The Chicago Cubs staved off elimination with a 3-2 victory against the Cleveland Indians in Game 5 of the World Series on Sunday, and they enter Game 6 on Tuesday as solid minus-143 road favorites (bet $143 to win $100) at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark with Jake Arrieta on the mound.
Arrieta also pitched in Game 2 at Cleveland, allowing two hits and one run in 5.2 innings of a 5-1 win while walking three and striking out six.
The Cubs still trail the Indians 3-2 in the series but saw closer Aroldis Chapman come through in relief to earn a huge save in Game 5, as he got eight outs to protect the lead for winner Jon Lester.
However, Cleveland remains a big favorite to win the World Series with potentially two games left at home and a rested Andrew Miller in the bullpen.
Chapman threw 42 pitches over 2.2 innings, allowing one hit with no walks and four strikeouts Sunday. His availability for Game 6 is up in the air, while Miller has not made an appearance since throwing two innings during a 7-2 win in Game 4 on Saturday.
The bullpens for each team will likely play a key role in the outcome of the World Series, although the Game 6 starters also figure to be a deciding factor. Arrieta has made all three of his postseason starts on the road, with the first two resulting in losses to the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants.
The Indians will send Josh Tomlin to the mound off a brilliant outing in Game 3, when he allowed only two hits in 4.2 innings of a 1-0 victory with one walk and one strikeout. They have won all three of Tomlin’s starts in the playoffs despite the fact that he has yet to go a full six innings in any of them.
Tomlin was 5-5 with a 4.50 ERA in 15 appearances at Progressive Field during the regular season as opposing batters hit .283 against him.
Chicago’s Kyle Schwarber will return to DH in Cleveland after pinch hitting just once at Wrigley Field in Game 3. Schwarber went 3-for-7 in Games 1 and 2 with a double and two RBI.
The total has gone under in four of the first five games, according to the Odds Shark MLB database, with the Cubs closing as favorites in each of the last four.
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