If baseball momentum is the next days starting pitcher, the Cleveland Indians still very much like their chances of sending the Chicago Cubs home for the winter without a World Series trophy for the 109th consecutive season.Corey Kluber, who is 2-0 in the World Series against the Cubs and won Games 1 and 4, takes the mound for the Indians on Wednesday night in a Fall Classic finale long on historic heft.Kluber pitched six innings in both starts and allowed zero runs, but a second consecutive outing on short rest -- three days instead of the customary four -- adds a physical and mental variable to the pressure-packed spotlight moment.Its been a blast, said Kluber, the low-key ace of the Indians. I think that weve all really enjoyed ourselves. I think we can take a lot from the way we approached it and not treating it more than just each game is another game and trying to go out and win that day. Not trying to look too far ahead or things like that. I think theres value to taking that approach throughout the course of a season, too.Manager Terry Francona might gladly shred his Game 6 scorecard, with two home runs propelling the Cubs to a 7-0 lead in the fourth inning en route to a 9-3 win. The Indians are chasing their own ghosts after squandering a 3-1 series lead. Cleveland last won the World Series in 1948.Kluber is looking to match the feat of Mickey Lolich, who won Game 7 after starting the first and fourth games for the Detroit Tigers in 1968. Kluber is 4-1 with a 1.89 ERA this postseason, and he gave the Indians -- and American League -- home-field advantage by winning the All-Star Game in San Diego.Good players, good pitchers, can do special things, and hes in that category, Francona said.Awakened from a 22-inning slumber, the Cubs are racking up runs much the way they did as the National Leagues best offense in the regular season, when manager Joe Maddon led the team to the Central Division title by 19 games.With designated hitter Kyle Schwarber back in a shuffled lineup, the Cubs are expected to field a similar lineup to the one that Kluber dominated at Progressive Field in Game 1. Kluber and the Indians lights-out bullpen teamed to strike out 15 in the World Series opener.Ten consecutive World Series that began 3-1 were lost by the team facing that deficit.For the Cubs to be the first team since the 1985?Kansas City Royals?to escape such a hole, Maddon cited early offense and the bullpen as the best way to make history.Another flat-line righty, Kyle Hendricks, starts for the Cubs in Game 7. At windy Wrigley Field on Saturday, he lacked command of his high-movement arsenal but kept Chicago in the game. Hendricks led the NL in ERA (2.05) and keeps the ball down to prevent big rallies.This is the ultimate dream, Hendricks said. You dream of getting to the World Series, winning the World Series. When youre out in your backyard as a kid, playing Little League at the field with your friends, this is the moment you dream about, Game 7, 3-2, two outs, something like that, bottom of the ninth. But its always Game 7 of the World Series.Maddon wants to ride his starter in the deciding game but explained to his entire pitching staff that all hands will be on deck. Jon Lester and John Lackey are definitely available in relief, Maddon said, if Hendricks finds trouble. After using closer Aroldis Chapman for eight outs in Game 5, and going to him in the seventh inning again in Game 6, Maddon might need to be creative to finish the seventh game.However, with Hendricks on the hill, the Cubs will be fairly certain early in the game whether their starter has his A-game.If you see the hitter blink or take a pitch that is obviously a strike, and he does not mention anything to the umpire and he knows its a strike, that tells you how much his ball is moving and how fine it is, Maddon said. When Im watching from the side and I see that, I know hes going to have a good night.The middle of the Cubs batting order was reconfigured in Game 6 with Schwarber, who tagged Kluber for a double in Game 1, batting ahead of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Ben Zobrist. Bryant homered Tuesday for the second game in a row but is hitless in eight at-bats with three strikeouts against Kluber.Clevelands offense gets a second look at Hendricks on Wednesday, and two players -- third baseman Jose Ramirez and shortstop Francisco Lindor -- have two hits in two at-bats against him. The Indians had six hits, two walks and one batter hit by a pitch facing Hendricks last week.Im just going to embrace the opportunity like I have the rest of this postseason, honestly, Hendricks said. Approach it like any other game, simple thoughts, the same old thing.ST. LOUIS -- Even when youre tired, you know when youve hit it well.Matt Adams 444-foot game-winning homer in the bottom of the 16th inning early Saturday morning against the Los Angeles Dodgers that gave the St. Louis Cardinals their fifth straight win, tying a season high, fits neatly into that category.That might be my best bolt, Adams said.Adams and the Cardinals try to summon more electricity for Saturday nights rematch with Los Angeles, with both teams desperately in need of long starts after emptying their bullpens this week.St. Louis (52-44) employed seven pitchers in its longest game of the year, two days after sweeping a day-night doubleheader that took a bite from its bullpen. But its positively fresh compared to the Dodgers (54-44), who used eight pitchers Thursday in a 6-3 win at Washington and nine more on Friday night/Saturday morning.The ninth was Bud Norris, who started Wednesday night at Washington and absorbed an 8-1 defeat before tossing 23 pitches just over 48 hours later. His last offering was the one Adams clobbered over the Cardinals bullpen into the seats in right-center field to conclude the 5-hour, 10-minute marathon.We were stretched as thin as we could go, Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said. You cant say enough about what Bud did. Two days off and taking the ball and trying to give us a boost was huge. The guys fought all game.Kenta Maeda (8-7, 3.25) takes the ball for the Dodgers, who will need innings of some sort from him, even if he is as ineffective as he was iin Sundays 6-5 loss at Arizona.ddddddddddddMaeda gave up seven hits and five runs over 4 1/3 innings in one of his few clunkers this year.Maeda, who hasnt faced the Cardinals yet, will be opposed by Mike Leake (7-7, 4.00). Known more as a sinker/slider specialist, Leake has become a strikeout pitcher lately, punching out a season-high 11 Monday night in a 10-2 win over San Diego.In that game, Leake became just the 10th pitcher in major league history to fan at least 10 batters in consecutive starts while pitching at least six innings and giving up one run or less with no walks.With St. Louis bullpen logging 10 innings Friday night and the identity of Sunday nights starter still undetermined thanks to a makeup doubleheader Wednesday, Leake, like Maeda, will have to provide a lot of innings regardless of effectiveness.By winning the series opener, the Cardinals pulled even with Miami for the National Leagues second wild card and drew within a game of Los Angeles for the first wild card spot.I feel like were playing good baseball, St. Louis starter Michael Wacha, who worked six innings on Friday night, said. Guys are having a lot of fun.The Dodgers, who remained four games in back of San Francisco in the NL West, could get right fielder Yasiel Puig (right hamstring) back into the starting lineup, although Roberts hinted Sunday night is a more likely spot for Puigs return. Wholeslae Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NBA Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Cheap College Jerseys Cheap Football Jerseys Cheap Basketball Jerseys Cheap Baseball Jerseys ' ' '