October 31, 2016

Chicago Tribune, Cubs pull out all stops to tip Indians and hold off elimination in World Series Game 5 http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-send-series-back-to-cleveland--spt-1031-20161030-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Go ahead and breathe: Cubs force World Series back to Cleveland http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-sullivan-cubs-stay-alive-in-series-spt-1031-20161030-column.html

Chicago Tribune, Surprise bunt single gives slumping Javier Baez a lift http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-javier-baez-cubs-side-game-5-spt-1031-20161030-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Whiffs and flyouts give way to fun 4th inning for Cubs in World Series Game 5 win http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-greenstein-cubs-fun-4th-inning-spt-1031-20161030-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Joe Maddon's gamble on Aroldis Chapman hits jackpot as Cubs stay alive http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-aroldis-chapman-eight-out-save-haugh-spt-1031-20161030-column.html

Chicago Tribune, Jon Lester willing to pass baton to bullpen in Cubs' Game 5 win http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-jon-lester-willing-to-pass-baton-to-bullpen-20161030-story.html

Chicago Tribune, David Ross gets a couple more moments to cherish in final game at Wrigley http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-david-ross-final-game-wrigley-spt-1031-20161030-story.html

Chicago Tribune, All Cubs coaches expected back, unless Dave Martinez gets manager job http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-coaching-staff-dave-martinez-spt-1031-20161030-story.html

Chicago Sun-Times, Chapman nurses 7th-inning lead all the way to shores of Lake Erie http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/chapman-nurses-7th-inning-lead-all-the-way-to-shores-of-lake-erie/

Chicago Sun-Times, Aroldis Chapman goes above and beyond, and the Cubs stay alive http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/aroldis-chapman-goes-above-and-beyond-and-the-cubs-stay-alive/

Chicago Sun-Times, Bryant goes long, Chapman goes longer — whatever it takes to win http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/bryant-goes-long-chapman-goes-longer-whatever-it-takes-to-win/

Chicago Sun-Times, Indians fail to put Cubs away — but they’re still in good shape http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/indians-fail-to-put-cubs-away-but-theyre-still-in-good-shape/

Chicago Sun-Times, No matter what’s next, remember that Cubs won this one at Wrigley http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/no-matter-whats-next-remember-that-cubs-won-this-one-at-wrigley/

Chicago Sun-Times, Ross adds a World Series first in his final game at Wrigley Field http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/ross-adds-a-world-series-first-in-his-final-game-at-wrigley-field/

Chicago Sun-Times, Unless Martinez gets managing job, Cubs staff to return intact http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/unless-martinez-gets-managing-job-cubs-staff-to-return-intact/

Daily Herald, Cubs' offense perks up just enough to keep World Series hopes alive http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20161030/sports/161039855/

Daily Herald, Cubs let the 'W' fly in Game 5 http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20161030/sports/161039856/

Daily Herald, Maddon confident Cubs' coaching staff will return for 2017 http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20161030/sports/161039859/

Daily Herald, How the Cubs won World Series Game 5 http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20161030/sports/161039845/

Daily Herald, Rozner: Cubs find themselves just in time http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20161030/sports/161039849/

Cubs.com, Throw Cub, throw: Chapman gets 8 outs http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/207656238/cubs-chapman-gets-eight-outs-to-secure-game-5/

Cubs.com, Chappy Halloween! Cubs' trick? 6 for heat http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/207629726/cubs-edge-indians-to-keep-title-hopes-alive/

Cubs.com, Cubs' victory sets up epic Game 6 in Cleveland http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/207650558/cubs-win-sets-up-classic-game-6-in-cleveland/

Cubs.com, Bryant's jack could be Cubs' latest jolt http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/207664524/kris-bryant-homer-could-be-cubs-latest-jolt/

Cubs.com, Arrieta's turn to help keep Cubs' Series dream alive http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/207623778/jake-arrieta-gets-game-6-start-in-cleveland/

Cubs.com, Bryant's blast sparks Cubs' winning rally http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/207636200/kris-bryants-home-run-ignites-cubs-rally/

Cubs.com, Maddon: Edwards' outing key in Game 5, and beyond http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/207623654/carl-edwards-gets-used-in-key-spot-in-game-5/

Cubs.com, Wrigley faithful revel in 'moment of a lifetime' http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/207656642/cubs-fans-celebrate-historic-game-5-win/

Cubs.com, Arrieta, Cubs hope to force decisive Game 7 in Cleveland http://atmlb.com/2eMDvxH

Cubs.com, Ross says farewell to Wrigley in style http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/207670680/david-ross-plays-last-game-at-wrigley-field/

Cubs.com, Another strong October outing for Cubs' Lester http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/207623990/another-strong-october-start-for-jon-lester/

ESPNChicago.com, The call that kept Cubs alive: Chapman for eight outs http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/42678/inside-joe-maddons-big-decision-to-keep-the-cubs-alive-aroldis-chapman-for-8-outs

ESPNChicago.com, Kris Bryant shows up just in time for the Cubs http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/42677/bryant-shows-up-just-in-time-for-the-cubs

ESPNChicago.com, Not so fast, Cleveland -- Cubs keep Series alive http://www.espn.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/76148/not-so-fast-cleveland-cubs-keep-series-alive

ESPNChicago.com, Cubs turning foul balls into circus catches in Game 5 http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/42660/ross-rizzo-make-juggling-catch

ESPNChicago.com, Joe Maddon expects his coaches to return, but one could move on http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/42654/joe-maddon-expects-his-coaches-to-return-but-one-could-move-on

CSNChicago.com, Trying To Save Their Season, Cubs Stretch The Possibilities With Aroldis Chapman http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/trying-save-their-season-cubs-stretch-possibilities-aroldis-chapman

CSNChicago.com, Ready For Battle With Cubs In World Series, Kyle Schwarber Has Another Chance To Add To His Legend http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/ready-battle-cubs-world-series-kyle-schwarber-has-another-chance-add-his-legend

CSNChicago.com, Cubs Defense Rebounds Nicely With Aide Of Anthony Rizzo's Circus Catch http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-defense-rebounds-nicely-aide-anthony-rizzos-circus-catch

CSNChicago.com, Jon Lester Ready If Needed To Pitch Out Of Bullpen In Games 6 Or 7 Of World Series http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/jon-lester-ready-if-needed-pitch-out-bullpen-games-6-or-7-world-series

CSNChicago.com, Storybook Year For 'Grandpa Rossy' Coming To An End With Emotional Final Game At Wrigley http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/storybook-year-grandpa-rossy-coming-end-emotional-final-game-wrigley

CSNChicago.com, Once Again, Joe Maddon’s Cubs Respond To The Win-Or-Else Pressure http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/once-again-joe-maddons-cubs-respond-win-or-else-pressure

CSNChicago.com, Cubs Squeak By In World Series Nail-Biter, Live To Fight Another Day http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-squeak-world-series-nail-biter-live-fight-another-day

CSNChicago.com, Rockies Could Have Cubs Bench Coach Dave Martinez On Their Radar http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/rockies-could-have-cubs-bench-coach-dave-martinez-their-radar

-- Chicago Tribune Cubs pull out all stops to tip Indians and hold off elimination in World Series Game 5 By Mark Gonzales There might be some question about whether the Cubs' season will be deemed a success if they don't win the World Series.

But there was no question about their sense of urgency Sunday night as the Cubs avoided elimination when they held on for a tense 3-2 victory over the Indians in Game 5 of the World Series before a tense crowd of 41,711 at Wrigley Field. Closer Aroldis Chapman — making his first appearance in the seventh inning since May 17, 2012 — pitched out of trouble in the seventh and eighth innings and threw a perfect ninth to send the Series back to Cleveland for Game 6 Tuesday night. "We're all about writing our history," Kris Bryant said. "This team is a special one." Monday's travel day will give Chapman a chance to rest his prized left arm and the Cubs an opportunity to reassess their options as they try to overcome a 3-2 deficit in this best-of-seven series. "Why not us?" Addison Russell said. The Cubs took some small but effective steps in snapping out of their offensive rut with a three-run fourth that included four consecutive hits for the first time in the Series. Kris Bryant fueled the rally when he led off with a home run. Nevertheless, manager Joe Maddon — who staunchly maintains the Cubs season is a success regardless of the Series outcome — wasn't taking any chances when pulled Jon Lester after six innings despite the left-hander limiting the Indians to four hits, no walks and two earned runs in a 90-pitch outing. Lester admitted he was taxed and thought it would be better to allow the bullpen to start with a clean inning. Maddon summoned Chapman with one out in the seventh after Carl Edwards Jr. allowed a hit to Mike Napoli, and fellow rookie Willson Contreras was charged with a passed ball. "I told (Maddon) I was ready to go," Chapman said after revealing Maddon told him he may be needed in the seventh. The crowd held its breath as Chapman struck out Jose Ramirez, hit Brandon Guyer with a pitch and induced Roberto Perez to ground to second with the tying and go-ahead runs on base to end the threat. In the eighth, Chapman's failure to cover first base resulted in a one-out hit for Rajai Davis, who stole second and third around a foul out. But Chapman struck out Francisco Lindor to end the threat. For the first time in the Series, the Cubs overcame a deficit, which they incurred when Ramirez hit a solo homer against Lester in the second. Bryant's tying homer barely cleared the wall in left-center, but it was reminiscent of many of his extra-base hits that made him a National League most valuable player candidate. Catcher David Ross, starting his final game at Wrigley Field, capped the three-run rally with a sacrifice fly and became the first player to collect an RBI in a World Series game for the Red Sox and Cubs, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The Indians pulled within 3-2 in the sixth, when Lindor drove in Davis with a single. The Cubs provided some entertainment on three pops in the first four innings, with Rizzo catching a Carlos Santana foul pop that grazed off Ross' glove near the Indians dugout. In the third, right fielder Jason Heyward leaned over the wall but had to reach back to make a catch of a Trevor Bauer foul pop. With two out in the fourth, Ross moved about 10 feet in front of the Indians' dugout to catch Napoli's pop, only to be knocked off his feet by Rizzo after making the catch. After the Cubs concluded their 103-win regular season, several veterans expressed relief to finally start the postseason and vowed their season wouldn't be successful unless they won the Series.

But before Sunday's game, Maddon differed with that opinion. "You roll the tape back where we've been the last several years, and what we've done last year and this year, I really anticipate we'll be able to finish this off," Maddon said. "If you don't, then you still look at the stepping stone, the building blocks to get to this point. You can't tell me last year wasn't successful just getting to the (National League) Championship Series. And if this wasn't called a playoff, then you can't tell me this year wasn't successful getting to the World Series. "I just don't buy that kind of logic." -- Chicago Tribune Go ahead and breathe: Cubs force World Series back to Cleveland By Paul Sullivan Go ahead and breathe. The Cubs could not do this the easy way, of course. One-hundred and seven years of waiting would not allow that to happen. Riding the arms of Jon Lester and Aroldis Chapman on Sunday night, the Cubs hung on for a tense 3-2 victory over the Indians in Game 5 of the World Series to keep hope alive. The Series now heads to Cleveland for Game 6 on Tuesday, with Jake Arrieta facing Josh Tomlin at Progressive Field. The Cubs are attempting to become the first team to escape a 3-1 Series deficit since the 1985 Royals. After 57 postgame parties at Wrigley during the regular season and four more in the division series and league championship series, the Cubs left their special party room unused during the first two home games of the World Series. Making matters worse, the Indians threatened to throw their own clinching party on Sunday night at Wrigley, prolonging the Cubs' championship drought and ending their own. "A lot of people in Chicago had not seen a World Series win in 71 years," Anthony Rizzo said. "I'm sure it was emotional. It was emotional for us. Seeing (David Ross) each at-bat ... talking to him before the game just trying to hold it all in. This could be his last start. That last at-bat ... we love each other." A three-run fourth inning highlighted by Kris Bryant's leadoff home run saved the season, while Chapman escaped a self-induced jam in the eighth to avoid permanent goat status in Chicago sports history. "Whatever it takes," Rizzo said. "Chappy going out there for six innings, or whatever it was. Lester grinding his way through. It was big for us." Manager Joe Maddon had asked Chapman before the game if he could turn in an old-school save that flashed back to the Goose Gossage era. "I told him I'm ready," Chapman said. "I mentally prepared myself and physically prepared myself to come in as early as possible. I was ready to come in at a moment's notice." After all the pregame hoopla from Games 3 and 4, Sunday was a little more subdued beforehand. Cubs fans are predisposed to being nervous thanks to a lifetime of letdowns, so Maddon gave the jittery majority his own personal seal of approval before Game 5, avoiding the "keep the faith" gibberish most managers save for such occasions.

"Please be nervous, absolutely," Maddon said. "You should be nervous. We have to win tonight, so go ahead and be nervous. It's up to us to get you beyond that moment and get back to Cleveland." The crowd of 41,711 was even more nervous than usual at the outset but perked up in the second when Rizzo caught a foul ball that popped out of Ross' glove near the Indians dugout. Seconds later, after Lester served up a solo home run to Jose Ramirez to give the Indians the lead, it was so quiet you could almost hear a call drop. There was good reason to be anxious. The Cubs offense had been silent since going with a Schwarber-free lineup since Friday, scoring two runs and going 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position in Games 3 and 4. But the clubhouse was very relaxed before the game. "It was Rizzo playing the 'Rocky' theme, running around, jumping around half-naked doing boxing moves," Ross said. Rizzo said the players made speeches to get psyched. "Motivational stuff, like 'Little Giants,'" he said. Bryant's solo home run to left off Indians starter Bauer in the fourth finally gave fans a chance to test their vocal cords, and when Rizzo followed with a double to right, visions of the NLCS danced in their heads. The Cubs had been shut out in back-to-back games by the Dodgers in Games 2 and 3, only to break through with a four-run fourth inning in Game 4 that launched them to three straight wins and the NL pennant. A single by Ben Zobrist and an infield hit by Addison Russell gave the Cubs their first lead, and Ross' sacrifice fly made everyone breathe a little easier. Not much, but a little was better than nothing. After Lester gave up an RBI single to Francisco Lindor in the sixth, Ross threw Lindor out at second on a steal attempt to end the inning, with Javier Baez, the swipemaster general, in perfect position. It was a fitting final moment at Wrigley for "Grandpa," who arrived two years ago as Lester's personal catcher and leaves a legend. "To be on this stage here at Wrigley and catching him was a pretty amazing moment," Ross said. "A lot of emotions for me before the game started." With a runner on second with one out in the seventh after a single and passed ball by Willson Contreras, Maddon called on Chapman to clock in early, stealing a page from the Terry Francona "Miller Time" playbook. After getting out of the seventh, Chapman took a nap in the eighth and allowed Rajai Davis to reach by neglecting to cover first on a grounder that Rizzo snagged. Davis wound up stealing second and third with ease before Chapman caught Lindor looking to end the inning. When Chapman struck out Ramirez on a 101-mph fastball for the final out, the ballpark exploded one last time. The most intense three innings of your life had ended. -- Chicago Tribune Surprise bunt single gives slumping Javier Baez a lift By Paul Skrbina Sometimes, a little hit goes a long way. Javier Baez hadn't been doing much hitting during the World Series when he stepped into the box in the second inning of Game 5 on Sunday night at Wrigley Field.

His face flush with determination, Baez's eyes widened and his right hand inched up his bat Sunday night. The Cubs' 23-year-old second baseman was about to baffle Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez with a bunt single that loaded the bases — and created optimism in Cubs fans — with one out in the fourth inning of a win-or-stay-home Game 5 of the World Series. The Cubs won 3-2 against the Indians, meaning they will hit the road for Game 6 on Tuesday at Progressive Field. The Cubs offense, malnourished for a majority of the series, was feeding off itself and Indians starter Trevor Bauer. Kris Bryant led off the fourth inning with a 387-foot, game-tying home run to left field, just his second hit in 16 Series at-bats. Anthony Rizzo followed with a double that dotted the ivy in deep right. Ben Zobrist then singled before Addison Russell brought Rizzo home with an infield single to make it 2-1. Baez, who shared MVP honors of the National League Championship Series with Sunday starter Jon Lester after batting .342 with a home run and seven RBIs through the first two series, hadn't felt as comfortable at the plate during the World Series. He admitted to pressing and swinging at bad pitches after wildly striking out to end Game 3. His surprising bunt single Sunday was just his third hit in 19 Series at-bats. It also led to the third run of the inning and the deciding run of the game, courtesy of David Ross' sacrifice fly. Manager Joe Maddon praised Baez's honesty about his shortcomings but said he never thought about not starting Baez in Game 5 with Lester pitching. "Javy needs to be on the field for that, No. 1," Maddon said. "No. 2, if Javy's first at-bat tonight's a good one, he could just go off for the rest of the series. "This kid's just coming off of being the MVP of the last series that we played, and the reason we're here is because of all the different things he has done over the last two or three weeks." Maddon's words proved prophetic in the sixth when Baez showed off his tagging ability after he snagged Ross' throw to catch Francisco Lindor trying to steal second base for the inning's last out. Maddon was wrong about one thing, though: Baez's first at-bat was not good. Baez was on his way back to the dugout after his seventh strikeout of the World Series, one that ended the second inning, when he failed to follow one of Maddon's most important mantras: respect 90. Indians catcher Roberto Perez couldn't corral Bauer's third strike and threw to first base to complete the putout while Baez was headed in the opposite direction. But a bunt single, as Maddon hinted, could change that. "Javy no doubt has a lot of talent," shortstop Addison Russell said. "He has done some things on the field I haven't seen before." Baez may have been down, but he was not out. Some of that had to do with him laying a bunt down and not being out. --

Chicago Tribune Whiffs and flyouts give way to fun 4th inning for Cubs in World Series Game 5 win By Teddy Greenstein Save for some dazzling and goofy defensive plays, the Cubs' first three innings Sunday could be summed up in a single word: dismal. A parade of strikeouts and flyouts was interrupted by an Addison Russell single. And then, more strikeouts and flyouts. Kris Bryant stepped to the plate to lead off the fourth. With the count 1-1, Fox analyst John Smoltz said, "You've got to put something on the board right here." As if wanting to make the Hall of Fame pitcher look like a sage, Bryant deposited a juicy, 92-mph fastball into the first row of the left-field bleachers. Wrigley Field erupted like a pot of water hitting 212 degrees. The Cubs were on the board — and on their way to a 3-2 victory over the Indians in Game 5 of the World Series. No small accomplishment after scoring seven runs in the first four games. It would prove to be the start of something big. Anthony Rizzo pounded Trevor Bauer's first-pitch fastball to deep right field. Rizzo thought it was gone. But the ball smacked off the wall, and Rizzo had to scoot into second to beat Brandon Guyer's off-line throw. "I did think it was gone," Rizzo said, "and then I realized it wasn't. I had to get on the horse there." Rizzo looked into the home dugout, shouted, "Let's go!" and did a little shadow boxing, appropriate for a guy who walked to the plate to the theme from "Rocky." Ben Zobrist was up next. He failed to advance a runner Saturday night and looked angry enough to punch a wall. So, determined to atone, he lined a 3-0 pitch into right field. ESPN.com's Jayson Stark pointed out that Zobrist had not swung 3-0 since April 20. The Cubs than caught the kind of break you need to win tight games in October. With runners at first and third, Russell failed in his attempt to lay down a bunt. But then he hit a dribbler to third, the proverbial swinging bunt, and beat it out, scoring Rizzo. With runners at first and second, it seemed like a fine time to have Jason Heyward try a sacrifice bunt. Instead, he whiffed for out No. 1. Javy Baez looked at a first-pitch strike, devised a brilliant plan and then executed it even better. He laid down a bunt that was so perfect, it rated an 11. Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez collected it but made no throw. The bases were loaded. Perhaps Joe Maddon was tempted to push all his chips in by summoning Kyle Schwarber from the bench. Instead David Ross, in his final game at Wrigley Field, stepped to the plate. With Jon Lester on deck and the Cubs desperate for (at least) one more run, "Grandpa Rossy" came through, getting enough wood on a 2-2 fastball to loft it to left field for a sacrifice fly. Lester struck out looking, ending the frame. But that's OK. Three runs seemed more like 30 for an offense that had been so dismal. --

Chicago Tribune Joe Maddon's gamble on Aroldis Chapman hits jackpot as Cubs stay alive By David Haugh When closer Aroldis Chapman struck out Jose Ramirez for the final out of the Cubs' classic 3-2 victory Sunday night at a raucous Wrigley Field, he pounded his mitt twice. Chapman deserved an even bigger hand than the one he gave himself from the crowd of 41,711 after recording the last eight outs of Game 5 of the World Series, a do-or-die scenario that forever will be known as The Aroldis Chapman Game. The left-handed flamethrower came on with one out in the seventh to throw 42 pitches, saving the season and justifying manager Joe Maddon's risky, unorthodox decision. Maddon got away with pulling Jon Lester after six innings, handing a 3-2 lead to 25-year-old rookie Carl Edwards Jr. and asking Chapman to get the final eight outs. Smart? Lucky? Let's just say it worked, so nobody on the North Side complained, not after Chapman left everyone dancing in the aisles. Pure Maddon-ness. "I talked to 'Chappy' before the game, so he was aware," Maddon said. Chapman welcomed the opportunity. October is not a month for the meek. "I didn't expect to come in so early, but I was physically and mentally ready to come in at a moment's notice," Chapman said through an interpreter. Had the Cubs been eliminated at home to provide the weekend's definition of worst-case scenario, there would have been no sabermetric to measure the sadness. Instead, everybody can maintain hope and keep the homemade signs because this still really could be the year. After a tense night of survival, the Cubs return to Cleveland with renewed belief and Kyle "Babe" Schwarber back in the lineup as designated hitter. Lester gave up two runs in six innings, not exactly a Corey Kluber-like performance but a 90-pitch effort that warranted another inning. Lester's biggest mistake came in the second when Ramirez lined a solo home run to scare the bejeebers out of every Cubs fan in America until Kris Bryant's homer in the fourth restored the color to their cheeks. Lester recovered to settle into a familiar rhythm — until the sixth. That's when the baserunning antics of Rajai Davis agitated Lester, who gave up a run-scoring single to Francisco Lindor to make it 3-2. As shaky as Lester appeared holding runners, Maddon pulling him after 90 pitches still raised eyebrows. The Cubs signed Lester to a $155 million contract to decide must-win games, not step aside for a rookie pitching in his first World Series. "He was pushing pretty hard to get those outs," Maddon said. Added Lester: "I told 'Boss' I'd been grinding the last couple innings. ... I left it up to Joe." The Cubs clung uncomfortably to a one-run lead to protect thanks to some rare offense in the fourth. To lead off that defining inning, Bryant swung and everybody in the ballpark connected, their eyes following the path of Bryant's line drive until it landed in the left-center-field basket 382 feet later. The eruption of emotion probably could be heard in the Loop. It wasn't the most majestic home run Bryant has hit but definitely the most cathartic. "Why not us?" Bryant said. "We're all about writing our own history." Like Ben Zobrist's surprise bunt against the Dodgers in the NLCS, Bryant's home run shook the Cubs out of a hitting funk. Relatively speaking, the three-run fourth qualified as an outburst. In the stands came an outpouring of anxiety that had been building throughout the weekend and, to the more mature ticket holders, since the Cubs' last World Series victory at Wrigley on Oct. 8, 1945. You might say everybody who felt uptight simply followed the orders of Maddon, who offered fidgety fans unusual pregame advice.

"Please be nervous, absolutely," Maddon said. "You should be. It's up to us to get you beyond that moment and get back to Cleveland." Has a group of men ever been so giddy to return to Cuyahoga County? But for one more magical night this season, Clark and Addison was the place to be, drawing a wide range of celebrities that included Lady Gaga and Amy Schumer, John Travolta and Bonnie Hunt, among others. As much as drama charged the atmosphere, the secondary ticket market plummeted. One Texas ticket broker who declined to give his name said he paid $1,300 for the same seat he sold for $8,000 for Game 3. Perhaps Cubs fans weren't willing to dig as deeply into their pockets, but their emotional investment remained significant. While the offense abandoned Lester early, the defense was highlight-worthy. Bryant dived to nab a grounder. Anthony Rizzo caught a foul popup off David Ross' glove. But the most memorable effort came from Jason Heyward, who leaped on the wall to catch a foul fly in front of a couple of fans who didn't dare extend an arm and risk a tortured legacy in Chicago. This was a night every decision paid off. Before the game, Maddon described a text received from longtime Rays broadcaster Andy Freed. Freed, an Orioles fan growing up, was listening to a radio show Sunday morning playing hits from 1979. "Andy wanted me to know in 1979, the Orioles were up 3-1 against the Pirates and the Pirates came back and won," Maddon said. The 1979 Pirates are one of three teams that rallied from a 3-1 World Series deficit and won Games 6 and 7 on the road — the challenge the Cubs face. "So," Maddon said, "all these feel a little different." This game definitely was different, thanks to Maddon's big gamble. And this Series suddenly is far from over. -- Chicago Tribune Jon Lester willing to pass baton to bullpen in Cubs' Game 5 win By Mark Gonzales It seemed like a second-guesser’s dream when manager Joe Maddon pulled Jon Lester after the Cubs’ left-hander allowed only two runs on four hits through six innings with their World Series survival at stake. But after closer Aroldis Chapman threw 2 2/3 harrowing but scoreless innings to preserve a 3-2 victory in Game 5 that cut the Cubs’ deficit to 3-2 in this best-of-seven Series against the Indians, Lester revealed that he wasn’t about to put up a fight after not starting the seventh. “Actually I told Boz (pitching coach Chris Bosio) after that sixth I had been kind of grinding for the last couple innings,” Lester said. “So just from pitch one, knowing kind of the circumstances and what was going on, I had to be perfect from pitch one. I had to execute. I couldn't make mistakes. Really the homer I gave up (to Jose Ramirez in the second) was a really good pitch that the guy put a really good swing on. “So it had been a grind the two previous innings leading up to the sixth, and I told them.” The suggestion was that Lester go batter-to-batter to start the seventh. But Lester thought, “why not just give our guys a clean inning? Why let me go out and face a guy. If I give up a hit or a walk or whatever, you're going to pull me anyway, and now you put him in a situation.”

Maddon left the decision up to Maddon, whose choice to opt for rookie Carl Edwards Jr. and then Chapman paid off. And Lester, who threw 90 pitches didn’t rule out the possibility of pitching if needed if there’s a Game 7. “Whatever we've got to do,” Lester said. “I mean, this time of year there's no barriers.” -- Chicago Tribune David Ross gets a couple more moments to cherish in final game at Wrigley By Chris Kuc Fifty minutes before the first pitch of Game 5 of the World Series, David Ross popped out of the Cubs dugout and slowly made his way down the left-field line to begin his pregame routine. As they have throughout this season, the bleacher bums saluted Ross — who has announced he will retire after 14 years in the major leagues — with cheers as he warmed up on a blustery Sunday night at Wrigley Field. As he has all season, Ross tried to soak up as much of the atmosphere as possible during his final game at Wrigley. "I wasn't able to do it as much just because I didn't want to get emotional," Ross said after the Cubs kept their season alive with a 3-2 victory over the Indians. "I tried to keep my head in the game and not really think about what all is going on in my career. The fans were phenomenal just warming up before the game, and my first at-bat, the whole energy in the stadium was great." When Ross came to bat in the third inning, many in the crowd got to their feet and gave the veteran catcher an ovation before he grounded out to third. Near bedlam ensued in the fourth when Ross knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly and raised his arms in triumph as he trotted back to the dugout. In his last official duty as catcher before rookie Willson Contreras replaced him, Ross threw out Francisco Lindor trying to steal. "I've had a storybook year," Ross said. "There are so many things I could talk about that have happened to me. That's just another cool one to get the sac fly that puts us ahead and we hold on." It is moments like those — and having Eddie Vedder dedicate "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" to him during the seventh-inning stretch — that Ross has made sure to cherish this season. "I'm trying to tell myself a lot, 'Take this in, take this in,'" Ross said. "I'll look up in the stands a lot just because there aren't too many times you get to be in front of 40,000 to 50,000 people on the field and they're all cheering for a team. I'm just trying to take those pictures in my brain and hold on to those nice things." Along the way this season, Ross has drawn admiration from teammates, opponents and fans for his ebullient personality, leadership and the joy with which he plays the game. "You talk about guys who have influence in the locker room," manager Joe Maddon said. "Veteran influence can be bad if you have the wrong veteran — he's absolutely the right veteran. "And he's passionate about his craft. He makes everybody around him a little bit better." -- Chicago Tribune All Cubs coaches expected back, unless Dave Martinez gets manager job By Mark Gonzales

Cubs manager Joe Maddon expects his entire coaching staff to return in 2017 but again endorsed bench coach Dave Martinez as a major-league manager. Martinez is expected to interview for the the Rockies' managerial opening, according to Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com, though Martinez said no team has contacted him yet. Martinez, 52, has been Maddon's longtime assistant with the Rays and Cubs and has interviewed for managerial positions with the Nationals and Rockies. "I would hope Davey does get that opportunity to interview and possibly get that job," Maddon said. Maddon praised Martinez for his ability to connect with players, even if the news isn't upbeat. "Davey is not afraid to have the tough conversation," Maddon said. "That's what it is. As the bench coach, which I've done in the past (with the Angels), the best way to describe it to you is he should be there to permit the manager to intellectualize the day. "If I have to get caught up in all this other stuff, I won't be able to do my job. His job is to be the conduit, the liaison, the go-between for this office and the clubhouse and to really put out the fires before they get here. Beyond that, do his duties, which may be outfield play, defense, baserunning and during the course of the game being involved. "So when a coach does the bench coaching thing properly, it absolutely helps set him up to be a manager." Maddon said he has yet to discuss the status of the coaching staff with President Theo Epstein, but the staff could stay intact for the third consecutive season — a remarkable feat considering Martinez was the only coach Maddon brought in from outside the organization when he took over before the 2015 season. "It is unusual to have that many guys stick, and it's unusual to have that kind of success with that group," Maddon said. "Because I'm here to tell you, a coaching staff can make the difference in being successful and not successful. Everyone looks at the coaching staff that does well, but there are times when a team doesn't do so well. If you really wanted to get under the hood, sometimes it can be the coaches. There wasn't a whole lot of unity there." Meeting on the Hudson: Maddon said he sought clarification from home plate umpire Marvin Hudson after an exchange of words with Cubs starter John Lackey after the third inning Saturday. "I wanted his thoughts on certain pitches, and it got better" after they talked, Maddon said. "Not that he started giving us pitches. It was something he talked about." -- Chicago Sun-Times Chapman nurses 7th-inning lead all the way to shores of Lake Erie By Gordon Wittenmyer It took three tries – and nearly three innings from their closer – but the Cubs won a World Series game at Wrigley Field for the first time in 71 years Sunday night. Just in time to win an all-expenses-paid return trip to Cleveland with their season alive, if not kicking, after a 3-2 nail-biter over the Indians in Game 5. Cubs postseason ace Jon Lester started this must-win game, but the pitching story of survival on this night was the biggest – and longest – save of Aroldis Chapman’s career.

The left-hander acquired from the Yankees at the trade deadline for the Cubs’ top prospect retired eight of the final 10 Indians batters of the game, four on strikeouts, to nurse a one-run lead all the way to the shores of Lake Erie. “Gutsy,” teammate Anthony Rizzo called it. “He told me it’s big cajones.” The only thing bigger might have been the magnitude of the Cubs first actual must-win game of the year an elimination game created by back-to-back, low-wattage losses to the Indians Friday and Saturday. It set up perhaps the most fitting way for manager Joe Maddon’s team to head out of town for the final time this year – their final road trip starting on Halloween with a late flight to allow players to trick-or-treat with their kids. The posted schedule in the clubhouse for Monday’s trip included the words: “Halloween costumes are encouraged.” As if that needed to be said to these guys. Not that it matters what they wear anyway. For the first time since the weekend began, they’ll all be dressed up like players with a chance again to win their team’s first World Series title since 1908. “It’s awesome. But we’ve still got some work to do,” leadoff man Dexter Fowler said. “We’ve got two more games. This is a step in the right direction.” Last year’s National League Cy Young winner, Jake Arrieta, starts for the Cubs in Game 6 on Tuesday going after his second victory in Cleveland this series, with right-hander Josh Tomlin starting for the Indians on short rest. If the Cubs win, it all comes down to Game 7 on Wednesday with MLB’s ERA leader, Kyle Hendricks, against the best starter for any team this postseason, Corey Kluber. “Why not us?” said MVP favorite Kris Bryant, whose leadoff homer in the fourth tied the game Sunday and opened the decisive, three-run rally. “I feel like we play our best with our backs up against the wall. “Hopefully, we can get out there and win Game 6, because you never know what can happen in Game 7,” Bryant added. “But we’re all about writing our own history. This team is a special one, and we look at so many times throughout the year where we haven’t been playing good, but I feel like we turn that around.” The Cubs scored only once in their final game of the year at Wrigley Field, but the three runs in the fourth were enough for this win – and more than they had scored in the previous two games combined. After the Indians closed to within a run on Francsico Lindor’s two-out RBI single in the sixth, Maddon got as aggressive as he has in two years managing the Cubs. He pinch-hit lefty hitting catcher Miguel Montero for starter David Ross with two out and nobody on in the bottom of the sixth. And after Montero struck out to end the inning, he emptied his bench of able-bodied catchers by sending rookie Willson Contreras into the game to catch rookie Carl Edwards Jr. on a double switch to start the top of the seventh – pulling Lester at 90 pitches with a 3-2 lead in his last game of the season, win or lose. Edwards immediately gave up a leadoff single to Mike Napoli, followed by a passed ball by Contreras to put the potential tying run in scoring position with nobody out. Then as soon as Edwards got Carlos Santana to fly to left for the first out, Maddon pulled a Terry Francona and went to closer Aroldis Chapman for the would-be eight-out save.

It was the first time Chapman had been used as early as the seventh inning since he became a regular closer in May 2012. It turned into the longest outing of his career by a third of an inning. The only runners he allowed were on a two-out hit batter in the seventh and a one-out single in the eighth that would have been an out if he had covered first on Rizzo’s diving stop. Instead Rajai Davis stole second and third, threatening to tie the game – before Chapman struck out Lindor with a 101-mph fastball to leave him there. We’ve got to go on another one-game win streak,” Rizzo said. “We’ve got to sell out and do whatever it takes to win. We feel good. We’re obviously happy right now, but we’ve got to gear it up for Tuesday.” Fowler even suggested they’d make a team trip back to Wrigley just for one last celebration. “We’ve still got some work to do,” he said. “But I think the [clubhouse] party room will be utilized when we win a World Series.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Aroldis Chapman goes above and beyond, and the Cubs stay alive By Rick Morrissey The Cubs looked dead. If you had put a mirror to their mouths to check for respiration, all you would have seen was the reflection of blue lips. They had lost two straight World Series games at Wrigley Field. Making contact with a baseball looked like the hardest math problem in the world, and none of the Cubs appeared to be on the verge of hitting or turning into Albert Einstein. Then Sunday happened. And the Cubs are very much alive. Well, certainly more alive than when Game 5 started. They pulled out a 3-2, Aroldis Chapman-fueled victory over the Indians at Wrigley, cutting the series lead to 3-2 with Games 6 and 7 to take place in Cleveland. Stranger things have happened. At the moment, I can’t think of anything stranger than a team that hasn’t won a World Series in 107 years coming back from a 3-1 series deficit to change history. But I’m open to the possibility. The Cubs certainly are. They’re also open to just about anything, this being Joe Maddon’s team. So with it do-or-die, in came Chapman, the team’s closer, with one out in the seventh inning and the Cubs clinging to that 3-2 lead. This is a pitcher who has made it clear that he just wants to pitch the ninth. He had grumbled this season when Maddon brought him in to pitch the eighth. So the seventh, with the temperature at a cool 50? Crazy? Maddon had informed Chapman of the possibility Sunday afternoon. “I told him, ‘I’m ready to go,’ ” Chapman said. He struck out Jose Ramirez, then hit Brandon Guyer to give the Indians men on first and second. Chapman then got Roberto Perez to ground out, and everyone at Wrigley breathed again. And so it went in the eighth. With Rajai Davis standing on third, thanks to a single and two stolen bases, Chapman struck out Francisco Lindor to end the threat. Wrigley, sitting on the launch pad, lifted off.

Then the ninth inning, fans up on their feet, no one with a thought of sitting. Chapman got Mike Napoli to ground out to short. Now Carlos Santana. Would Chapman have enough stamina? His second pitch to Santana was 100 m.p.h. Stamina: Sufficient. Santana flew out to right. And finally Ramirez, who had homered off Jon Lester in the second inning. Chapman blew him away on three pitches Count it: 2 2/3 innings, no runs, one hit and four strikeouts. “That’s exactly the reason we got him,’’ third baseman Kris Bryant said of Chapman. John Lackey calls the postseason “big-boy games.’’ Sunday was a biggest-boy game. Lester, who gave up two runs in six innings, was one of them. So was Bryant, whose fourth-inning homer finally kicked the Cubs’ offense into gear after those miserable Games 3 and 4. But the biggest boy of all was Chapman. Lackey is right. That’s what the playoffs are about. Chapman put aside whatever reservations he might have had about the extra workload, realizing that reputations are made in the postseason. If the Cubs win this series, what Chapman did Sunday will be the stuff of legend in Chicago. So now World Series moves out of town. Jake Arrieta will pitch Game 6, and the Cubs will need a biggest-boy performance from him too. And should the Cubs win that game, they’ll have a Game 7 date with Indians pitcher Corey Kluber, who already has beaten them twice. Then it will be up to Cubs hitters to find a way. And it will be up to Kyle Hendricks to pitch the way he has all season. Like a biggest boy. “Why not us?” Bryant said. Good question, but that’s getting ahead of things. There’s a Game 6 to play. Amazing, after the Cubs had looked like goners. Time for one more road trip. Cleveland has never looked so good. -- Chicago Sun-Times Bryant goes long, Chapman goes longer — whatever it takes to win By Steve Greenberg Let the record show that it was a two-seam fastball on the third pitch of Kris Bryant’s second at-bat of the night and his 16th at-bat of the World Series. Also, let the record show that Aroldis Chapman’s entrance into the game in the top of the seventh inning was bat-out-of-hell nuts and — without a doubt — the most dramatic move Broadway Joe Maddon has made as manager of the Cubs. Just in case, you know, there’s ever a reason to dig back through time to determine the pivotal World Series moments for this team, these were the hugest ones yet. Without them, there is no 3-2 victory in Sunday’s Game 5. There is no return trip to Cleveland. With the Cubs trailing the Indians 1-0 in the fourth inning — and facing a most unexpected elimination situation at Wrigley Field — Bryant finally broke through. The N.L. MVP favorite took Indians starter Trevor Bauer into the first row of the left-centerfield bleachers, tying the game, unburdening himself and touching off the Cubs’ best offensive half-inning of the World Series. “Kris starting us off with the home run was beautiful,” Anthony Rizzo said.

With Bryant suddenly off a 1-for-15, RBI-less schneid, Rizzo ripped a double off the ivy in right. Ben Zobrist singled. Addison Russell singled. Even Javy Baez, who once upon a time could hit a baseball, figured out a way to get on base with a surprise bunt. When ancient catcher David Ross hit a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1, it seemed the Cubs’ oppressive offensive problems in this series might finally be blowing over. “That’s a good sign for us,” Bryant said. But the Cubs didn’t score again Sunday night, and that led Maddon to crawl so deep into his own head, he emerged with a plan just drop-dead crazy enough to work. Goodness, it had to work. Or else. Cubs ace Jon Lester threw only 90 pitches through six innings, but Maddon stopped him right then and there for reliever Carl Edwards Jr. in the seventh. Not only that, but Maddon put Willson Contreras into the game at catcher. That meant comfortably crusty vets Lester and Ross were gone from the franchise’s biggest game in forever, replaced by a battery of rookies. Compared to what came next, that little maneuver was nothing. Three batters into the seventh, Maddon turned to Chapman, who hadn’t entered a game prior to the eighth inning since the spring of 2012. He wasn’t even a closer than. In fact, Chapman never had been in a game long enough to record eight outs in his major league career — yet that’s what Maddon decided he could do in Game 5, with all the pressure and all the history on the line. “Joe talked to me before the game,” Chapman said through an interpreter. “He asked if I could be ready to possibly come into the game in the seventh inning. I said, ‘I’m ready.’ ” Chapman proceeded to blow the minds of his fellow Cubs pitchers. “In a way,” Kyle Hendricks said, “every time he pitches is mind-blowing. He’s an animal.” “Unbelievable,” Travis Wood said. “He’s a great pitcher. It’s why we went out and got him.” By the top of the ninth, the Cubs didn’t even have a reliever up in the bullpen. Pedro Strop, Mike Montgomery, Hector Rondon — rumors, all. It was all Chapman, all the way to the wall. There was utterly no turning back. Seriously — no one warming up just in case? “Aroldis is the ninth,” Wood said. Maddon had said before the game that he knew how anxious Cubs fans would be. “Please be nervous,” he said. “Absolutely. You should be nervous. We have to win tonight, so go ahead and be nervous.” Yes, yes, a thousand times yes, the denizens of Wrigley were nervous wrecks. For a while there, it seemed like maybe Maddon’s own nerves had gotten the best of him. But his bonkers move worked. Chapman’s left arm made it through. Bryant’s bat woke up. The Cubs won a World Series game. They’re still alive. Exhale.

-- Chicago Sun-Times Indians fail to put Cubs away — but they’re still in good shape By Daryl Van Schouwen The Indians had a chance to put the Cubs away. They didn’t get it done. Disheartened? Absolutely. “It’s disappointing,’’ right fielder Brandon Guyer said. “Any time you have a chance against a team like that you want to [finish them off].’’ Leading the World Series three games to one and having the Cubs on their heels — fighting to find their swings and muster some offense — the Indians had the champagne and beer on ice in the cozy visitors Cubs clubhouse. It got shipped back to Cleveland, where Game 6 is Tuesday when the Indians will have another chance to win a World Series. “It just got a little more difficult,’’ first baseman Mike Napoli said. The Indians had three games to win one and now they have two to win one. The math is simple. And manager Terry Francona still likes his team’s odds. “We have the good plane again,” Francona said, referring to the spacious charter he raved about when the team flew into Chicago on Thursday. “So we can fly around for a while. I don’t care. Then we’ll show up whatever day is the next day and see if we can beat them.’’ On the plane, however, the Indians probably chewed on the chalky thought of missed opportunities that cost them in Sunday’s 3-2 loss. Jason Kipnis, a three-run homer hero in Game 4, went 0-for-4, including 0-for-2 with runners on second base. Kipnis struck out looking against Jon Lester in the sixth with Rajai Davis on second, and he fouled out to left fielder Ben Zobrist against Aroldis Chapman with Davis – representing the tying run — on second again. The Indians also threatened and did not score against Lester in the fifth and against Carl Edwards and Chapman in the seventh. Carlos Santana led off the fifth with a double and got to third on Jose Ramirez’ grounder to short, but Lester struck out Guyer looking and retired Roberto Perez on a grounder to short. In the seventh, Napoli led off with a single and moved to second when Edwards crossed up Contreras, resulting in a passed ball. But Edwards and Chapman worked out of it. In the eighth, Davis singled and stole second with one out but Kipnis and Francisco Lindor were retired by Chapman. “We had an opportunity to tie when Rajai got on and stole a base,’’ Napoli said. “That’s what we wanted. We weren’t able to come through.’’ “I actually thought we did a pretty good job,’’ Francona said. “Sometimes you have to respect what the other team can do, too. Sometimes they beat you. I didn’t think we beat ourselves. They beat us.’’ And they’re still ahead in the series.

“We’re in a good position still,’’ Napoli said. “We’re up 3-2 going home, so we did what we had to do here. In a crazy atmosphere, we won two of three and put ourselves in position. We’re happy to get home and play in front of our fans.’’ The Cubs have this going for them, though: Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks lined up to start. “They’re a very good team and playing in front of this crowd, they didn’t want their season to end,’’ Guyer said. “We’ve got two chances to end this thing and hopefully we’ll get it done Tuesday. “It will be electric. The playoff atmosphere has been there, the fans are going to be crazy with us having a chance to clinch at home.’’ -- Chicago Sun-Times No matter what’s next, remember that Cubs won this one at Wrigley By Rick Telander A few minutes after I type this, folks, it will be Halloween. You can make of that what you want, but one thing’s for sure: The Cubs’ costumes have changed for good this year. No longer naïve wannabes, they are an official, built-to-last, World Series-contending team, now wearing big-boy pants. This 3-2 Cubs victory in Game 5 on Sunday night was the greatest game ever played at Wrigley Field, by far. And it was a thriller right to the end. Just think of all those seasons when baseball on the North Side was finished by the end of September, or Oct. 1 or 2. Now the Cubs have played four weeks into fall, and that is something fans have always dreamed of. Would it be wonderful to win this World Series? Yes, it would. But the Cubs got this far, and it’s been a ride. Think of the wonderful moments we have witnessed already in the postseason. We could start with the almost mystical reappearance of slugger Kyle Schwarber, his little chin beard identifying him as a medical miracle whose knee apparently is like a salamander foot and can spontaneously regenerate. You got to hear singer “Big John” Vincent hold the word “freeeee” in the national anthem for 18.75 seconds. I checked with him. “The longest I ever timed was 23 seconds at a Northwestern basketball game,” he said. Could he do 25 without passing out? “Don’t think so.” To hear Bill Murray channel Daffy Duck before singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” was special. Wrigley Field became not just the center of the baseball world but very nearly the center of the universe. Breathes there a person anywhere who doesn’t know the Cubs are in their 108th year without a World Series championship? When John Travolta, Amy Schumer and Lady Gaga show up, there must be something afoot. Local alderman Tom Tunney said 300,000 people were expected in Wrigleyville for this last home game. More than 1,000 Chicago police, FBI and Homeland Security dudes — and dudettes — swarmed the place for the three games. Lots of sniffing dogs, too. Let’s not forget the horses, either. No matter how this World Series ends as it travels to Cleveland for the final game or two, it will not be back in Chicago this year.

Or possibly ever. You have to remember that. And savor this. Even as the Cubs move forward with so much talent and potential, there is no guaranteed future. Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Hendricks, Addison Russell, Kris Bryant, Javy Baez — all those young folks might never make it back to the World Series, no matter how great their sizzle. Just remember that Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Billy Williams and Fergie Jenkins never played in a single World Series game. All stops were out Sunday night, as Cubs manager Joe Maddon brought in closer Aroldis Chapman in the seventh inning, even batting him in the eighth. Before the game, Maddon had been asked how fans should take all this. Should they be nervous? “PLEASE be nervous!” he answered. Maddon is the perfect out-there, calm, excited guy to lead these players if there is comeback in them. Who better? Before this win, the Cubs had a historically adjusted 12.5 percent chance of winning the title. Now? Well, each game in Cleveland is a flip of the coin — 50/50. That’s all it is. Win two. Finished. A young woman held up a sign at Wrigley that said, “We Won 3 in a Row 20 Times This Year. We Got This!” One at a time. Do it twice. There were fans near me who actually hid their faces or turned their backs to the field as Chapman mowed down the Indians’ Jose Ramirez for the final out. Beyond nervous, they were. Terrified with hope. But for the first time ever, fans got to sing “Go Cubs Go” in their home park in the World Series. Sweet home Chicago, indeed. -- Chicago Sun-Times Ross adds a World Series first in his final game at Wrigley Field By Gordon Wittenmyer In his final career home game, David Ross on Sunday night hit a sacrifice fly in the third inning to become the first player in history with a World Series RBI for both the Red Sox (2013) and the Cubs. He’s one of only three to appear in a World Series for both franchises (also Jon Lester and John Lackey). The moment is not lost on Ross, who announced his impending retirement before spring training started. It hasn’t been lost on him all season, as he took advantage of nearly every road trip to do everything from play Pebble Beach to swim with a beluga whale. He spent the last three days soaking in the end of the final games of the year at Wrigley. “That’s going to be a fun thing for me,” he said on the eve of Game 5. “What better way to do it than in Wrigley Field in front of this crowd?” The Ross subplot was a big part of the emotional undercurrent for the team as it gathered for its first elimination game of the season.

Even after he was pulled for a pinch-hitter in what is likely his final career start, he got a shout-out from Cub-fan rocker Eddie Vedder during the seventh-inning stretch. “A lot of people in Chicago have not seen a World Series win for 71 years. I’m sure it’s emotional,” said teammate and close friend Anthony Rizzo. “It’s emotional for us. And to see Rossi, each at-bat, and just talking to him before the game, trying to hold it all in, because this could be his last start, just added to all of that.” Maddon praised the influence Ross has had on the Cubs’ two deep October runs since signing as a free agent before last season. “He’s just a different cat,” the manager said of the backup catcher and clubhouse coalition builder. “He’s earned the right to be in these moments. He’s going to make a very good scout, coach, manager – major league manager – whatever he chooses to do. But he has been a huge part of us being successful.” Notes: Indians outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall fell ill a few hours before the game, and his availability off the bench was uncertain at game time. He did not play. … In the second inning, Ross and Rizzo pulled off the first P-2-3 out on a World Series popup since Philadelphia’s Bob Boone and Pete Rose pulled off the same off-the-catcher’s-glove carom caught by the heads-up first baseman in 1980. … With his fifth career World Series start Sunday, Cubs lefty Jon Lester tied teammate John Lackey for most among active players. … Kris Bryant is the first Cubs third baseman to hit a World Series home run. … With potentially two games left, Javy Baez (16 hits) needs three hits to tie Kenny Lofton for most in a single postseason in franchise history. Baez bunted for a single Sunday night. … The seven combined steals in Game 5 (four by the Cubs) ties the single-game World Series record set by the Cubs and Tigers in 1907. -- Chicago Sun-Times Unless Martinez gets managing job, Cubs staff to return intact By Gordon Wittenmyer If the Cubs don’t bring back all their coaches next season, it’s probably because at least one of them got a better offer. Manager Joe Maddon said Sunday he expects to have his entire staff back, pending bench coach Dave Martinez’s potential job pursuits. Martinez might yet be asked to interview for the Rockies managerial vacancy. “I would hope that Davey does get that opportunity to interview and possibly get the job,” Maddon said. Martinez is the only coach on the staff that Maddon didn’t inherit when he took over before last season. They’ve won 200 regular season games and played 24 postseason games in two seasons together since those first introductions. “Coming into this entire moment, Theo and Jed were adamant that they liked a lot of the guys that were here,” Maddon said of team president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer. “I called them and got to know them as well as I could in the phone conversations. But when you get there in spring training, the first year you can see how confident they are. They’re really good.” The Cubs almost lost pitching coach Chris Bosio to big offers in recent seasons, for example. And his work with catching/strategy coach Mike Borzello has been the backbone of Epstein’s “pitching infrastructure” that helped produce one of the four starting rotation ERAs under 3.00 since 1990.

“It’s been kind of seamless,” Maddon said. “It’s unusual to have that many guys stuck, and then it’s unusual to have that kind of success with that group also. Because I’m here to tell you, man, a coaching staff can really make the difference in being successful or not.” -- Daily Herald Cubs' offense perks up just enough to keep World Series hopes alive By Scot Gregor This year was supposed to be different. And it was different, at least through the regular season and through most of the National League division and championship series. But when crunchtime -- aka the World Series -- arrived last Tuesday in Cleveland, the Chicago Cubs' offense shifted back into 2015 mode. In other words, it stalled. Last season, the Cubs led the majors in strikeouts by a wide margin, going down swinging or looking 1,518 times. The Cubs still managed to make the playoffs as a wild-card team and the offense made enough contact to get past the Pirates and Cardinals in the first two rounds. In the NLCS, the Cubs scored just 8 runs in 4 games and were swept by the Mets. They hit just .164 in the series and struck out 37 times in 128 at-bats. Considering they were coming off five straight losing seasons, the Cubs' offense was almost expected to slip and fall at some point in the 2015 playoffs. But after so many young hitters gained invaluable postseason experience, and after the Cubs signed patient, veteran free-agent hitters Ben Zobrist and Jason Heyward, this year was supposed to be different. Maybe it will be. Trailing the Indians 3 games to 1 heading into Game 5 Sunday night at Wrigley Field, the Cubs scored just 7 runs and were batting a minuscule .204 in the World Series with 39 strikeouts in 137 at-bats. From Kris Bryant (1-for-14) at the top of the lineup to Javy Baez (2-for-17) down below, hits were hard to come by, much less runs. "Offensively, we have to generate more consistent contact," manager Joe Maddon said before the Cubs beat the Indians 3-2 Sunday night to force a Game 6 Tuesday night in Cleveland. The Cubs made plenty of contact in the fourth inning, scoring all 3 runs on 5 of their 7 hits for the game. For now, that will have to do. "We're still here, right?" leadoff man Dexter Fowler said. "It's win or go home. We've got two more, we've got to win both of them or we're going home. We're excited, we're up for the challenge and until the season's over we're going to keep fighting." The Cubs trailed the Dodgers 2-1 in the NLCS after being shut out in back-to-back games. The outlook was bleak, but they won three straight while scoring 23 runs and moved on to the Fall Classic. They only scratched out 3 runs against the Indians Sunday night, but Bryant came alive with a solo home run to start the scoring, Addison Russell woke up and Anthony Rizzo showed he might be heating back up again as well.

In his last game at Wrigley Field before he retires, it was only fitting that catcher David Ross's sacrifice fly in the fourth scored what proved to be the deciding run. "I was focused on the game and really not thinking about what all is going on," said Ross, who was feted by Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder during the seventh-inning stretch. "We'll enjoy this win and it's nice to give these fans something to cheer for. Nobody was talking about getting to Cleveland. Everybody was talking about tonight when we walked in here today. "I think that was a nice focus. We focused on trying to get guys on base and get to (Indians starter) Trevor Bauer and we did that really good, and then the momentum kind of switched our way." -- Daily Herald Cubs let the 'W' fly in Game 5 By Bruce Miles Where there is life there is hope. There was newfound life in the Chicago Cubs' bats Sunday night. And there was certainly life among the 41,711 fans at Wrigley Field. The Cubs provided them with some hope in a highly entertaining 3-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians in Game 5 of the World Series at Wrigley Field. The Series now goes back to Cleveland for Game 6 Tuesday night with the Indians holding a 3-2 series lead. The way it's going, this could turn out to be a truly classic Fall Classic between charter members of the National and American Leagues. The Cubs also will be able to use Kyle Schwarber as their designated hitter for games in Cleveland. Cubs manager Joe Maddon put everything on the line, up to and including his own reputation, in this one. Maddon pulled starting pitcher Jon Lester after 6 innings and 90 pitches with the Cubs clinging to a 3-2 lead. Lester is the Cubs' horse, so the move no doubt raised eyebrows. Maddon also turned to closer Aroldis Chapman, who tossed a career-high 2⅔ innings to pick up an eight-out save. Chapman has made it known that he does not like multiple-inning save chances, but Maddon was trying to put this game to bed early. "Of course," he said. "You've seen a lot of that during the course of the playoffs. It's something you can't normally do during the season without beating somebody up too badly. But I talked to Chappy before the game. He was aware of being ready in the seventh inning. So we had all of that in play." All the affected parties seemed good with it. "Actually, I told Bos (pitching coach Bosio) after that sixth I had been kind of grinding for the last couple innings," said Lester, who is 1-1 in the World Series. "So just from Pitch 1, knowing kind of the circumstances and what was going on, I had to be perfect from Pitch 1. "So I left it up to Joe, and Joe made a decision, and that was the decision. I'm happy it worked out for us." Maddon's first move was to bring in rookie Carl Edwards Jr. to serve as a "bridge" to Chapman. Edwards gave up a single to Mike Napoli, who moved to second on a passed ball charged to catcher Willson Contreras, also a seventh-inning entrant.

Carlos Santana flied out, and Maddon turned to Chapman, who got out of the inning before facing four batters in each of the eighth and ninth innings. "Joe talked to me this afternoon before the game," Chapman said through a translator. "He asked me if I could be ready possibly to come in, in the seventh inning. Obviously, I told him I'm ready. Whatever he needs me to do or how long he needs me to pitch, I'm ready for it." Lester began strong, striking out the side on 13 pitches in the first inning. The Indians took some of the life out of the crowd in the second, when Jose Ramirez hit a home run to left field. Cubs hitters awoke in the fourth against Indians starter Trevor Bauer. Kris Bryant led off with a line-drive home run into the left-center field bleachers. Anthony Rizzo followed immediately with a flyball double to right. Ben Zobrist singled Rizzo to third, and Addison Russell's infield single brought Rizzo home. Later in the inning, a sacrifice fly by David Ross made it 3-1 Cubs. "Their guy was kind of cruising a little bit through the first three," Bryant said. "So, yeah, it was nice to have a big inning there, kind of get us going a little bit. I felt like our at-bats after that inning were just as good. So that's a good sign for us." This game also featured good defense. In the second inning, Carlos Santana popped up foul. The ball bounced out of catcher David Ross' glove, but Rizzo was right there to catch it on the deflection. In the third, right fielder Jason Heyward made a leaping catch in foul territory at the wall on Bauer's flyball. The Cubs entered the night down three games to one and facing elimination. Now, a team that won 103 games in the regular season is very much alive. "Yeah, we get to go over there with two rested starting pitchers," Maddon said, referring to Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks. "Again, from an entertainment perspective, if you're a baseball fan or looking to become a baseball fan, it was wonderful tonight. Entertaining." And there's a lot more to come. -- Daily Herald Maddon confident Cubs' coaching staff will return for 2017 By Bruce Miles Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon indicated Sunday his coaching staff would be welcome back for 2017. "I would anticipate," he said before Game 5 of the World Series at Wrigley Field. "But I haven't talked to Theo (team president Epstein) about that." One national report said that bench coach Dave Martinez may interview for the vacant managerial job with the Colorado Rockies. "He should," Maddon said. "There are very few openings right now, right? I would hope that Davey does get that opportunity to interview and possibly get the job." Maddon and his coaching staff form an interesting picture. Most big-name managers normally get to choose most, if not all, of their coaching staff when they take a job. But when Maddon came to Chicago in the fall of 2014, he inherited a staff, adding only Martinez, who worked for Maddon in Tampa Bay.

Pitching coach Chris Bosio is completing his fifth year as is catching coach Mike Borzello. Hitting coach John Mallee was hired in October 2014, right before the Cubs replaced manager Rick Renteria with Maddon. Bullpen coach Lester Strode has been in the organization 28 years. First-base coach Brandon Hyde and third-base coach Gary Jones are in their third seasons with the Cubs. Quality-assurance coach Henry Blanco is in his second year. "Coming into the entire moment, Theo and Jed (GM Hoyer) were adamant that they liked a lot of the guys who were here, and of course, trust," Maddon said. "They described each guy. I tried to call, and I did call, and I got to know them as well as I can in a phone conversation. But when you get there in spring training the first week and see how confident they are, and they are. They're really good. A big part of my job is to coach the coaches. "It's unusual to have that many guys stick, and then it's unusual to have that kind of success with that group, also. I'm here to tell you, man: A coaching staff can really make a difference in both being successful and not successful. Everybody only looks at the coaching staff that does well. But there are times when the team doesn't do so well, if you really wanted to get under the hood, it could be that the coaches, there was not a whole lot of unity there." Praise for Ross: David Ross started behind the plate for the Cubs in their final home game of 2016. Ross, who catches when Jon Lester pitches, will retire at season's end. Asked before the game about Sunday being a possible farewell for Ross, Joe Maddon said: "I hope not. I hope it doesn't happen for a couple more days. I hope his farewell occurs in a parade." Maddon went on to praise Ross further. "He's just a different cat," Maddon said. "He's earned the right to be in these moments. He's going to make a very good scout, coach, manager, major-league manager, whatever he chooses to do. But he has been a huge part of us being successful." Familiar face: Originally drafted by the White Sox, Jason Bere pitched on the South Side from 1993-98. The right-hander also pitched for the Cubs in 2001-02, and he's currently the Indians' bullpen coach. Bere has some fond memories of his time playing in Chicago on both sides of town. The 45-year-old Boston native was pumped when the Cubs ousted the Dodgers in the National League championship series to advance to the World Series . "It's awesome," Bere said. "I think we knew that when they beat L.A. Everybody knew how great it was going to be, not just because of the history, it was this stadium (Wrigley Field), everything. Maybe the amenities aren't the best, but you play in Fenway (Park), you play here, there's nothing like it, I mean nothing in the world." Just hanging with mom: Joe Maddon said he was up late Saturday night into Sunday morning having a pizza party with his family, including his mother, Beanie. "How about my mom?" he said. "I keep talking about my mom. It's 2 o'clock. She's got to get up a 4 to go on a plane to go back. They're already back in Pennsylvania. God bless her. But I had a nice time catching up with some folks last night. We did the pizza. It was outstanding. We just hung out. "I guess all she could talk about with my sister is the car ride from the airport with the cops." --

Daily Herald How the Cubs won World Series Game 5 By John Dietz Ten pitches. That's all it took for a deader-than-a-doorknob Cubs offense to finally come to life and erase a 1-0 Indians lead in the fourth inning of Game 5 of the World Series on Sunday. Kris Bryant's 387-foot homer (ROAR!), Anthony Rizzo's towering double to right (ROOOAR!!), Ben Zobrist's line-drive single to right (ROOOOOAR!!!) and Addison Russell's infield RBI-single (ROOOOOOOAR!!!!) gave the Cubs a 2-1 lead as Wrigley Field went funeral-home quiet to rock-concert insanity in the blink of an eye. Javier Baez's bunt single and David Ross' sacrifice fly made it 3-1 before the fourth was over and the Cubs hung on for dear life to pull out a 3-2 victory to force a Game 6 in Cleveland on Tuesday. Bryant's homer and Rizzo's double came on back-to-back fastballs by Indians starter Trevor Bauer. "I loved it, man," said Cubs manager Joe Maddon. "You could see what happened after that. They kind of put their pitcher on the ropes a little bit. … It's incredible when you do that what it does to your team and what it does to the opposition pitcher. … "So you have to be able to punch and counterpunch all the time, and we were able to do that tonight. The three runs held up beautifully." Said Bryant, who is still just 2-for-17 in the World Series: "It was nice to kind of have a big inning there, kind of get us going a little bit. I feel like our at-bats after that inning were just as good. So that's a good sign for us." Bryant wasn't trying to hit one out leading off the fourth, but the MVP candidate knew his team couldn't wait too long to get something going. "(The mentality) was have a good at-bat and it's nice that it went over the fence," Bryant said. "Obviously I haven't been swinging the bat too great, but it was nice to get one to kind of help us all out." Before Bryant's HR, the Cubs had scored just 2 runs in the previous 25 innings while seeing 355 pitches from Cleveland pitchers. Included in that stretch were the first three innings Sunday as Bauer struck out five and allowed a just-get-the-bat-on-the-ball single to Addisson Russell. Then came 10 pitches that proved critical in a tense, edge-of-your-seat victory for Maddon's squad. "He came out really good," said Indians manager Terry Francona said of Bauer. "I mean, really good. And (then) Bryant and Rizzo jumped on fastballs that caught too much of the plate." Bauer, who threw 45 pitches in the first 3 innings and 29 in the fourth, became the first pitcher in history to make 4 starts in a single postseason without going 5 innings. He's given up 8 runs in 13 innings for a 5.54 ERA. -- Daily Herald Rozner: Cubs find themselves just in time By Barry Rozner Deep in slumber in San Francisco, the Cubs came out of hibernation. Just when it was looking darkest in Los Angeles, they woke up and remembered they were the Cubs.

And Sunday night in Chicago, facing the end of the 2016 season, they found themselves. Just in time. With Jon Lester pitching lights-out again when they needed him most, and Aroldis Chapman recording an 8-out save, the Cubs finally came up with a little offense and held on to defeat Cleveland 3-2 in Game 5 of the World Series, the first victory at home for the Cubs in the Fall Classic since 1945. "The story starts and ends with Jon for me," said catcher David Ross. "Personally, not a better way to go out in my last start and catching Jon Lester, who won a World Series, for me and all the things he's done for me personally. "To be on this stage and catching Jon Lester, what a way to go out." Lester was brilliant but trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth when Kris Bryant led off with his first home run in 12 games to tie it against Trevor Bauer, and Wrigley Field was alive and buzzing for the first time in three days. Anthony Rizzo followed with a double into the vines in the right-field well and the Cubs were in business. Ben Zobrist ripped a 3-0 fastball to right and when Addison Russell reached on a swinging bunt, Rizzo scored to give the Cubs the lead. After a Jason Heyward strikeout and a Javy Baez bunt basehit, Ross' sacrifice fly gave the Cubs a 3-1 lead. "The (Bryant) home run was huge, getting the crowd back in it," Ross said. "When we get the lead, we play a lot better." The Indians threatened again in the fifth with a leadoff double, but Lester was masterful in getting out of it and the Cubs held onto their 3-1 lead. It was the biggest inning of the World Series for Lester and the Cubs. "I was grinding quite a bit those last couple innings," Lester said. "I knew I had to make perfect pitches in a game like this." The Indians got one back in the sixth largely due to Lester's inability to hold a runner on at first, but Ross minimized the damage when he threw out Francisco Lindor trying to steal to end the inning. But Joe Maddon pulled Lester after 6 innings and only 90 pitches, and left it up to the bullpen, starting with Carl Edwards, who gave up a leadoff single to Mike Napoli in the seventh. With one out and Napoli on second, Maddon went to his closer, who got out of the inning and the Cubs still led 3-2. "With the way Jon was pitching, I didn't expect to come in that early," Chapman said through his interpreter. "But (Maddon) told me early in the day that I might be pitching in the seventh." Chapman got the first out of the eighth and then Rizzo made a great diving stop of a Rajai Davis hit down the line, but Chapman never moved off the mound and it went for an infield hit. After Davis easily stole second on Chapman, Jason Kipnis popped to left and Davis stole third. That left it up to Lindor, who took a called third strike and Chapman had survived the eighth. At 30 pitches through 5 outs, Chapman entered the ninth needing 3 more outs to get the Cubs on a plane to Cleveland.

Napoli led off and grounded to short for the first out, Carlos Santana popped to right and Jose Ramirez -- who homered in the second off Lester -- struck out on Chapman's 42nd pitch and the Cubs had survived to fight another day. That day will be Tuesday in Cleveland. "(Chapman) threw really well tonight," Ross said. "He really pitched tonight. He threw a changeup to Napoli. He threw sliders. "It's the World Series and everybody has to do the best they can. Their (relievers) are over there pitching multiple innings. It's nice to see (Chapman) sort of match them." It wasn't easy, again, but the Cubs have a one-game winning streak and have forced a Game 6. "There have been times in the postseason where we just kind of forgot who we were,'' said Cubs president Theo Epstein. "That happens when you're facing good teams, but we know what we have to do and we know how to get out of it and kind of find ourselves again." They did it just in time Sunday night. -- Cubs.com Throw Cub, throw: Chapman gets 8 outs By Anthony DiComo CHICAGO -- Because Wrigley Field's bullpens are so visible, crammed between each foul line and the brick-encased stands, there were no secrets when Aroldis Chapman began warming Sunday in the seventh inning of Game 5 of the World Series. A murmur snaked through the 41,711 in attendance, through each dugout, through the very bones of the National League's oldest ballpark. The Cubs were going to ask their closer for an eight-out save. Never in his career had Chapman recorded more than seven outs in a game. But there he was in the seventh inning, lifting the Cubs out of a jam. There Chapman was again in the eighth, pitching around his own defensive mistake. And there he was in the ninth, apparently strong as ever, sending the Cubs to a 3-2 win over the Indians and a trip back to Cleveland for Game 6. "I kept running in here between innings and telling the security guard, 'My heart can't take much more of this,'" Chicago catcher David Ross said. Not exactly orthodox, this type of strategy had long since become commonplace in October. The Indians using Andrew Miller in the highest-leverage situations possible. The Dodgers turning to Kenley Jansen in the seventh inning of an elimination game. The rest of baseball is starting to catch on. But Chapman had never really joined the club, recording three or fewer outs in eight of his 10 postseason appearances. Chapman's teammates describe him as the ultimate creature of habit, the ultimate baseball cliché. He arrives at the park at the same time every day. Chapman begins stretching at the same time every day. He begins warming for a ninth-inning appearance in exactly the same manner, at exactly the same moment in each game with a lead. In that fashion, Chapman saved 36 games for the Yankees and Cubs during the regular season, posting a 1.55 ERA. But if ever there was a time to test Chapman, it was Sunday, in a one-run game, with the Cubs' 103-win season on the brink. As catcher Willson Contreras put it, "Tonight wasn't any other game. Tonight was an important game." Which is why Chicago manager Joe Maddon approached Chapman hours beforehand, asking him if he could be ready as early as the seventh. "Obviously, I told him, 'I'm ready. I'm ready to go,'" Chapman said through an interpreter. "And whatever he needs me to do or how long he needs me to pitch for, I'm ready for it."

Thing is, the Cubs didn't know if Chapman could handle the workload, peering from the dugout to see if his triple-digit fastballs would ever stop coming. In the ninth inning, as his pitch count crept over 40, he threw seven fastballs of at least 100 mph -- including his final three of the game. Chapman threw a dozen more in the seventh and eighth, finishing with a Statcast™ postseason record of 19. Most of the trouble Chapman faced was of his own making, when he failed to cover first base on a Rajai Davis infield single in the eighth. But Chapman followed with six consecutive pitches wide of the strike zone to Jason Kipnis, who swung at three of them and popped up. Then Chapman painted the outside corner with a 102-mph fastball to Francisco Lindor, ending the inning. "I didn't think I was capable of hitting any of those pitches he threw me," Lindor said. For Chicago, that was the idea. Through four World Series games, Maddon watched the Indians unleash Miller at will, while Chapman appeared only when trailing in the eighth and ninth. But Game 5 gave the Cubs their best opportunity to dictate the circumstances in which they used their best reliever. Chapman responded with four strikeouts, two popups and two groundouts on 42 pitches, delivering Chicago directly to Cleveland -- where a chance awaits to do it again. "There's all kinds of drama out there," Maddon said. "When you have a guy like that that can pitch that many significant outs in the latter part of the game, it's pretty cool." -- Cubs.com Chappy Halloween! Cubs' trick? 6 for heat By Jordan Bastian and Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- For two days, generations of Cubs fans have held their breath. If they couldn't see the team win its first championship since 1908 in Chicago, could the Cubs win at least one World Series game at Wrigley Field? Kris Bryant, Jon Lester and Aroldis Chapman obliged, and gave them reason to party on Sunday night. The Cubs extended the World Series beyond Halloween thanks to Chapman's trick -- scary heat and a career-best eight-out save -- Bryant's home run, which ignited a three-run fourth, and Lester's veteran moxy in a 3-2 victory over the Indians in Game 5. Cleveland's lead in the best-of-seven Series was trimmed to three games to two, and Game 6 will be Tuesday night at Progressive Field, which will get live baseball after hosting watch parties all weekend. Teams have rallied from a 3-1 deficit before, most recently the 1985 Royals. The Cubs can look to the '79 Pirates, the '68 Tigers, the '58 Yankees and the '25 Pirates for inspiration, too. "I feel like we play our best with our backs up against the wall," Bryant said after the Cubs' first win in a World Series game at Wrigley Field since 1945. "We went out there today, took care of business. Hopefully we can get out there and win Game 6, because you never know what can happen in a Game 7." Wrigleyville has been buzzing as the Cubs hosted their first World Series in 71 years. The Cubs got pumped up pregame as Anthony Rizzo ran around the clubhouse playing the theme from the movie "Rocky" and used it as his walk-up music for his first at-bat. Hey, whatever works. "I wanted to get the crowd pumped and let them know we plan on going the distance," Rizzo said. "Hopefully, we're the last ones standing." Chicago has had no problems catching the ball, including a Spider-Man-esque wall-climbing grab by Jason Heyward to snare Trevor Bauer's foul popup down the right-field line. The Cubs have just had a tough time connecting against the Indians' pitchers, who came into the game with a 1.50 ERA in the previous four games. Bauer, who also

lost Game 2 at Progressive Field, struck out seven, including five of the first 10 batters he faced, but the Cubs broke through for a three-spot in the fourth that saddled Bauer with the loss. With the exception of a 3-0 pitch that Ben Zobrist hit for a single two batters after Bryant's homer, "I located every single pitch that they hit exactly where I wanted them," Bauer said. "Sometimes, it doesn't work out for you. I got three of them to chase balls that were way out of the zone. Usually, those go in your favor. Clearly, not tonight." Jose Ramirez gave the Tribe a 1-0 lead in the second, which must have seemed like 100-0. Cleveland entered the game 8-0 in the postseason when scoring first, but Lester settled in and gave the Cubs' bats a chance to do their thing. Bryant tied the game with a leadoff blast in the fourth, the seventh homer allowed by Cleveland in 13 postseason games. The Cubs then rattled off four hits in five at-bats, including an RBI infield single by Addison Russell that scored Rizzo and opened a 2-1 lead. David Ross, playing his last game at Wrigley Field before retiring after the season, added a sacrifice fly. Francisco Lindor's RBI single in the sixth pulled the Indians within 3-2, and then the managerial wheels started turning, as both Joe Maddon and Terry Francona went to their closers early. Maddon called on Chapman with one out and one on in the seventh, and the hard-throwing lefty escaped that jam, worked around a runner reaching third in the eighth and closed the victory with a perfect ninth. After Bryan Shaw retired the first batter in the bottom of the seventh inning, Francona inserted Cody Allen into the game. The Indians' closer worked a scoreless 1 2/3 innings to keep the Cubs from padding their lead, but the Tribe couldn't rally against Chapman. "We're trying to do anything to get on base and get something going," Indians first baseman Mike Napoli said. "He was going to be in there to the end -- that's what it looked like. We had an opportunity." Maddon gave Chapman a heads-up that he might call on him early. "I told him, 'I'm ready, I'm ready to go,'" Chapman said. "Whatever he needs me to do or how long he needs me to pitch for, I'm ready for it." Throw Cub, throw: Chapman gets 8 outs The loss was a rarity for Francona, who is now 11-2 in World Series games, but the Indians will resume the pursuit of their first championship since 1948 on Tuesday at Progressive Field. "Sometimes you've got to respect what the other team can do, too," Francona said. "Sometimes they beat you. I didn't think we beat ourselves. I thought they beat us." Lindor echoed his manager's reaction. "They played better than us today," said the Tribe's shortstop. "I still believe that we can do it. We've got to play the game hard. We've got to outplay them. We've got to play better than them in order for us to win. Hopefully, we do that on Tuesday." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Calling on Chapman: Maddon turned to Chapman earlier than he has all postseason, handing the ball to the fireballer with one out and a runner on second in the seventh. After striking out Ramirez, Chapman hit Brandon Guyer with a 100-mph heater to put two runners aboard. With fans on their feet, nervously watching as Chicago's one-run lead was in jeopardy, Chapman induced an inning-ending groundout off the bat of Indians catcher Roberto Perez. Chapman headed into the outing having stranded only three of seven inherited baserunners this postseason. He stranded one this time. Chapman then worked a scoreless eighth, in which Rajai Davis singled, stole two bases and was left standing at third, and a perfect ninth. The 2 2/3 innings were a career high.

"It's World Series time," Ross said. "Everybody has to do the best they can. This guy is one of the best closers in the game for a reason. Their guys had been pitching multiple innings, and it was nice to see Chappy kind of match them." Finally: Five of the Cubs' first 10 batters struck out against Bauer, who took a 1-0 lead into the fourth. Bryant opened the inning with his second postseason home run, launching a 1-1 pitch into the left-field bleachers. Rizzo then doubled, moved up on Zobrist's single and scored on Russell's infield hit. One out later, Javier Baez reached on a bunt single to load the bases, and Ross followed with a sacrifice fly to left to give Chicago a 3-1 lead. "I was just trying to put the ball in play," Ross said. "I choked up and took a two-strike approach and stayed up the middle as best I could to try to get that run in. The nerves were high. The heart rate was up. I was just trying to slow the moment down, and he gave me a ball that came back over the middle, and I was able to get it up in the air." Tribe tests Lester: Two of Cleveland's top runners, Davis and Lindor, reached in the sixth and tried to toy with Lester, given his well-known issues with throwing to bases. After Davis singled, he stole second and then danced far off the bag during the next two at-bats. At one point, Davis had a secondary lead of 27 feet, per Statcast™. Lindor brought Davis home with an RBI single and then tried to steal his way into scoring position. After a secondary lead of 25 feet, Lindor sprinted for second, but he was thrown out with a quick catch-and-fire from Ross and a great tag by Baez. That ended the inning and preserved Chicago's 3-2 lead. "He's pretty legit, man," said Lindor, when asked about Baez's tag. "Watching him do it all the times on the screen during the game, it's pretty cool watching him, how quick he can get that to the player. He got me. It's the second time he got to me." Glovework: Ross and first baseman Rizzo combined on a unique catch in the second. With one out, Carlos Santana popped up toward Cleveland's dugout. Ross chased the ball to the dugout railing and made a play on the ball while reaching over a TV camera. He missed the catch, but he was able to tip the ball up as he grabbed the railing to avoid falling into the dugout. Rizzo juggled the carom and caught it for a 2-3 putout. "I told Rizz it was like a tip drill in football," Ross said. "I set him up so he could be the hero." Heyward's struggling bat had him out of the starting lineup the first three games of the Series, but his stellar defense has never wavered, and it was that asset that had him back in the fold in Games 4 and 5. He put that defense on display in the third, when Bauer popped up toward the seats in right-field foul territory. Heyward raced over, climbed the wall and reached back toward the field as the wind brought the ball back, making the catch as he held himself up by the front-row railing. Bauer applauded the Cubs' right fielder as he headed back to the dugout. "It was a good catch. It was a good play," Bauer said. "I can respect people who play the game hard and go out there and make good plays." QUOTABLE "I liked our at-bats tonight; guys continued to grind. I think the swing in momentum helps us out a little bit. I've never been so happy to go to Cleveland in my life. It's going to be a rocking atmosphere over there." -- Ross "I wanted to win tonight. We'll evaluate when we get back to Cleveland, and we'll be ready to go. We've got to win one more game." -- Bauer, on heading home SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS This is the 65th time the World Series has stood at 3-2. Of the previous 64 times, the team with the 3-2 lead has won Game 6 on 25 occasions (39.1 percent), and that has been the case in seven of the past 12 instances. WHAT'S NEXT

Indians: Josh Tomlin was on the mound for Cleveland's clinching win in the American League Division Series, and the right-hander will get a chance to close out the World Series in Game 6 on Tuesday night at Progressive Field. In Game 3 of the Fall Classic, Tomlin silenced the Cubs over 4 2/3 innings, lowering his ERA to 1.76 in the postseason. Cubs: Jake Arrieta, who won Game 2, will make his fourth postseason start and second at Progressive Field on Tuesday night. Arrieta limited the Indians to one run on two hits over 5 2/3 innings, striking out six on Wednesday. He was 11-3 with a 3.59 ERA in 15 starts on the road this season. -- Cubs.com Cubs' victory sets up epic Game 6 in Cleveland By Richard Justice CHICAGO -- Now we've got ourselves a real World Series, possibly a classic. Wasn't this what we expected all along? The Chicago Cubs had come too far and accomplished too much to go quietly. Even when they were in a 3-1 hole, this still had the feel of a heavyweight bout. Now we've got it. The Cubs staved off elimination by beating the Indians, 3-2, in Game 5 of the World Series on Sunday night, and we're headed for a Game 6 in Cleveland on Tuesday that has the potential to be one of the great baseball environments of recent years. Here's all you need to know about the sense of urgency the Cubs brought to work Sunday: Manager Joe Maddon watched his team claw its way to a 3-2 lead, and with one out in the seventh inning, went for his closer. We've seen managers push their bullpens a little longer and a little harder this postseason, and with a season on the line, Maddon spoke with Aroldis Chapman during the afternoon about the possibility. Chapman responded by getting the first eight-out save of his career. He was dazzling as always, throwing a postseason-record 19 of his 42 pitches 100 mph or better. The Cubs scored just three runs, but considering they were shut out in Games 1 and 3, three runs might be "the offensive epiphany" Maddon was hoping for. Regardless, it was enough on a night when Jon Lester allowed two runs in six innings and Carl Edwards Jr. got one out before Chapman entered. Chicago got big defensive plays from Ben Zobrist in left, Anthony Rizzo at first and others. Only three teams have won a World Series by trailing 3-1 and then winning Games 6 and 7 on the road: the 1958 Yankees, '68 Tigers and '79 Pirates. The Cubs began the day aware they'd had 17 winning streaks of at least three games this season, and what's one more if it means a championship? "Why not us?" said third baseman Kris Bryant, whose fourth-inning home run got things started. "I feel like we play our best with our backs up against the wall. We went out there today, took care of business. Hopefully we can get out there and win Game 6, because you never know what can happen in a Game 7. "We're all about writing our own history. This team is a special one, and we look at so many times throughout the year where we haven't been playing good, but I feel like we turn that around." This was a game that delivered on every level in terms of emotion and tension. Wrigley Field was rocking with expectation and noise. After it ended, the Cubs went back on the field to acknowledge the fans who'd packed the old park one final time in 2016.

All that said, the Indians still lead the World Series 3-2 and have two chances to close it out at home, with Games 6 and 7 scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. "We took two out of three from the Cubs at their place with all their fans and all their noise going on this weekend," Tribe outfielder Rajai Davis said. "Now we're going into our place, where our fans are going to be loud and help us carry out this last win." The Indians pushed the Cubs all game long, stranding runners in scoring position in the fifth, seventh and eighth innings. Lester allowed two runs, but he danced out of trouble in the sixth before Chapman entered in the seventh. Chapman's biggest out might have been striking out Francisco Lindor with a runner on third to end the eighth. Maddon had joked about winning Game 5 and then having a happy Halloween (and day off) in Cleveland on Monday. Happy it will be. "Yeah, I've never been looking forward to wanting to play the seventh game of a World Series in my life, you know," Maddon said. "So yeah, we get to go over there with two rested starting pitchers [Jake Arrieta for Game 6, Kyle Hendricks for a potential Game 7]. "From an entertainment perspective, if you're a baseball fan or looking to become a baseball fan, it was wonderful tonight, outstanding. But I like to believe we're going to catch or gain some momentum from this game going back over there." -- Cubs.com Bryant's jack could be Cubs' latest jolt By Phil Rogers CHICAGO -- One step at a time. That's how you wring the last ounce of energy out of the baseball season, and maybe just how you win the World Series. For the Cubs, before Aroldis Chapman could come in for the longest save of his career, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo had to trigger a three-run rally with a home run and a double on back-to-back fastballs from Trevor Bauer. Those were the biggest moments for Chicago's lineup in the 3-2 victory in Game 5 on Sunday night at Wrigley Field, which sent the Series back to Cleveland with the Indians ahead, 3-2. It's worth remembering that 10 days earlier, Addison Russell had to blast a home run off Dodgers wunderkind Julio Urias in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, completely changing the vibe for manager Joe Maddon's team. And the day before Russell hit that homer, in Rich Hill's 6-0 victory for Los Angeles, Rizzo had to get an infield single off Kenley Jansen on a pitch that absolutely exploded his bat. Well, at least Bryant felt that seemingly meaningless moment portended better days -- the end of a long slump for Rizzo and a return to normalcy for one of baseball's best offensive teams. "I think that's the hit we needed," Bryant said late that night. "I think [Rizzo's] going to feed off that. I'm sure it's not the way he wanted to get a hit, but I think that's the kind of thing you see spark a team." Sure enough, with Russell and Rizzo emerging from slumps in which they had been a combined 3-for-50 for the postseason, the Cubs crushed the Dodgers in the last three games of the NLCS, beating Clayton Kershaw to cap a stretch in which they scored 23 runs in 24 innings.

Maddon spoke after Chicago lost Games 3 and 4 of the World Series about needing something to spark an offensive epiphany. He hopes that the stirring in the fourth inning against Bauer on Sunday will lead to a major uptick in scoring once the Cubs return to Progressive Field. "Yeah, I loved it, man," Maddon said. "You could see what happened after that. They kind of put their pitcher on the ropes a little bit. We had better at-bats. We got our three runs. Yes, all of that. That's kind of what happened in Los Angeles where all of a sudden we got that one big blow. It's incredible when you do that, what it does to your team and what it does to the opposition pitcher. It's just part of the game. "You have to be able to punch and counterpunch all the time, and we were able to do that tonight. The three runs held up beautifully." Bauer had retired nine of the first 10 hitters he faced, with Russell's grounder up the middle in the second inning the only blemish as he matched Jon Lester zero for zero. But then the righty threw a 1-1 fastball in Bryant's happy zone, and Rizzo was ready for the next fastball. He ripped it down the right-field line and Chicago was back in business after scoring only two runs in a stretch of 25 innings. "He came out really good," Tribe manager Terry Francona said of Bauer. "I mean, really good. And the two pitches, back to back, Bryant and Rizzo jumped on fastballs that caught too much of the plate. They were down, but too much of the plate, and [Ben] Zobrist had a really good at-bat. It's just they got some fastballs they could handle, and they whacked them pretty good." That's how the Cubs came back to win the NLCS after the Dodgers had them down 2-1 with a chance to snuff out baseball for 2016 at Wrigley Field. If this was Bryant and Rizzo jump-starting the run producers, they just might be able to turn the World Series on its head, ending their 108-year championship drought in style. One step at a time, sure. All that matters at the moment is that Chicago has Jake Arrieta facing Josh Tomlin in Game 6 on Tuesday night, but just below the surface, there is a lot to like about the NL champs. For one thing, Arrieta, the 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner, will be working on regular rest, while Tomlin returns on three days' rest after working 4 2/3 scoreless innings in a Game 3 start. Without having the injured Danny Santana and Carlos Carrasco in his rotation, Francona is pushing his three best starters, and it is a risky formula. Including Sunday night's game, when Bauer was working on three days' rest, teams with a rested starter in the postseason against a starter on short rest are 37-18 since 1995, when Major League Baseball introduced the Wild Card. Fatigue is an issue for all starters in October. They hit a wall, as the Cubs saw with Arrieta last October. Maddon significantly reduced the regular-season workload of his starters to accommodate an extended postseason, and that may be about to pay off in a big way. If there's a Game 7, the Indians' Corey Kluber will make his sixth start of the postseason and 38th of the year. It would be his third on short rest in October, and that would be pretty much uncharted territory. As a franchise, the Tribe knows about the wall that pitchers hit. The Indians lived that nightmare in the 2007 American League Championship Series, when the Red Sox won three games in a row against CC Sabathia, Roberto Hernandez (then known as Fausto Carmona) and Jake Westbrook, the last two by 12-2 and 11-2 scores. Cleveland's pitchers are performing too well for anyone to think that's going to happen again, but five or six runs a game might be more than enough behind Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks. It won't hurt that Kyle Schwarber will be back in Chicago's lineup, with the return to the use of the designated hitter rule seemingly benefiting the NL team. Do we really have to wait until Tuesday for Game 6? That seems cruel, if not unusual, after the five games that the Cubs and Indians have played to get us here.

-- Cubs.com Arrieta's turn to help keep Cubs' Series dream alive By Jamal Collier CHICAGO -- The Cubs feel good heading back to Cleveland after a 3-2 win over the Indians in Game 5 on Sunday night at Wrigley Field to push the World Series back to Cleveland for Tuesday night's Game 6. Jake Arrieta, the 2015 National League Cy Young Award winner, will hope to extend the Cubs' season. "He's a bulldog man," third baseman Kris Bryant said. "He's going to go out there and give you his best effort every time. We always feel confident with him on the mound." Cleveland owns a 3-2 Series lead and will send Josh Tomlin to the mound on short rest to try and wrap up the Fall Classic. Arrieta will try to build off his impressive performance in Game 2, in which he carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning in Chicago's 5-1 victory. Chicago is trying to become the first team since 1985 to overcome a 3-1 series deficit to win the World Series. The Cubs have taken solace in the fact that they will have had their three best starting pitchers working those games: Jon Lester in Game 5, Arrieta in Game 6 and Kyle Hendricks ready to go if they force Game 7. "We've won three in a row many times this year, even more than that," Arrieta said. "We like the way this lines up." The Cubs had 16 regular-season winning streaks of three games or more this past season. On Sunday afternoon, when there was no certainty the game would be played, Arrieta was going through his normal preparation for a start. He does not play catch very often this late in the season, but plans to throw off the mound in Chicago on Monday for about 10-20 pitches before the team flight heads to Cleveland. Arrieta expects the temperature to be cold in Cleveland, and he doesn't mind. It was 43 degrees at the start of Game 2, and Arrieta was in short sleeves while he held the Indians to one run on two hits in 5 2/3 innings, with six strikeouts and three walks. "I just want to execute with quality in and out of the strike zone, and try to get ahead in the count as early and as often as I can to open up some more options for myself," Arrieta said. "But you know, it's just like any other game where you feel comfortable with the game plan and you go out there to do your best to follow through on the execution." The Cubs can point to Arrieta's shutout in the 2015 NL Wild Card Game against the Pirates as evidence of what he is capable of in a must-win game to save their season. "World Series and the Wild Card Games are different, but they're the same way, you've got to win to keep going," right-hander Jason Hammel said. "Last year, his performance in the Wild Card Game was pretty exceptional, and I wouldn't expect anything less." -- Cubs.com Bryant's blast sparks Cubs' winning rally By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Kris Bryant provided the spark the Cubs needed, and at exactly the right time.

Bryant led off the fourth inning with his second home run of the postseason to tie Game 5 of the World Series and help propel the Cubs to a 3-2 victory over the Indians at Wrigley Field on Sunday night. The win helped the Cubs extend the Fall Classic, which will now shift to Cleveland for Game 6 on Tuesday with the Indians holding a 3-2 Series lead. "We're down in an elimination game, and he ties it up with one swing," teammate Anthony Rizzo said. "We fed off it." Rizzo followed Bryant's blast with a double, and he eventually scored on Addison Russell's infield single to take a 2-1 lead. David Ross added a sacrifice fly in the three-run fourth inning. "For us to get back to even [in the game] and let us relax a little bit -- we do a lot better when we get the lead," Ross said. Bryant began the night 1-for-14 in the World Series, and he also drew a walk in the fifth. He was called out on strikes against the Indians' Trevor Bauer in the first and again against Cody Allen in the seventh, although the second call was questionable. "He got called on a strike that apparently might have been up," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of the strikeout in the seventh. "I like the fact that he wasn't just swinging at anything. That's what we all have to be able to do. That's the kind of thing that could get him rolling, there's no question about that." The Cubs have been chasing pitches out of the zone in some instances, and Maddon has been looking for better at-bats. That fourth inning could provide a spark. "There's not a crazy sense of urgency, but certainly we want to get some runs there so that they're not going to go to [Andrew] Miller and Allen with the lead," Bryant said. "For me, I wasn't going out there trying to hit a homer or anything like that. It was, 'Have a good at-bat,' and it's nice that it went over the fence. Obviously, I haven't been swinging the bat too great, but it was nice to kind of get one to kind of help us all out." Albert Almora Jr. lockers next to Bryant in the Cubs' clubhouse and they are close friends. Almora hasn't seen Bryant show any frustration. "I felt he had some at-bats where he tried to do too much," Almora said. "You could sense the relief once he hit that ball. Honestly, he's been great, even if he's making outs. He knows it's team baseball. You can never tell even if he was struggling -- that's how everybody on this team is. It's awesome as a friend and a teammate and a fellow competitor to see him contribute." Bryant also stole a base, and he is the third player 24 or younger to homer and steal a base in a World Series game, joining Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle (1956, Game 4) and Jose Canseco (1988, Game 1). Bryant also is the first Cubs third baseman in history to hit a home run in a World Series game. The Fall Classic now heads to Progressive Field for Game 6. Not many teams have been able to rally from a 3-1 deficit in the World Series. "Why not us?" Bryant said. "I feel like we play our best with our backs up against the wall. We went out there today, took care of business. Hopefully, we can get out there and win Game 6, because you never know what can happen in a Game 7. "We're all about writing our own history," he said. "This team is a special one, and we look at so many times throughout the year where we haven't been playing good, but I feel like we turn that around." --

Cubs.com Maddon: Edwards' outing key in Game 5, and beyond By Jamal Collier CHICAGO -- In a one-run game with their season on the line, the Cubs used three pitchers to seal a 3-2 victory in Game 5 of the World Series on Sunday night. Two of them won't come as a surprise. The Cubs started Jon Lester, their ace who threw six brilliant innings, and closed the game with Aroldis Chapman, their hard-throwing closer who got the final eight outs. However, to bridge the gap in between Lester and Chapman, Chicago turned to Carl Edwards Jr., a rookie who had only pitched in 41 career regular-season games but has gained the favor of manager Joe Maddon. "I think Joe has a lot of confidence in me," Edwards said. "It's a situation I've been in all year." Maddon used Edwards to start the seventh because he liked the matchup against Mike Napoli. Even though Napoli singled and advanced to second on a passed ball, Edwards got Carlos Santana to fly out to left field before turning the game over to Chapman. And if nothing else, Maddon was happy to get Edwards on that stage in a huge situation after he took the loss in Game 3. "He's done a great job all season," Maddon said. "And again, he was the right guy, and then beyond that, I'm looking down the road. I mean, you get guys into these moments like this, an absolute growth moment for him. I really feel good about the next time we have to bring him out there." Cleveland still leads the Series, 3-2, in part because the Indians have been able to take advantage of perhaps the biggest gap between the two teams: the bullpens. The Indians have rode their stingy bullpen by shortening games and using unconventional roles, while the Cubs have questions marks on bridging the gap to Chapman at the end of games. Maddon has not shown faith in either Hector Rondon or Pedro Strop in high-leverage situations recently, instead turning to Justin Grimm and Edwards. Edwards, who was acquired from Texas in 2013 in the Matt Garza trade, has pitched his way into the prominent role. Thanks to a high spin rate on his four-seam fastball -- average of 2,661 RPM compared to league average of 2,264 -- he generated a 11.9 percent whiff rate on the pitch, third-best in MLB among pitchers who threw at least 500 four-seamers. "Carl Edwards, to me, is a special kid," catcher Willson Contreras said. "He doesn't throw a straight fastball, everything is cutting. He has an amazing curveball and he's been able to slow the game down and pitch aggressively. He has been amazing all season long. I think he's one of the best pitchers in our bullpen." -- Cubs.com Wrigley faithful revel in 'moment of a lifetime' By Mark Newman CHICAGO -- It was the last game of the season at Wrigley Field and the first World Series home victory in 71 years, a 3-2 win over the Indians to send the 112th Fall Classic back to Cleveland for Game 6 on Tuesday. Sarah Graff, a fifth-generation Cubs fan, could not have been at a more perfect place in the world. She is a rabbi at Congregation Kol Emeth in Palo Alto, Calif., and she flew here Sunday morning with friend Scott Roy to be at Game 5, courtesy of a "very generous congregant." As they held up a sign that read "Don't Stop Believing," Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and many Cubs came back out of the clubhouse to thank the many fans who refused to leave.

"Unbelievable," said Graff, who grew up in Chicago and whose great-great grandfather owned a convenience store frequented by Mordecai "Three Fingers" Brown, winner of two decisions during the Cubs' last World Series championship in 1908. "I've been giving sermons on the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur, for 15 years, and every year I mention the Cubs. "I've been preaching that being a Cub fan is not about winning, it is about hope and perseverance and second chances. But it's also fun to win." Win. That word felt so good to the people who witnessed history here. It is a word abbreviated by a simple "W" flying all over town. The last game of 2016 at Wrigley simply had to end that way. The only thing left now is a possible first World Series title since that 1908 season, but no one will ever be able to take away the memories that were just made on a chilly mid-autumn evening. John Raney watched Game 5 in Section 403 and thought about his father who passed the love of the Cubs on to him "at conception." Raney, now 57 and living in Denver, N.C., recalled all the "near-misses, when we always fell short and didn't finish." He looked around the green expanse, realizing the finality of Wrigley Field baseball, happy the home schedule ended with a win. "I was here for the last 19 consecutive home openers, and I saw the Cubs win on an Addison Russell home run in Game 1," Raney said, flashing back to April 11, a 5-3 victory over the Reds. "This is a pretty good way to end it." The only question now is whether the players will be back for a parade like no other. For now, Bryant was being interviewed on the field and smiling as the fans chanted "MVP! MVP" at him behind the dugout. Right there in that crowd were Daniel Rivas and Iveliss Gonzalez of Chicago, riding a wave of pure joy and standing on the same seats that had gone for five figures over the weekend. If there was a competition for happiest of the happy Cubs fans on this night, it would be hard to top them. Rivas came to the ballpark with a ringbox made out of an actual Cubs batting-practice baseball he had acquired recently as a season-ticket holder, and before the game, he got down on his knee and held it out and proposed to Gonzalez. She said yes, as you could tell by the sign he held later. "It was exciting, nerve-wracking and I wasn't really sure what was going on," she said. "It was a really nice surprise, and I'm excited to spend the rest of my life with him." "We definitely made history over here at Wrigley," he said. "The ring is ours." Well, at least she has one so far. The Cubs are working on the other. Issac Bobo of Chicago said he can't imagine yet what it would be like if the Cubs can win the next two games and send fans into a state of delirium perhaps never seen before. Perhaps it would be like what Red Sox Nation felt after they reversed the curse in 2004. "I haven't seen it in my lifetime, so I don't even know," he said. "I'm anxious to see it happen. I'm very excited to see it happen. "I think we have the momentum right now. When we go over there, all we need to do is [win] this next game, and it's a wrap. After this next game, the momentum is going to take us through." Roy said whatever happens now, no one can take away the feeling of right now. "It would be awesome to win the Series, but win or lose, this was a moment of a lifetime," he said. "Hearing the whole place rocking, it's a feeling I'll never forget."

-- Cubs.com Arrieta, Cubs hope to force decisive Game 7 in Cleveland By Anthony Castrovince History will be made in Cleveland this week. This much is guaranteed. But what is undetermined, as the World Series progresses back to Progressive Field for Game 6 on Tuesday night, is whether the history will be "merely" the end of a decades-long drought or if the end of a decades-long drought will be accompanied by a side of comeback magic. The Indians, who are sending a short-rested Josh Tomlin to the mound opposite Jake Arrieta, are a win away from doing what they haven't done in 68 years. If they can convert just one of the next two at a park where they've played absurdly well this season, they'll reward their home fans with the home clinch that not even the Cavaliers accomplished in their thrilling finish in the NBA Finals. The last time a major sports championship was won in the city of Cleveland was Dec. 27, 1964, when the Browns beat the Baltimore Colts in the NFL Championship Game. "We did what we had to do [in Chicago]," first baseman Mike Napoli said. "We put ourselves in position to try to win it in a crazy atmosphere, you know?" The Cubs, meanwhile, are two wins away from not only ending their 108-year curse but also upending the Indians much the same way those aforementioned Cavs took care of the Golden State Warriors. The 3-1 hole Chicago faced going into Game 5 was daunting, but now, in the wake of a Wrigley Field win and with Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks lined up for Games 6 and 7, respectively, and Kyle Schwarber back in the lineup with the designated hitter in play, it is less so. And the Cubs know it. "We're writing our own history," shortstop Addison Russell said. "We're making history. Why stop? This is entertaining to us. It's fun, and we live for this." Chicago might very well live to see another day if Arrieta, who has had command troubles at times in this follow-up to his 2015 National League Cy Young Award-winning season, is as on point as he was back in Game 2, when he was unhittable into the sixth inning and wound up allowing just a run on two hits over 5 2/3. This time, the weather won't be nearly the factor it was in a frigid Game 2, as the report was calling for temperatures in the high-60s to low-70s. "I just want to execute with quality in and out of the strike zone," Arrieta said. Tomlin executed especially well in the Tribe's Game 3 win at Wrigley, commanding his curveball and flummoxing the Cubs down and away. It was, by design, a brief outing, cut short at 56 pitches, because the Indians didn't want to overtax Tomlin in the event that he had to make this start on three days' rest. Tomlin, who has a 1.76 ERA in three starts this October, is the X-factor that has allowed Cleveland's rotation to survive without Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar. And then there's Andrew Miller, whose presence in these postseason games always merits mentioning. He didn't get used in Game 5, so he'll be well-rested in time for Game 6. And you can count on Terry Francona to be quick with the Tomlin hook if the Indians take the lead and Miller can give them length. The twist now is that Chicago manager Joe Maddon is utilizing Aroldis Chapman in a similar way. Chapman got the eight-out save in Game 5, and Monday's off-day will put him in position to possibly be counted on for another lengthy turn.

"When you have a guy like that," said Maddon, "that can pitch that many significant outs in the latter part of the game, it's pretty cool." Guess what? This Series is pretty cool. Storylines -- and historical significance -- abounded coming in, but sometimes the hype doesn't materialize into reality. But this Series has been extended to a sixth game. The Cubs are trying to revive themselves with last year's NL Cy Young Award winner and one of this year's top NL Cy Young Award candidates in succession, and Schwarber, who is 3-for-8 with a double and two walks after his unexpected World Series return from reconstructive knee surgery, is back in action. The Indians are equally encouraged by the fact that they have, in their back pocket, Game 7 starter Corey Kluber, whose 0.89 ERA in five starts has him playing the part of new October legend in the making, should it come to that. We don't know if it will come to that. We don't know which one of these clubs is going to make history. We just know that one of them will, and it doesn't take a (Game) Sixth sense to know we're on the verge of something special. -- Cubs.com Ross says farewell to Wrigley in style By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- David Ross began the day of the last game he'll play at Wrigley Field feeding his 1-year-old daughter, Harper, around 4 a.m. CT. He didn't get back to sleep until a couple of hours later, and then had to entertain out-of-town friends, who were looking for the perfect bar outside Wrigley Field prior to Game 5 of the World Series on Sunday. Ross knew he was starting against the Indians in a potential elimination game. That was natural. Jon Lester was pitching, and the two have been nearly inseparable. But this was the last time Ross and Lester would be paired together. Ross is retiring after this season, and he has tried to keep his emotions in check. "I'm trying to win the World Series," Ross said. "I'll have time to reflect on my career and these special moments. This is about the World Series and these guys in here." He did his part, guiding Lester over six innings and then hitting a sacrifice fly in a three-run fourth inning that gave the Cubs the cushion they needed in a 3-2 win over the Indians, who now hold a 3-2 lead in the World Series. It was a fitting farewell. "I've had a storybook year," Ross said. "There's so many things that have happened to me over this year. That's another cool one to get the sac fly ... and we hold on. The reason why we won is our pitching staff. They did such a good job." Ross was on the bench when Aroldis Chapman took over for the save. But the catcher's night wasn't over. Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder led the Wrigley Field crowd in singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch, and he gave a shout out to Ross. "I've gotten to know him a little bit here, and he's a really down-to-earth, genuine human being," Ross said of Vedder, who is friends with Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein. "Everybody's looking at me, saying, 'Dude, Eddie Vedder just dedicated the whole seventh-inning stretch to you.' My mind's blown away. He's just a good person to be who he is, a rock star. Everybody knows who Eddie Vedder is. To say my name is a huge compliment." Before the game, Ross said he reflected on his career, which began in 2002 with the Dodgers and has included stops with the Pirates, Padres, Reds, Red Sox, and Braves. He inspired teammates Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant to create an Instagram account in Spring Training called "grandparossy_3," but they've been a little busy to update it. The last post is from six weeks ago featuring a photo of the trio in downtown Chicago.

But Ross and Lester have a bond that began in Boston, and became strong in the 2013 playoffs. Ross has caught Lester for more innings and more batters than any other catcher. "Personally, there's not a better way to go out your last start than catching Jon Lester, who has won a World Series for me," Ross said. "To be on the stage here, my last time at Wrigley, and be catching him was a pretty amazing moment." The two hugged in the dugout after Lester's outing was over. What did Ross say? He paused, his eyes watering. Ross looked away, and then softly answered. "I just said I loved him, thanks for everything," Ross said. "I love him." -- Cubs.com Another strong October outing for Cubs' Lester By Anthony DiComo CHICAGO -- Following two straight losses to the Indians to put the Cubs' season on the brink, Wrigley Field did not need much of an excuse to come alive on Sunday, its 41,711 constituents aching to grow loud. Jon Lester gave them an early reason anyway, opening World Series Game 5 like this: Strike three to Rajai Davis on an 84-mph changeup. Strike three to Jason Kipnis on an 89-mph cutter. Strike three to Francisco Lindor on a 77-mph curve. Lester didn't lose much steam from there, adding to his dictionary-thick October resume with six effective innings in the Cubs' 3-2 win over the Indians, which staved off elimination and sent the series back to Cleveland. "He was as advertised," said Indians manager Terry Francona, Lester's boss with the Red Sox from 2006-11. "He's really good … and he certainly doesn't shy away from competition." Certainly not at this point in his career, with Lester making his 19th postseason start -- tied for ninth-most in Major League history, and second among active players behind current teammate John Lackey. Most of those outings were good ones, too, including a World Series clincher with Boston in 2007. Of pitchers with at least as many October starts as him -- a group that includes Hall of Famers Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Whitey Ford -- Lester's 2.62 ERA ranks third. Only Ford and Curt Schilling were better. So it came as little surprise to the Cubs when Lester struck out the side in the first, then retired seven in a row following Jose Ramirez's solo homer in the second. Though Lester cracked for two runs, the second of them coming on a Lindor RBI single in the sixth inning, he never permitted the Indians any extended rallies. Lester struck out five and walked none. Perhaps most important, he guided the Cubs to a point in the game where manager Joe Maddon could turn, after a brief Carl Edwards Jr. cameo, almost immediately to closer Aroldis Chapman for the last eight outs. "You're just trying not to allow baserunners," Lester said. "You're trying not to allow the big swing. You're staying on the edges." This is not necessarily the end of Lester's postseason, with Game 6 -- and, if the Cubs accomplish what they want to, Game 7 -- on the horizon. When asked if he might be available out of the bullpen beginning Tuesday in Cleveland, Lester shrugged and said, 'Hey, whatever we've got to do. This time of year, there's no barriers.'" There are, of course, plenty of obstacles still remaining for the Cubs, who trail this best-of-seven series, 3-2. But Lester's strong outing at least gave them a chance. "You're just grinding from pitch one," Lester said. "You're trying to make the perfect pitch every time, and at the same time still be aggressive. So, yeah, it's a grind. That's what makes the postseason fun."

-- ESPNChicago.com The call that kept Cubs alive: Chapman for eight outs By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- Cleveland Indians star Andrew Miller isn't the only reliever who can shut down the opponent for multiple innings in this World Series. Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon displayed a sense of urgency in Game 5 on Sunday night, sending flamethrower Aroldis Chapman to the mound for a surprising eight-out performance. And Chapman was brilliant. “You've seen a lot of that during the course of the playoffs,” Maddon said after the thrilling 3-2 Cubs victory. “It's something you can't normally do during the season without beating somebody up too badly.” This is the same Chapman who had all sorts of trouble entering a game before the ninth inning this postseason -- and especially with men on base. But Maddon wasn’t taking any chances with the Cubs trailing 3-1 in the series. After pulling Jon Lester after just 90 pitches, then seeing Carl Edwards give up a baserunner, he went to Chapman with one out in the seventh. This was hold-your-breath, cross-your-fingers time for any Cubs supporter. “Joe talked to me this afternoon before the game,” Chapman said through the team translator. “He asked if I could be ready possibly to come into the seventh inning, and obviously I told him, ‘I'm ready. I'm ready to go.’ And whatever he needs me to do or how long he needs me to pitch for, I'm ready for it.” Sometimes Chapman is lights out -- as he was in the ninth -- and sometimes he’s a high-wire act. The biggest moment of his nearly three innings came with the tying run on third base in the top of the eighth inning and the dangerous Francisco Lindor at the plate. “Lindor has been on fire and hitting the fastball really well,” catcher Willson Contreras said. Contreras had entered the game for David Ross, who knew Chapman couldn’t be far behind. The rookie catcher essentially has become Chapman’s personal backstop. Several times he went to the mound to make sure they were on the same page. Tension began to build each time that he did. Could Chapman and Contreras pull this off and send the series back to Cleveland for Game 6 on Tuesday? “Just wanted to slow the game down, for me and him,” Contreras said. “I was ready for the slider in the dirt.” Rajai Davis had just stolen second base and then third, and was 90 feet from scoring the tying run with Chapman throwing bullets. As Contreras stated, Lindor has been hot, especially against fastballs, so the Cubs decided to start him out with three straight sliders. It’s not exactly the easiest pitch to catch if it’s in the dirt. The decision was brilliant. Contreras blocked everything, and before Lindor knew what was happening -- perhaps expecting a fourth slider -- Chapman froze him with a 101-mph fastball. Inning over. “Chapman is a horse,” Edwards said. “He’s different. He’s a different person. He’s a different breed.” And Maddon? “He’s like a wizard,” Edwards laughed. “I don’t question anything Joe does.” The Cubs have new life and may look back at the “Chapman game” as the turning point. They still need to win two in Cleveland, which will be no easy task. But if Miller can be the Indians’ go-to guy at any moment, why can’t Chapman? It’s a fascinating back-and-forth between two relievers traded by the New York Yankees to two of the best teams in the league. Miller has had his big moments in the spotlight this postseason, and Chapman just had his. It went on for 42 pitches.

“I always appreciate it if they let me know that I'm going to pitch more than the ninth inning,” Chapman said. “I physically prepared myself to come in as early as possible.” An enigmatic figure when he arrived in Chicago, Chapman has been one of the boys, even to the point of volunteering to wake a sleeping Maddon on the team plane and asking him to the back for some drinks and laughs with the relief staff. Maddon has returned that kindness by showing faith in the Cubs’ most valuable asset in the bullpen. Mainstays Hector Rondon and Pedro Strop are in the background now; this is Chapman’s moment. Maddon showed that on Sunday, helping the Cubs stave off elimination. “That was our best opportunity,” Maddon explained. “I thought right now, based on the bullpen usage recently, he's actually kind of fresh. He hasn't been overused in the last part of this season nor throughout the playoffs. So, again, with him, like a lot of relief pitchers, late-inning relief pitchers, you want to talk in advance of the moment. We did. So he was definitely aware of what may happen tonight.” Aware and happy to do it. Many felt that couldn’t or wouldn’t be the case after watching him early in the postseason. The results weren’t there and many questioned the body language, whatever that means. Chapman answered any questions with his signature performance as a Cub. And there may be even bigger ones to come this week. We have a series now. “I'm ready for it,” Chapman said. -- ESPNChicago.com Kris Bryant shows up just in time for the Cubs By Bradford Doolittle CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs didn't get to existential crisis stage during their season-saving, 3-2 win in Game 5 of the World Series, but they got darned close. Against a Cleveland Indians staff that was piling up zeros, someone needed to do something. Who better than the presumptive MVP? We don't know yet if Kris Bryant will actually be named this year's National League Most Valuable Player, but he's the leading candidate, with a Hank Aaron Award already in his possession. The vote has been in for awhile, so nothing Bryant had done in the World Series will matter for the award. But the Cubs needed Bryant to play like an MVP and he did, just in time. "I loved it, man," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "You could see what happened after that. They kind of put their pitcher on the ropes a little bit. We had better at-bats." The situation: Jon Lester was terrific against the Cleveland offense, but Jose Ramirez got into a pitch in the second inning, depositing a Lester offering into the left-field bleachers despite a wind that worked against the hitters. Meanwhile, the Cubs were doing little against Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer, managing only a single through the first three innings. When Bryant stepped to the plate to lead off the fourth, the Cubs were entering the red-alert portion of the game, when the Indians manager Terry Francona was liable to go into lead-protection mode. Sure, there were six innings left, but this is a brave new world in postseason baseball. Bryan Shaw, Cody Allen, Andrew Miller were all ready. With another inning, or maybe even a couple of more outs, Francona's powerful bullpen might have been sprung to lock down the World Series title. "That's it," Maddon said, said before the game. "I mean, just score first, win innings, and then stay out of the meaty part of their bullpen. That's probably the best way."

Meanwhile, Bryant was not in a good place as he stepped to the plate. He was just 1-for-14 during the World Series, with only a Game 2 single and three walks to show for his efforts. He had seen a steady diet of curveballs, like many of his Cubs teammates, and had done exactly squat against them. Bauer struck him out on a curve in the first. On top of all that, he had committed two throwing errors during the Cubs' 7-2 Game 4 loss that put them in such a bind in the series. "I feel like as a team, guys are throwing us more curveballs," Bryant said. "I don't know. I don't look into the stats. I don't know if we hit curveballs well, but if they keep throwing them, obviously we don't." This time, Bauer offered a 1-1 fastball inside at the letters to Bryant, and he laid into it, a 105.3-mph liner off the bat, sneaking into the first couple of rows of the bleachers. It wasn't one of Bryant's signature, majestic homers that disappears into the Chicago night only to re-emerge somewhere over Waveland Avenue, but it meant more than any of those moonshots. "Not a crazy sense of urgency, but certainly we want to get some runs there so that they're not going to go to Miller and Allen with the lead there," Bryant said. "I wasn't going out there trying to hit a homer or anything like that. It was 'have a good at-bat' and it's nice that it went over the fence. Obviously I haven't been swinging the bat too great, but it was nice to kind of get one to kind of help us all out." The homer was Bryant's first in a World Series, so he now checked off that box. It snapped a 1-for-18 skid going back to the NLCS. It was also the first World Series homer by a Cubs third baseman. And most important of all, it opened the floodgates. Not wide open, not against this Indians staff, but just enough to start a rally that produced two more runs and ultimately decided the game. "It's incredible when you do that what it does to your team and what it does to the opposition pitcher," Maddon said. "It's just part of the game. So you have to be able to punch and counter-punch all the time, and we were able to do that tonight. The three runs held up beautifully." It was the first time this series that Bryant showed the full range of skills that make him one of the premier young talents in all of baseball. He robbed Brandon Guyer with a diving stop and throw in the second. He worked a walk in the fifth and stole second. Most important, he stepped up for the Cubs with the game's biggest play just when they were teetering ever so close to oblivion. "I like the fact that he wasn't just swinging at anything," Maddon said. "That's what we all have to be able to do. That's the kind of thing that could get him rolling. There is no question about that." Don't believe it was the biggest moment of the game? Well, according to fangraphs.com, Bryant's blast improved the Cubs chances to win by 14.1 percent, making it the play that had the most impact on the game that could have ended the Cubs' season. That's what you expect from your MVP. "Their guy was kind of cruising a little bit through the first three," Bryant said. "It was nice to kind of have a big inning there, kind of get us going a little bit. I felt like our at-bats after that inning were just as good. So that's a good sign for us." The Cubs are alive but remain one game from elimination as they try to do what only five of 44 teams in their spot (down 3-1 in a best-of-seven series) have done before -- come back to win. If it happens, Sunday's performance can't be the last big Bryant moment. The Cubs need a Bryant Game. The game that like, say, Reggie Jackson had in 1977, or Albert Pujols in 2011. Of course, Bryant isn't focused on that. He is simply focused on the belief that his team can pull of the miracle comeback, a rabbit-out-of-the-hat feat that would set 108 years of Cubs history on its ear. "Why not us?" Bryant said. "I feel like we play our best with our backs up against the wall. We went out there today, took care of business. Hopefully we can get out there and win Game 6, because you never know what can happen in a Game 7. But we're all about writing our own history."

-- ESPNChicago.com Not so fast, Cleveland -- Cubs keep Series alive Bradford Doolittle CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs aren't finished yet. Behind another classic postseason start from Jon Lester, a homer from Kris Bryant and an extended outing from closer Aroldis Chapman, the Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians 3-2 to narrow their deficit in the World Series to 3-2. The Cubs are attempting to become just the sixth of 45 teams to fall behind 3-1 and come back in a best-of-seven World Series. Borrowing a page Indians manager Terry Francona has turned to time and again during the playoffs, Cubs manager Joe Maddon went to his best bullpen arm early. After Lester held the Indians to two runs in six innings, the Indians' Mike Napoli reached second base on a single and a wild pitch in the seventh against Cubs reliever Carl Edwards. Edwards got Carlos Santana on a fly to left, but Maddon came out to get the young righty and replaced him with the fireballing lefty Chapman. With eight outs left, Chapman was attempting to go more than two innings for just the second time in his big league career. Chapman struck out Jose Ramirez and hit Brandon Guyer, who gets hit by more pitches than anyone since Coach from "Cheers." Chapman then got Roberto Perez on a grounder to end the inning. Chapman survived the last two innings for the longest save of his career. He allowed an infield single to Rajai Davis in the eighth, when he failed to cover first after Anthony Rizzo made a diving stop. Davis then stole second. But Chapman worked around it with his 100 mph heat and a few trips to the mound from rookie catcher Willson Contreras. Both starting pitchers came out blazing. Lester struck out the side in the first, and Trevor Bauer fanned the first two Cubs during a 1-2-3 first. Lester retired the first two Indians in the second, but then Ramirez homered into the wind, with the ball landing several rows deep in the left-field bleachers -- before it was thrown back onto the field by a disapproving Cubs fan. The Indians' staff entered the game 10-2 in the playoffs, with a 1.66 ERA that ranked fourth in postseason history. For three innings, it looked like more of the same for the Cubs' offense, as they managed just one hit off Bauer. As the fourth inning began, Chicago was nearing the red-alert stage, the point when Francona would fire up his bullpen to protect the lead. Francona has said it time and again this postseason: Win today, and worry about tomorrow tomorrow. That's why Maddon has emphasized how essential it is for Chicago to get early leads. With the Cubs tiptoeing ever so close to the precipice, Bryant awoke from a World Series-long slumber and lined a homer into the left-field bleachers. The blow ignited a Wrigley Field gathering that had begun to transition from excited to anxious. Bryant entered the game 1-for-14 without an extra-base hit in the Series. His blast set off a Cubs offense that had been struggling to string hits together. Rizzo followed with a first-pitch double to right, marking just the second time in the postseason that Bryant and Rizzo stroked back-to-back hits. The Cubs were just getting started: Ben Zobrist singled, and Addison Russell beat an infield single to drive in Rizzo and give the Cubs that much sought-after early lead. They added a third run after, with one out, struggling Javier Baez bunted up the third-base line to load the bases to set up David Ross' sacrifice fly. Lester made his fifth career World Series start Sunday and improved to 4-1 in those outings. He became the first Cubs pitcher ever to start five games in a single postseason. He has now gone at least five innings in each of his 19 career postseason outings, which ties teammate John Lackey for the big league record.

The Cubs backed Lester with a couple of sparkling defensive plays more reminiscent of their regular-season standard than their lackluster outing in Saturday's Game 4. Bryant robbed Guyer with a diving stop on a groundout in the third, and Jason Heyward climbed the brick wall in right to snag a foul fly from Bauer. The Indians cut the Chicago lead to one run in the sixth, when Francisco Lindor's bloop single drove in Davis. It was Lindor's eighth hit of the World Series. The Series takes a break Monday, when both clubs head back to Cleveland for Tuesday's Game 6, in which Chicago's Jake Arrieta will take on the Indians' Josh Tomlin. If necessary, Game 7 will take place Wednesday. One way or another, someone will be partying this week on the banks of the Cuyahoga River. -- ESPNChicago.com Cubs turning foul balls into circus catches in Game 5 By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo and catcher David Ross performed a juggling act in catching Cleveland Indians left fielder Carlos Santana's pop foul in the top of the second inning of Game 5 of the World Series on Sunday night. With one out, Santana popped a ball up near the entrance to the Indians' dugout as Ross camped underneath it. Rizzo was also tracking it, setting up near Ross, so when the catcher bobbled the ball the Cubs first baseman was there to grab it, much to the delight of the crowd. The excitement was short lived as the next batter, Jose Ramirez, homered to left field off of Jon Lester. Teams scoring first in the NLCS, ALCS and World Series are 14-1 this postseason with the lone loss coming in Game 4 of this series. The Cubs made another nice defensive play the next inning when right fielder Jason Heyward jumped near the wall down the right-field line as a ball hit by Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer blew back into play. Heyward adjusted his leap to make the catch as he came back towards the field of play. Rizzo and Ross combined for another catch in the fourth inning but this time they ran into each other with Ross making the grab of a Mike Napoli popup in foul territory halfway down the first-base line. Again Ross tumbled to the ground, but he held onto the ball. -- ESPNChicago.com Joe Maddon expects his coaches to return, but one could move on By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- Win or lose the rest of the way, Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon expects to invite all his coaches back for another season as the team has made the playoffs in back-to-back years, now including their first World Series appearance in 71 seasons. “It is unusual to have that many (coaches) stick and it’s unusual to have that kind of success with that group also,” Maddon said Sunday before Game 5 of the World Series. Maddon only brought one person with him from Tampa Bay when he was hired in 2014, bench coach Davey Martinez. The Cubs manager went along with the front office's recommendation to keep the rest of the staff. “The coaching staff can make the difference in being successful and not being successful,” Maddon said. “It’s been kind of seamless.”

Martinez is the one coach who could be on the move, as he’s been rumored to be a candidate for the vacant manager’s job with the Colorado Rockies. A league source confirmed their interest. Maddon approves. “When the guy does the bench coaching properly, I absolutely believe it sets him up to be a manager,” Maddon said. “He should be there to let the manager intellectualize the day.” Maddon says Martinez does that and more as the perfect “liaison” between his office and the players. Whether Martinez stays or goes, the Cubs manager thinks he has a good thing going with the coaches he inherited. It’s freed him up for other things. “A big part of my job is to coach the coaches,” he said. “That’s what a manager should do.” -- CSNChicago.com Trying To Save Their Season, Cubs Stretch The Possibilities With Aroldis Chapman By Patrick Mooney The Cubs imagined all the possibilities in October when they made that blockbuster trade for Aroldis Chapman – and now they will be playing in November. Chapman’s 42nd and final pitch registered at 101 mph on the big Wrigley Field video board late Sunday night as the superstar closer struck out Jose Ramirez swinging to preserve a 3-2 win over the Cleveland Indians and force a Game 6 in a World Series that has absolutely lived up to the hype. Chapman notched the last eight outs in a must-win game, showing the kind of creativity, flexibility and presence that didn’t automatically come in that deal with the New York Yankees in late July. Where the Indians keep pushing bullpen limits, there were times where Cubs manager Joe Maddon didn’t quite know how to use his shiny new toy. All along, Chapman’s preference has been working one inning at a time, without traffic on the bases, his powerful left arm unleashing fastball after fastball. But down 3-1 and on the brink of elimination, Maddon discussed this exact scenario before the game with president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and brought the idea to his closer. “Joe talked to me this afternoon,” Chapman said through a translator. “He asked if I could be possibly ready to come into the seventh inning. Obviously, I told him, ‘I’m ready. I’m ready to go.’ “Whatever he needs me to do, or how long he needs me to pitch, I’m ready for it.” With a one-run lead, Maddon pulled Jon Lester – the $155 million ace with two World Series rings already – after 90 pitches and gave the ball to rookie Carl Edwards Jr. for two hitters. Mike Napoli’s single and Willson Contreras’ passed ball put a runner in scoring position before Edwards forced Carlos Santana to fly out to left field. “Joe’s a wizard,” Edwards said. “I feel like he’s been doing this for a hundred years.” Chapman hadn’t pitched in the seventh since 2012 with the Cincinnati Reds and would have to throw a career-high 2.2 innings. He escaped this jam, striking out Ramirez the first time and working around the 99.3-mph first-pitch fastball that drilled Brandon Guyer. In front of an anxious crowd of 41,711 watching the Cubs one final time before Wrigley Field goes dark this year, Chapman didn’t cover first base when Anthony Rizzo made a diving stop in the eighth inning. Rajai Davis took advantage of that infield single – and Chapman’s slow delivery to home plate – to steal two bases. But Chapman responded by striking out Francisco Lindor – Cleveland’s No. 3 switch-hitter and an emerging playoff star – looking. As Contreras, the rookie catcher, said: “He banged the outside corner with 102 miles an hour. That’s impossible to hit.”

“I don’t know if you ever anticipate asking a guy to get eight outs, but he was phenomenal,” Epstein said. “He really embraced the challenge and pitched. He threw a huge changeup to Napoli. He threw a bunch of really good sliders. He blacked out an amazing fastball to Lindor in a big spot. It was a great performance.” The Cubs passed when the Yankees wanted Kyle Schwarber or Javier Baez as the starting point to any multiplayer deal for Andrew Miller, who wound up with Cleveland by the deadline and has given up one run during 17 postseason innings, getting at least four outs in each of his nine playoff appearances and becoming such a weapon for Indians manager Terry Francona. Chapman answered the doubts about whether or not he could leave his comfort zone and stretch out like Miller – and now the Cubs get another chance to do it again on Tuesday night in Cleveland. “It was a big ask,” Francona said. “We’ve done it here, too. Nobody’s ever just run into the bat rack when Chapman comes into the game. I can guarantee you that.” -- CSNChicago.com Ready For Battle With Cubs In World Series, Kyle Schwarber Has Another Chance To Add To His Legend By Tony Andracki Before the Cubs hosted the Indians in the final game of 2016 at Wrigley Field Sunday night, a young fan skirted across the upper deck concourse wearing a Kyle Schwarber jersey and a black sponge taped to the base of his chin. That's how much kids want to be like "America's large adult son," as Deadspin has started calling Schwarber. There's something about Schwarber and his blue-collar Midwest style and lovable frat dude aura that has endeared the Cubs slugger to Chicago and, over the last week, to the nation as well as his legend grows. That "something" will be back in the Cubs lineup for Game 6 Tuesday night (and Game 7 Wednesday night if the Cubs can pull out a win) in Cleveland, not far from where Schwarber grew up in Middletown, Ohio. Despite a stunning return to the active roster for the World Series, Schwarber was not cleared to play the outfield and as such, led to only one plate appearance by "America's large adult son." Now, with the designated hitter returning as an option, the Cubs will get the boost Schwarber provided when he went 3-for-7 with a double, two RBI, a run and a pair of walks in the first two games in Cleveland. And that's from a guy nobody even thought would step on a field in 2016 after a horrendous knee injury on April 7. “His inner drive – you can’t measure that,” outfielder Chris Coghlan said. “It’s not a skill that you can measure and people can quantify by watching him. It’s just an inner desire. And not everybody has that. That’s what makes him special.” Schwarber's mere presence is an emotional boost to a Cubs offense that has struggled mightily to find consistency over the last two playoff series. The Cubs have been shut out in four of the last nine postseason games and managed just five runs in the three World Series games at Wrigley Field over the weekend. "Any bat like that can play," Dexter Fowler said. "A bat like that - impact bat - is definitely awesome to get back in the lineup." It's funny that this is even such a major storyline. Everybody's excited about a guy who's had 15 plate appearances since spring training?

But that's the magic surrounding Schwarber right now, and his teammates believe. "He's back and I'm sure he's chomping at the bit," Anthony Rizzo said. "He's going to have big at-bats Tuesday and he's going to be ready for it and he's got all of our confidence behind him. "It'll be nice, especially [in Progressive Field], where it's a shorter porch to right. It's supposed to be a little warmer there - 76 [degrees]? Oh my gosh." Relegated to cheerleading duties for much of the historic weekend at Wrigley, Schwarber kept his anxiety at bay by taking swings throughout the game, running to the indoor batting cage as many as five times to ensure he'd be ready if that big pinch-hitting opportunity came up. During the Cubs' pressure-packed, tense 3-2 win in Game 5, Schwarber said he was bouncing off the walls in the dugout and clubhouse. When Jason Heyward scaled the right field wall to make a ridiculous catch on a foul pop-up, Schwarber said he exploded. For now, the big left-handed bat is just focusing on the off-day, projecting a sense of calm while standing at his locker and fielding questions from reporters. But underneath the surface, Schwarber is relishing the chance to be able to help his team on the biggest stage, to go to war with those guys in the clubhouse after a year of adversity. "Yeah, [there's anxiety there]," he said. "I missed the whole year. So for me to be able to step out there with them again and go to battle with them, it's gonna be fun." Schwarber - who already is the Cubs' franchise leader in postseason homers (5) - dismisses any notion of pressure. "I just think that once it comes to game time, once you're in between the lines, you're in between the lines," he said. "There ain't no guessing. It's go out there and battle." And as for the facial hair? "I always joke," Schwarber said, "if I shave it off, nobody would recognize me anymore." -- CSNChicago.com Cubs Defense Rebounds Nicely With Aide Of Anthony Rizzo's Circus Catch By Dan Hayes The old tip drill on a play veteran catcher David Ross had never seen before helped the Cubs’ defense rebound on Sunday night from a sluggish performance in Game 4. One night after a normally elite defensive unit gave the game away, the Cubs returned to their historically dominant selves and it all began with Anthony Rizzo’s circus catch off the glove of Ross near the dugout. The rest of the defense seemingly fed off Rizzo’s fantastic catch and turned in several more sterling efforts in a 3-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians in Game 5 of the World Series that extended the Cubs’ season for at least one more day. The Cubs will likely need many more defensive gems if they’re to rebound from a 3-2 series deficit when the Series continues with Game 6 at Cleveland at 7:08 p.m. CST on Tuesday. “(Rizzo) was the hero for us,” Ross said. “I was like, ‘Hey, I was just making you look good.’ “That was a really cool moment. I’m just trying to get outs. Every pitch and every out is so big, so anything that’s even close, you wanna give it the effort and not leave anything for chance and Rizz picked me up right there.”

Each out in October seems to carry with it a significant payload -- when shifted the right way, it can mean everything to a team. Conversely, a mistake can quickly send things in the wrong direction. The Cubs discovered that in World Series Game 4 when a pair of second-inning errors by third baseman Kris Bryant led to a run that put Cleveland ahead 2-1 and they never gave it back. On the verge of elimination in front of a loud, nerve-wracked crowd, the Cubs had little room for mistakes on Sunday night. For a brief second, it appeared they were headed for a big gaffe. Cleveland’s No. 5 hitter Carlos Santana hit a foul pop up behind the plate on which Ross appeared to have a bead at the dugout railing. But thanks to an icy, whipping wind that prevailed all evening, the ball drifted and Ross had to lunge over a camera on the railing only to have the ball pop up into the air off the top of his glove. Fortunately for him, Rizzo efficiently covered 112 feet, according to MLB.com, and arrived in time to tip the ball back into the air with his bare left hand before he hauled it in with his glove. “The ball was moving so much up there, it was swirling,” Rizzo said. “I just told him I couldn’t call it, that’s how focused I was on that ball. And he’s going for it until I called him off.” Said Ross: “I didn't know he was there. I was trying to catch it. I knew the wind was doing some crazy things tonight. … I'm surprised he didn't jump up on the rail and do a little balancing act.” Rizzo saved the theatrics for Jason Heyward, Addison Russell and Bryant. Two batters after the catch, Bryant stopped Cleveland from a potential rally starter with a fantastic diving stop and throw (Rizzo made one of several nice scoops) on Brandon Guyer’s hot shot. An inning later, Heyward raced over and leapt up on the brick wall to make a grab of Trevor Bauer’s foul ball only for the wind to blow it back. Despite the gust, Heyward hauled it in for the second out. The wind continued to affect the ball all evening. Ben Zobrist also made a long run and grab in foul territory for the second out of the eighth inning with a runner in scoring position. “(The wind) was kind of funky,” Heyward said of his grab. “But off the bat, that ball was going into the stands and heading that direction and then when I got to the wall and was waiting on it to come down, it had like a serious cut back towards the field.” The Cubs also made a series of nice plays in between the Heyward and Zobrist grabs. Ross jumped on a nice bunt by Jason Kipnis to start the fourth inning and fired to first in time to thwart his attempt for a hit. With a man on second base in the fifth inning, Russell quickly scooped up Jose Ramirez’s grounder and under-armed his throw to first just in time to nab the speedy runner (Rizzo made a nice scoop on that play, too). And Javier Baez helped quell a potential sixth-inning rally with his patented swipe tag as he helped Ross catch Francisco Lindor stealing second base to end the inning. Those efforts proved critical for a unit that had 31 more Defensive Runs Saved than the next best team in baseball, according to fangraphs.com. “One of the best in the game,” center fielder Dexter Fowler said. “We’ve got a few Gold Glove nominee and Gold Glovers out there. “Guys are going to make mistakes. That’s what happens. It’s a long season. You want to make every play, but all that’s never going to happen. To have them in there making the key outs today is awesome.” --

CSNChicago.com Jon Lester Ready If Needed To Pitch Out Of Bullpen In Games 6 Or 7 Of World Series By JJ Stankevitz Jon Lester’s last relief appearance came nine years ago as the Boston Red Sox, ironically enough, were in the process of falling to 3-1 American League Championship Series deficit to the Cleveland Indians, only to storm back and win the 2007 AL pennant. Former Red Sox and current Indians manager Terry Francona used Lester twice in relief in that series, with the then-23-year-old completing a seven-run 11th inning meltdown in Game 2 when he allowed a Franklin Gutierrez three-run home run. Lester returned in Game 4 to throw three scoreless innings in mop-up duty as the Indians took that 3-1 lead they’d eventually squander. Since then, Lester has exclusively pitched as a starter, winning the deciding game of the 2007 World Series against the Colorado Rockies, picking up another championship ring in 2013 with the Red Sox and earning a $155 million contract to be the ace of the Cubs’ rotation after the 2014 season. But with the World Series on the line in Game 6 and Game 7 Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, in Cleveland, Lester said he’ll be prepared to pitch if he’s needed to help deliver the Cubs their first World Series championship since 1908. “Hey, whatever we've got to do,” Lester said. “I mean, this time of year there's no barriers, there's no nothing. It's all hands on deck.” Lester didn’t want to step on the toes of anyone in the Cubs’ bullpen, praising the work guys like Aroldis Chapman, Pedro Strop, Hector Rondon and Travis Wood, among others, have put in this year. The 90 pitches he threw in Game 5 shouldn’t be a hinderance, even if they were stressful ones. If the Cubs do force a Game 7 Wednesday, though, Lester could be a critical weapon for manager Joe Maddon to deploy to maximize Kyle Hendricks’ effectiveness and bridge the gap to, potentially, Chapman. “I love our bullpen,” Lester said. ‘I love what these guys have done, but if there's a match-up in there that Joe likes, I'll be ready.” -- CSNChicago.com Storybook Year For 'Grandpa Rossy' Coming To An End With Emotional Final Game At Wrigley By Tony Andracki David Ross doesn't like to cry in front of the cameras and a bunch of strangers in the media. Who would? But the veteran catcher couldn't help himself when a reporter asked what he said to pitcher Jon Lester as they embraced during the Cubs' 3-2 win over the Cleveland Indians in Game 5 of the World Series Sunday night. Ross' eyes starting tearing up and he immediately turned to face his locker, shielding his emotion from the bright lights of the TV cameras and the rest of the world that just saw a 6-foot-2, 230-pound 39-year-old man start to cry. "I just said I loved him and thanks for everything," Ross said simply, still fighting back tears. "... It starts and ends with Jon for me. There's not a better way to go out your last start catching Jon Lester, a guy that's won a World Series for me and doing the things he's done for me personally.

"He's a friend of mine and to be on this stage here, my last time at Wrigley, catching him was a pretty amazing moment. It's hard. There were a lot of emotions for me before the game started." Ross - who is set to retire when the Cubs' season ends - has already had a year to remember and it will now come to a close either in heartbreaking fashion or he'll ride off into the sunset hanging on to one last taste of the ultimate glory. In the final home game of his career, Ross stepped up big for a Cubs team that needed a spark. Ross and first baseman Anthony Rizzo teamed up for a couple nifty foul pop-ups, but Ross contributed with the bat, too, working a very solid at-bat and driving home Ben Zobrist with a sacrifice fly in what turned out to be the game-winning run. "Pretty cool," he said. "I've had a storybook year. There are so many things I could talk about that have happened to me over this year. That's just another cool one to get the sac fly that puts us ahead and we hold on. Ross also nabbed Francisco Lindor trying to steal second, ending the sixth inning in what may be his final act on a baseball diamond. "They got one off me, but I got one back. We're even," he said, while also declaring he likes throwing guys out on the basepaths more than even hitting home runs. But Ross' greatest moment Sunday night may have come the inning after he was removed. Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder was on hand at Wrigley to sing "Take me out to the Ballgame" and dedicated the performance to Grandpa Rossy. "That was really cool," Ross said. "For him to say those things about me, I was taken aback. Everybody's looking at me like, 'Dude, Eddie Vedder just dedicated the whole Seventh Inning Stretch to you.' "My mind's blown and I'm thinking about being out of the game. ... Everybody knows who Eddie Vedder is and this guy says my name. It's a huge compliment." For a journeyman catcher who played 15 years in the big leagues but topped 250 at-bats just once, Ross has probably talked to the Chicago media this season as much as anybody with the Cubs apart from Joe Maddon. After the Cubs' Game 5 win with their backs against the wall, there were more media members staking out Ross' locker than anybody else in the room and he talked for almost 20 minutes. But that's not his fault at all. The TV cameras flock to him as a well-spoken, intelligent baseball mind and a father figure to the rest of a Cubs clubhouse that has now won 213 games over his time in Chicago the last two years. Ross tried to keep Sunday night just like any other day, but he admitted he was trying to keep busy so he wouldn't have time to just sit and dwell. He has made it a point to try to take in the moments throughout his final season, but he actually avoided that for the most part in Game 5, trying to keep the emotions and nostalgia at bay while maintaing focus on the game. "I'm trying to win the World Series," Ross said. "I'll have time to reflect on my career and these special moments. "I've been trying to keep that at bay and just focus on the World Series and these guys in here. This is a very talented group and I'm glad we could keep it going with a win." --

CSNChicago.com Once Again, Joe Maddon’s Cubs Respond To The Win-Or-Else Pressure By Patrick Mooney The Cubs are going to need a bigger target. Just imagine the circus atmosphere and suffocating expectations when Joe Maddon’s team reports to spring training next year in Arizona – either as the defending World Series champs or after coming agonizingly close without winning the franchise’s first title in 108 years. Both of those possibilities are still in play after a gutsy 3-2 win over the Cleveland Indians on Oct. 30 – the latest the Cubs have ever played a game at Wrigley Field in franchise history. The Cubs went into Game 5 with one primary thought in mind: Just get back to Cleveland. Maddon managed with a sense of urgency, pulling big-game pitcher Jon Lester after 90 pitches, trusting rookie reliever Carl Edwards Jr. for two batters in the seventh inning and using superstar closer Aroldis Chapman to get the last eight outs. With last year’s Cy Young Award winner (Jake Arrieta) lined up to start Tuesday night on extra rest, this season’s ERA leader (Kyle Hendricks) positioned to start a Game 7 if necessary and Kyle Schwarber ready to change the entire complexion of this lineup as the designated hitter at Progressive Field, the Cubs are set up for either an epic comeback or a massive disappointment. “Again, it doesn’t matter,” Maddon said. “It really doesn’t matter. From Day 1, we’ve been engulfed, surrounded, inundated with these thoughts. And my guys have handled it great. You cannot handle it any better, I don’t think, than our guys have handled it. “I don’t think there’s any Cub fan throughout the universe actually that would not be happy with where we’re at – at this particular moment – based on what’s occurred over the last century and over the last several years.” The last time the Cubs faced an elimination game, Maddon invited Simon the Magician to perform in the Wrigley Field clubhouse. That idea sounded more like a manager running out of ideas with his team down 3-0 in last year’s National League Championship Series. Except for the Chapman move, Maddon didn’t pull anything out of his bag of tricks with the Cubs down 3-1 in the World Series, knowing that the New York Mets and all their power pitchers posed different problems than a Cleveland team built around a No. 1 starter (Corey Kluber) and a deep, versatile bullpen that has covered up so many holes in the roster. Plus, the 2016 team is a year older and a year wiser, with so much more across-the-board talent and a $155 million ace on the mound. The Cubs (obviously) made batting practice optional and instructed their players to be dressed by 5:30 p.m. for a 7:17 first pitch. “No magicians,” Maddon said. “The guys have been fine all year. I don’t want to confuse things out there right now. There were moments last year where I thought it was necessary. Right now, I think they’re able to stand on their own without all the diversions. “Bill Murray was walking around here yesterday before the game though.” The Cubs brought some of this upon themselves, from Maddon’s look-at-us stunts to John Lackey’s “didn’t come here for a haircut” act to Lester reminding everyone at various points in the season that this team hasn’t done anything yet. But if the young Cubs looked like they were trying too hard in Games 3 and 4 – and feeling the enormity of Wrigley Field’s first World Series events in 71 years – then they settled down to win a tense Game 5. “I really anticipate that we’re going to be able to finish this off,” Maddon said. “You still look at the steppingstones, the building blocks to get to this point. You can’t tell me last year wasn’t successful just getting to the (NLCS).

“You can’t tell me this year wasn’t successful getting to the World Series. I just don’t buy that kind of logic. You get to this moment and there are so many micro pockets that can occur. Like right now, we’re having a hard time with their pitching staff in a seven-game series. Over the course of 162, you can absorb those moments and move on and get to the next team and right yourself. “I’m not of that mindset at all that the winner-take-all is the successful one and the one that doesn’t is not.” This might be remembered as the defining momentum swing, the Cubs starting to look like that 103-win team again. The heart of the order pieced together the big inning the Cubs needed in the fourth against Trevor Bauer, scoring three runs with a mixture of Bryzzo power (Kris Bryant homered into the left-center field bleachers before Anthony Rizzo settled for a double when his ball didn’t go over the right-field wall) and small-ball creativity (Ben Zobrist’s line-drive single, Addison Russell’s infield single, Javier Baez’s bunt, David Ross’ sacrifice fly). Now some of that pressure the Cubs felt will shift onto the Indians. Two wins from baseball immortality? The Cubs would have taken that when the mimes and zoo animals showed up in spring training. “Of course, the goal is to win it all,” Maddon said. “But there’s also the building component, the culture component, all the different things that permit you to be excellent on an annual basis that are now in place. All those things matter.” -- CSNChicago.com Cubs Squeak By In World Series Nail-Biter, Live To Fight Another Day By Tony Andracki Wrigley Field has now seen a Cubs World Series victory in the last seven decades. On a momentous weekend, the holiday-esque atmosphere around Wrigley Field had the air taken out of it with a pair of losses to the Cleveland Indians on Friday and Saturday nights. But the Cubs rallied back, keeping the series alive for at least one more game after a 3-2 victory over the Indians in front of 41,711 fans at Wrigley Field Sunday night. "We're enjoying this win and it's nice to give these fans something to cheer for," David Ross said. "It was nice hearing 'Go Cubs go' after the game. "We're excited about this win. Hopefully with this momentum, we can take this into Cleveland in two days and kinda go from there." The formula that led to 111 victories entering this weekend once again showed itself after a two-game absence. The Cubs played stellar defense, rekindled their offensive approach and executed on the mound, getting another strong start from ace Jon Lester. "It was a phenomenal game," Ross said. "Well-played, well-pitched by both sides. That's your typical World Series game: 3-2, comes down to every pitch, every play made." Kris Bryant had been having a rough World Series, but led off the fourth inning with a homer that jumpstarted the Cubs offense. Anthony Rizzo followed with a double and, after a Ben Zobrist single, scored on Addison Russell's infield chopper. Javy Baez laid down a perfect bunt base hit and David Ross - playing in his final home game of his career - worked a professional at-bat to drive home the third run with a sacrifice fly.

That was all the offense the Cubs could muster up, however, as the Indians bullpen once again held them in check. But it was enough. The Indians scored in the second on a Jose Ramirez homer and two-out single from Francisco Lindor in the sixth. But that was all Lester allowed, once again showing his postseason grit in six innings. Carl Edwards Jr. came out for the seventh, but was only able to get one out before Joe Maddon called on closer Aroldis Chapman early. Chapman got out of jams in the seventh and eighth and even had an at bat, striking out in the eighth with Jason Heyward on third base. Chapman - whose season high in pitches was 36 - tossed 42 pitches to keep the Cubs' hopes alive, tossing the longest outing of his career (2.2 innings). The Cubs now send Jake Arrieta to the mound for Game 6 in Cleveland Tuesday night against Josh Tomlin working on short rest. Kyle Schwarber will also return to the lineup as the designated hitter. From an entertainment perspective, if you're a baseball fan or looking to become a baseball fan, it was wonderful tonight, outstanding," Joe Maddon said. "I like to believe we're going to catch or gain some momentum from this game going back over there." -- CSNChicago.com Rockies Could Have Cubs Bench Coach Dave Martinez On Their Radar By Patrick Mooney Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez hasn’t heard anything directly from the Colorado Rockies – and didn’t know about his name being linked to their manager’s job until a reporter mentioned it to him before Sunday night’s World Series Game 5 at Wrigley Field. “The only thing I’m concerned about is today,” Martinez said. “I haven’t heard a word.” That could be Colorado – as a professional courtesy – waiting to see what happens between the Cubs and Cleveland Indians. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports and MLB Network identified Martinez and Cleveland coaches Brad Mills and Sandy Alomar Jr. as among those expected to be on the Rockies’ radar after they forced out Walt Weiss (283-365 record in four seasons). Martinez has been Joe Maddon’s bench coach for nine years, beginning with the Tampa Bay Rays shocking the baseball world and reaching the 2008 World Series. Martinez understands how to develop young talent and apply statistical analysis and possesses the instant credibility that comes from playing 16 seasons in the big leagues. Martinez does the bad-cop routine so Maddon doesn’t have to – and still helps spread the manager’s good-vibes, be-yourself message through dress-up trips and Party Room celebrations. Over the years, he has already interviewed for managerial jobs with the Cubs, Indians, Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals and Toronto Blue Jays. “Davey’s not afraid to have the tough conversation,” Maddon said. “His job is to be the conduit, the liaison, whatever, between this office and the rest of the clubhouse and to really put out the fires before they ever get here.

“So when a guy does the bench-coaching thing properly, I absolutely believe that it helps set him up to become a manager.” After winning 103 games and the franchise’s first National League pennant in 71 years, Maddon expects the entire coaching staff to be invited back for next season, though the manager hasn’t specifically discussed that topic in depth with team president Theo Epstein yet. Martinez never played in a postseason game with the franchise that originally drafted him in 1983 – and now seems positioned to become an October fixture for years to come. “It’s a surreal feeling,” Martinez said. “To see this organization come from (where it was) when I was here in the 80s to what it is now – it’s unbelievable. I have nothing but admiration for this group of guys, the way they go out and play every day. They never quit. They’re relentless. They come out and they play hard every single day. That’s all you can ask.” --