Cubs view Game 1 as learning experience

CLEVELAND — There’s no question that as Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant go offensively, so go the Cubs.

Indians right-hander Corey Kluber shut the pair down Tuesday night during the Cubs’ 6-0 loss in Game 1 of the World Series — much as Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw did in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series.

• Game 2: Tonight, 7 p.m. ET game time on FOX (6 p.m. ET pregame show on FS1)

They combined to go 0-for-7 in each game against former Cy Young Award winners. In eight plate appearances Tuesday night, neither of them hit the ball particularly hard. Bryant whiffed twice and walked. Rizzo popped up four times. Of those four popups, the three against Kluber were above 64 degrees according to Statcast™, which Rizzo had done just eight previous times in 2016.

Game Date Time (air time/game time) Matchup TV Gm 1 Oct. 25   CLE 6, CHC 0 Gm 2 Oct. 26 7 p.m. (6 p.m. pregame show on FS1) CHC @ CLE FOX Gm 3 Oct. 28 7:30 p.m./8 p.m. CLE @ CHC FOX Gm 4 Oct. 29 7:30 p.m./8 p.m. CLE @ CHC FOX *Gm 5 Oct. 30 8 p.m. CLE @ CHC FOX *Gm 6 Nov. 1 7:30 p.m./8 p.m. CHC @ CLE FOX *Gm 7 Nov. 2 7:30 p.m./8 p.m. CHC @ CLE FOX * If necessary | All times listed ET • World Series coverageShop for postseason gear: Cubs | Indians

That was as much about what the pitcher did well as what the hitters did poorly.

• Shop for Cubs World Series and NL champs gear

“I thought [Kluber] had tremendous movement on the ball,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “When …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com