Chicago Cubs looking to grab series lead behind Hendricks

Game 3 of the 2016 World Series now takes place at Wrigley Field, where the Chicago Cubs will look to take a 2-1 series lead over the Cleveland Indians.

Ticket prices have been outrageous and the streets around Wrigley Field have been crowded with fans. After all, if it’s going to be 71 years in between World Series appearances, you better make the most of the moment. Though I have a feeling the Chicago Cubs are going to be hanging around the postseason for years to come.

Game 2 saw the Cubs even things up in Cleveland behind a spectacular performance from Jake Arrieta. Things had been shaky for Arrieta beforehand, but when the Cubs needed him most, he stepped up in a big way. The bats also woke up. Anthony Rizzo doubled into the right field corner to score Kris Bryant all the way from first base. After this point, it never really seemed like the Indians were in the game.

Scoring early has been a huge part of the Cubs’ success all season. They’ll look to keep that going tonight.

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Pitching matchups

Going for the Cubs tonight will be the 2016 MLB ERA leader, Kyle Hendricks. Hendricks threw an absolute gem in his last start against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The young righty showed incredible poise on the mound. His command was as good as it has been all year long. If Hendricks can continue to hit his spots and keep the ball down in the zone, he should be able to find the same success he had in his last start.

Going for the Tribe will be the 32-year-old Josh Tomlin. A right-hander, Tomlin has actually had more success against left-handed hitters. As far as velocity is concerned, Tomlin’s fastball isn’t that much different from Hendricks’. He does have an effective changeup as well as a curveball.

The Cubs tend to struggle more with off-speed pitches, so it will be important for them to capitalize when they do see fastballs.

Lineups

As usual, Willson Contreras will be catching for Hendricks. He’s been carrying a hot bat all postseason. Kyle Schwarber was not medically cleared to play in the outfield, so he will not be starting, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pinch-hit later in the game. Because of Tomlin’s lesser success against right-handed batters, Jorge Soler will start in right field.

For the Indians, Carlos Santana will start in left field, a spot he is not too familiar with. Indians manager Terry Francona said he would take the heat if things don’t go so well out there. Other than that, you can pretty much expect more of the same from the Indians’ lineup.

Next: A look at the Indians' Josh Tomlin

Game time, TV and full lineups

The game will once again be on FOX, with the first pitch expected at 7:08 PM CT. Cubs legend Billy Williams will be throwing out the first pitch and noted Ghostbuster Bill Murray will be singing the seventh-inning stretch.

As always, you can stay updated with what’s going on by following Cubbies Crib on Twitter at @CubbiesCrib.

Here are the full lineups for both teams: