Levine: All Hands On Deck For Cubs In Game 6
By Bruce Levine--
CLEVELAND (CBS) -- There will be no saving his men for tomorrow regarding the way Cubs manager Joe Maddon looks at Game 6 of the World Series on Tuesday night. Maddon went to extreme just to force a Game 6, using closer Aroldis Chapman for 2 2/3 innings in Chicago's 3-2 win against the Cleveland Indians on Sunday night in Game 5.
Expect the same out-of-the-box look approach by Maddon and always-aggressive Indians manager Terry Francona as well. The Indians lead the series 3-2.
Chapman is available, though to what extent remains unknown.
"I will talk to Aroldis today," Maddon said Monday evening. "My guess is he will tell me he is ready for anything I need him for. He is an exceptionally strong guy, and he has had a day. We will be ready with all of our people."
Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta will oppose Indians right-hander Josh Tomlin, but neither manager will be afraid to go to the bullpen early. That said, Maddon hopes for a long outing from Arrieta, who took a no-hitter into the sixth inning of a Game 2 win.
"With us, I am hoping to get six or seven out of Jake," Maddon said. "The Indians like to get to their bullpen early. They have some extraordinary arms who have pitched well in this series."
Arrieta allowed one run on two hits in 5 2/3 innings in Game 2. Since the start of spring training, the Cubs have been planning for Tuesday night, scaling back on Arrieta's workload so he'd be fresh in the season's biggest moment.
"We been very aware all year about our guys' workload," Maddon said. "We attempted to do that with our guys from game one on. I had a conversation with Jake in spring training in Mesa the first time I saw him. We talked about this right away. So we've been on the same page, taking him out of the games a little bit sooner. The good part is he knows what he feels like now, compared to last season at this time."
A key to this game will be the addition of the designated hitter for both teams. Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber will be back in the starting lineup after pinch-hitting just once across the three games at Wrigley Field, as he wasn't cleared to play defense early in his return from a serious knee injury. Schwarber had two hits and two RBIs in Game 2.
As for the Indians, they can get back to playing both Carlos Santana and Mike Napoli without having heightened defensive concerns.
Cubs players are as confident as ever as another elimination game looms. The odds are certainly against them. No team has rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win the World Series since the 1985 Kansas City Royals.
"Why not us?" Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant said after Game 5. "We went out there in Game 5 and took care of business. Hopefully we can win Game 6. You never know what can happen in a Game 7. We are writing our own history. Someone told me 17 times this year we lost a game and went on to win three in a row. Why can't we do that now?"
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
