Cubs Tie Series, Get Ready to Face the Curse

Jake Arrieta made a teasing try at history, Kyle Schwarber drove in two runs, and the Chicago Cubs brushed off a shutout to even the World Series with their first Fall Classic win in 71 years, 5-1 over the Cleveland Indians in Game 2 on Wednesday night. Arrieta carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, the first pitcher to get that deep in a Series game with a no-hitter since David Cone of the New York Yankees in 1998, before the Indians touched him for two hits and a run. However, the right-hander helped give Chicago just what it needed—a split at Progressive Field—before the Cubs return to their Wrigley Field den for the next three games starting Friday night, the AP reports.

The Cubs hadn't won in the Series since beating Detroit 8-7 in 1945 to force Game 7. Even the presence of star LeBron James and the NBA champion Cavaliers, sporting their new rings, couldn't stop the Indians from losing for the first time in six home games this postseason. And Cleveland manager Terry Francona's magical touch in October finally fizzled as he dropped to 9-1 in Series games. The matchup will resume with Game 3 at Wrigley, which will host its first Series game since Oct. 6, 1945, when tavern owner Billy Sianis was asked to leave with his pet goat, Murphy, and a curse was born. Josh Tomlin will start for the Indians against Kyle Hendricks. (More World Series stories.)