CHICAGO _ On Saturday afternoon, a few hours before the Cleveland Indians completed a 7-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs in Game 4 of the World Series, Chicago Manager Joe Maddon opined about the youth of his 103-win club, a unit suddenly flailing its way toward next year.
About 30 minutes later, Cleveland Manager Terry Francona grumbled about the agony of Game 3, even though his team won, capturing a lead in the series that would be extended to 3-1 by the end of Saturday night's game.
"That wasn't how we drew it up, believe me," Francona said of the Indians' 1-0 victory on Friday. "It's just as you go, have your guys ready for each situation. And then you react to it and do the best you can."
Because of Francona's maneuvering and the pristine execution of his players, a 108-year championship drought for the Cubs may extend another year. In October, urgency trumps orthodoxy. Outs are precious. The game does not follow a conventional script. The postseason favors those able to recognize the points of inflection, those willing to bend to each day's rhythms.
Francona hears the song. He knows it well. He owns two World Series rings, acquired in 2004 and 2007 as manager of the Boston Red Sox. After a month of deftness, he is one victory away from a third fitting. His players are willing to sacrifice. His starters work on short rest. His best reliever, Andrew Miller, sometimes arrives in the fifth inning.
Maddon was part of a title-winning effort as Mike Scioscia's bench coach with the Angels in 2002. On three occasions, he has been declared the manager of the year. He may win for a fourth time next month. But his insistence on calm, his conflation of adaptability with panic, may no longer apply. Not since 1985 has a team rebounded from a 3-1 deficit and won the World Series.
To push the Cubs to the brink, Corey Kluber stymied his hosts with six nearly pristine innings for the second time in five days, this time allowing one run and five hits. The Indians pestered Cubs starter John Lackey for three runs in five innings. Jason Kipnis boomed a three-run homer in the seventh.
Kluber was pitching for the fifth time in 22 days, a reasonable volume for this time of the season. His lone clunker in this October had been a five-inning defeat against Toronto in the AL Championship Series, when the Indians asked him to pitch on short rest. Kluber recovered from that to win Game 1 against the Cubs on Tuesday, when he struck out six of the first eight batters he faced.
Then he came back on short rest Saturday and was almost as effective.
It didn't start well for him. He faced center fielder Dexter Fowler first. Fowler saw six pitches before blooping a double into left field. Two batters later, first baseman Anthony Rizzo pounced on an elevated cutter for an RBI single.
From the start, it was clear Kluber lacked the substantial movement on his fastball that befuddled the Cubs in Game 1. He would not be able to cruise. The path ahead looked rocky, unless Kluber could utilize his offspeed pitches.
No Cubs official approached Game 1 starter Jon Lester about appearing on short rest. Lester considered the concept ridiculous. The honor belonged to Lackey, a 38-year-old with two World Series rings and a 3.26 earned-run average in 25 postseason appearances. He won the Game 7 clincher for the Angels in '02.
"I would never in a million years ask to take John Lackey's spot in a postseason start," Lester said before the game. "That's what this guy's made for."
Cleveland landed a jab in the second inning. Lackey tried to finish an at-bat by first baseman Carlos Santana by using a 92-mph fastball. The pitch tailed over the middle of the plate instead of burrowing inside. Santana blasted it into the right-field bleachers to tie the score.
The defense behind Lackey could not hold the deadlock. Kris Bryant will likely win the National League most-valuable-player award next month, but he did not shower himself with glory in the field during the second. He flung a ball over the head of Rizzo, an error that put outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall at first.
A ground ball advanced Chisenhall to second. The Cubs walked rookie outfielder Tyler Naquin to bring Kluber to the plate. Kluber hung with Lackey for eight pitches before chopping a swinging bunt up the third-base line. Kluber beat Bryant's throw to first, which got away from Rizzo. That error, also charged to Bryant, let Chisenhall sneak home.
Lackey continued his stumble in the third, pestered by the double-play combo of Kipnis and shortstop Francisco Lindor. Kipnis smoked a leadoff double. Lindor splashed an RBI single. Lackey avoided further damage in the frame, but he ended the inning trailing by two runs with 67 pitches on his ledger. He was due to lead off in the bottom of the inning.
Maddon elected to stick with Lackey, rather than use a hitter to attack Kluber. Lackey struck out. Fowler grounded out. Kluber wavered for a few moments, walking Bryant and plunking Rizzo. He recovered to strike out left fielder Ben Zobrist for the third out.
Kluber kept dancing through danger. The fifth inning presented an opportunity for the Cubs. They could send up a pinch-hitter to lead off before forcing Kluber to face the top of the batting order for the third time. Rather than use 23-year-old masher Kyle Schwarber to lead off, Maddon chose backup outfielder Chris Coghlan, who flied out. Kluber retired the side in six pitches.
Cleveland added a run on the sacrifice fly in the sixth. Now ahead 4-1, Francona stuck with Kluber in the bottom of the inning after a leadoff double by Rizzo. Kluber rewarded him by finishing off the next three hitters.
The blast by Kipnis created breathing room. Francona still went for Chicago's throat. He sent Miller to procure six outs. Miller gave up a solo homer to Fowler, but otherwise emerged without incident. Urgency trumps orthodoxy.
As a melancholy footnote, the game ended with Schwarber in the on-deck circle. Perhaps on Sunday, with his season on the line, Maddon can find a place to utilize his finest bat off the bench.
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