CLEVELAND — Corey Kluber set a franchise record for strikeouts in a World Series game, Andrew Miller walked through the fire in two scoreless innings and Roberto Perez homered twice in a 6-0 Indians victory over the Cubs in Game 1 at Progressive Field.
Kluber struck out nine across six innings and departed after giving up a single in the seventh. Miller replaced him and placed himself in a bases-loaded jam before eventually escaping.
Cleveland repeated the formula the team perfected during the first two rounds of these playoffs. The offense scraped together enough production to secure an early lead against Cubs starter Jon Lester. The pitching staff held the line, unbending in the face of the sluggers from Boston, then Toronto and now Chicago.
The Indians staged a two-out rally in the first inning. The catalyst was shortstop Francisco Lindor, who poked a single up the middle, then elected to challenge Lester’s comfort holding runners. Lester is infamous for his inability to make pickoff throws. Lindor took a sizable lead and stole second base.
After Lindor took off, Lester struggled to find his command. He walked former Red Sox teammate Mike Napoli and Cleveland designated hitter Carlos Santana. Lindor scored when third baseman Jose Ramirez chopped an infield single in front of third baseman Kris Bryant.
Lester, 32, is one of the finest playoff performers in recent memory. He carried a 2.50 postseason earned-run average into the game. But his command was shaky at the start, and with the bases loaded, he plunked outfielder Brandon Guyer on the leg to force in a second run.
Cleveland discovered a more efficient way to score in the fourth. Lester challenged catcher Roberto Perez, the No. 9 hitter, with a fastball at the waist. Perez clanged the baseball off the fence above the elevated wall in left field for a solo home run.
Kluber suppressed the Cubs into the seventh. His 88th pitch was a slider to outfielder Ben Zobrist, who smacked a leadoff double. The hit brought Cleveland Manager Terry Francona out of his dugout. He summoned Miller, the 6-foot-7 left-hander, the owner of a malevolent slider and the MVP trophy from the American League Championship Series.
Miller eased into his latest round of dominance. He walked Kyle Schwarber, who was playing in his first game of the season after tearing his ACL in April. Then he gave up a single to second baseman Javier Baez. The bases were loaded with none out. No one would score.
Miller induced a soft flyout from rookie Willson Contreras. He struck out shortstop Addison Russell with three sliders. When veteran catcher David Ross could not check his swing on a 3-2 slider, Miller had escaped.
Miller created another puzzle for himself in the eighth. He walked third baseman Kris Bryant and gave up a two-out single to Zobrist. Up came Schwarber, who flailed at a pair of sliders as he struck out.
The Cubs capitulated in the eighth. After a two-out walk by Guyer and a single by Lonnie Chisenhall, reliever Hector Rondon faced Perez. Rondon hung a slider. Perez lifted a three-run blast over the fence in left to ensure the victory.
