley Field, the Cubs on Friday (Saturday AEDT) will host their first World Series game in 71 years with Kyle Hendricks taking the mound against Cleveland's Josh Tomlin.
Reuters.
