The Cubs extended the World Series beyond Halloween thanks to Chapman's trick -- scary heat and a career-best eight-out save -- Bryant's home run, which ignited a three-run fourth, and Lester's veteran moxy in a 3-2 victory over the Indians in Game 5. Cleveland's lead in the best-of-seven Series was trimmed to three games to two, and Game 6 will be Tuesday night at Progressive Field, which will get live baseball after hosting watch parties all weekend.

CHICAGO -- For two days, generations of Cubs fans have held their breath. If they couldn't see the team win its first championship since 1908 in Chicago, could the Cubs win at least one World Series game at Wrigley Field? Kris Bryant, Jon Lester and Aroldis Chapman obliged, and gave them reason to party on Sunday night.

CHICAGO -- For two days, generations of Cubs fans have held their breath. If they couldn't see the team win its first championship since 1908 in Chicago, could the Cubs win at least one World Series game at Wrigley Field? Kris Bryant, Jon Lester and Aroldis Chapman obliged, and gave them reason to party on Sunday night.

The Cubs extended the World Series beyond Halloween thanks to Chapman's trick -- scary heat and a career-best eight-out save -- Bryant's home run, which ignited a three-run fourth, and Lester's veteran moxy in a 3-2 victory over the Indians in Game 5. Cleveland's lead in the best-of-seven Series was trimmed to three games to two, and Game 6 will be Tuesday night at Progressive Field, which will get live baseball after hosting watch parties all weekend.

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• World Series Game 6: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. ET air time | 8 ET game time on FOX

Teams have rallied from a 3-1 deficit before, most recently the 1985 Royals. The Cubs can look to the '79 Pirates, the '68 Tigers, the '58 Yankees and the '25 Pirates for inspiration, too.

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"I feel like we play our best with our backs up against the wall," Bryant said after the Cubs' first win in a World Series game at Wrigley Field since 1945. "We went out there today, took care of business. Hopefully we can get out there and win Game 6, because you never know what can happen in a Game 7."

• Shop for World Series gear: Cubs | Indians

Wrigleyville has been buzzing as the Cubs hosted their first World Series in 71 years. The Cubs got pumped up pregame as Anthony Rizzo ran around the clubhouse playing the theme from the movie "Rocky" and used it as his walk-up music for his first at-bat. Hey, whatever works.

"I wanted to get the crowd pumped and let them know we plan on going the distance," Rizzo said. "Hopefully, we're the last ones standing."

Chicago has had no problems catching the ball, including a Spider-Man-esque wall-climbing grab by Jason Heyward to snare Trevor Bauer's foul popup down the right-field line. The Cubs have just had a tough time connecting against the Indians' pitchers, who came into the game with a 1.50 ERA in the previous four games. Bauer, who also lost Game 2 at Progressive Field, struck out seven, including five of the first 10 batters he faced, but the Cubs broke through for a three-spot in the fourth that saddled Bauer with the loss.

With the exception of a 3-0 pitch that Ben Zobrist hit for a single two batters after Bryant's homer, "I located every single pitch that they hit exactly where I wanted them," Bauer said. "Sometimes, it doesn't work out for you. I got three of them to chase balls that were way out of the zone. Usually, those go in your favor. Clearly, not tonight."

• Brief hiccup derails Bauer's otherwise solid start

Video: WS2016 Gm5: Bryant homers to start three-run rally

Jose Ramirez gave the Tribe a 1-0 lead in the second, which must have seemed like 100-0. Cleveland entered the game 8-0 in the postseason when scoring first, but Lester settled in and gave the Cubs' bats a chance to do their thing.

• Another strong October outing for Cubs' Lester

Video: Lester, Chapman lead Cubs to win in Game 5

Bryant tied the game with a leadoff blast in the fourth, the seventh homer allowed by Cleveland in 13 postseason games. The Cubs then rattled off four hits in five at-bats, including an RBI infield single by Addison Russell that scored Rizzo and opened a 2-1 lead. David Ross, playing his last game at Wrigley Field before retiring after the season, added a sacrifice fly.

• Bryant's jack could be Cubs' latest jolt

Francisco Lindor's RBI single in the sixth pulled the Indians within 3-2, and then the managerial wheels started turning, as both Joe Maddon and Terry Francona went to their closers early. Maddon called on Chapman with one out and one on in the seventh, and the hard-throwing lefty escaped that jam, worked around a runner reaching third in the eighth and closed the victory with a perfect ninth.

After Bryan Shaw retired the first batter in the bottom of the seventh inning, Francona inserted Cody Allen into the game. The Indians' closer worked a scoreless 1 2/3 innings to keep the Cubs from padding their lead, but the Tribe couldn't rally against Chapman.

• Tribe gets top-notch relief without using Miller

Video: WS2016 Gm5: Allen retires Zobrist, leaves two on

"We're trying to do anything to get on base and get something going," Indians first baseman Mike Napoli said. "He was going to be in there to the end -- that's what it looked like. We had an opportunity."

Maddon gave Chapman a heads-up that he might call on him early.

"I told him, 'I'm ready, I'm ready to go,'" Chapman said. "Whatever he needs me to do or how long he needs me to pitch for, I'm ready for it."

Throw Cub, throw: Chapman gets 8 outs

Video: WS2016 Gm5: Chapman fans four in eight-out save

The loss was a rarity for Francona, who is now 11-2 in World Series games, but the Indians will resume the pursuit of their first championship since 1948 on Tuesday at Progressive Field.

"Sometimes you've got to respect what the other team can do, too," Francona said. "Sometimes they beat you. I didn't think we beat ourselves. I thought they beat us."

• Tribe learns how it feels to be Miller'd

Video: WS2016 Gm5: Francona reflects on Game 5 loss to Cubs

Lindor echoed his manager's reaction.

"They played better than us today," said the Tribe's shortstop. "I still believe that we can do it. We've got to play the game hard. We've got to outplay them. We've got to play better than them in order for us to win. Hopefully, we do that on Tuesday."

• Bryant's homer followed by small ball in victory

Video: WS2016 Gm5: Bryant, Russell on potential comeback

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Calling on Chapman: Maddon turned to Chapman earlier than he has all postseason, handing the ball to the fireballer with one out and a runner on second in the seventh. After striking out Ramirez, Chapman hit Brandon Guyer with a 100-mph heater to put two runners aboard. With fans on their feet, nervously watching as Chicago's one-run lead was in jeopardy, Chapman induced an inning-ending groundout off the bat of Indians catcher Roberto Perez. Chapman headed into the outing having stranded only three of seven inherited baserunners this postseason. He stranded one this time. Chapman then worked a scoreless eighth, in which Rajai Davis singled, stole two bases and was left standing at third, and a perfect ninth. The 2 2/3 innings were a career high.

"It's World Series time," Ross said. "Everybody has to do the best they can. This guy is one of the best closers in the game for a reason. Their guys had been pitching multiple innings, and it was nice to see Chappy kind of match them."

• What a relief!

Video: WS2016 Gm5: Maddon on Chapman's extended outing

Finally: Five of the Cubs' first 10 batters struck out against Bauer, who took a 1-0 lead into the fourth. Bryant opened the inning with his second postseason home run, launching a 1-1 pitch into the left-field bleachers. Rizzo then doubled, moved up on Zobrist's single and scored on Russell's infield hit. One out later, Javier Baez reached on a bunt single to load the bases, and Ross followed with a sacrifice fly to left to give Chicago a 3-1 lead.

"I was just trying to put the ball in play," Ross said. "I choked up and took a two-strike approach and stayed up the middle as best I could to try to get that run in. The nerves were high. The heart rate was up. I was just trying to slow the moment down, and he gave me a ball that came back over the middle, and I was able to get it up in the air."

• Bryant's home run ignites Cubs' rally

Video: WS2016 Gm5: Bryant laces 104.5-mph homer in 4th

Tribe tests Lester: Two of Cleveland's top runners, Davis and Lindor, reached in the sixth and tried to toy with Lester, given his well-known issues with throwing to bases. After Davis singled, he stole second and then danced far off the bag during the next two at-bats. At one point, Davis had a secondary lead of 27 feet, per Statcast™. Lindor brought Davis home with an RBI single and then tried to steal his way into scoring position. After a secondary lead of 25 feet, Lindor sprinted for second, but he was thrown out with a quick catch-and-fire from Ross and a great tag by Baez. That ended the inning and preserved Chicago's 3-2 lead.

Video: WS2016 Gm5: Ross cuts down Lindor in big spot

"He's pretty legit, man," said Lindor, when asked about Baez's tag. "Watching him do it all the times on the screen during the game, it's pretty cool watching him, how quick he can get that to the player. He got me. It's the second time he got to me."

Video: WS2016 Gm5: Lindor laces an RBI single to center

Glovework: Ross and first baseman Rizzo combined on a unique catch in the second. With one out, Carlos Santana popped up toward Cleveland's dugout. Ross chased the ball to the dugout railing and made a play on the ball while reaching over a TV camera. He missed the catch, but he was able to tip the ball up as he grabbed the railing to avoid falling into the dugout. Rizzo juggled the carom and caught it for a 2-3 putout.

"I told Rizz it was like a tip drill in football," Ross said. "I set him up so he could be the hero."

• Ross, Rizzo team up for jaw-dropping catch

Video: Must C Catch: Rizzo assists Ross on the ricochet

Heyward's struggling bat had him out of the starting lineup the first three games of the Series, but his stellar defense has never wavered, and it was that asset that had him back in the fold in Games 4 and 5. He put that defense on display in the third, when Bauer popped up toward the seats in right-field foul territory. Heyward raced over, climbed the wall and reached back toward the field as the wind brought the ball back, making the catch as he held himself up by the front-row railing. Bauer applauded the Cubs' right fielder as he headed back to the dugout.

"It was a good catch. It was a good play," Bauer said. "I can respect people who play the game hard and go out there and make good plays."

• Heyward made an amazing Spider-Man catch

Video: Must C Catch: Heyward climbs wall, makes great grab

QUOTABLE

"I liked our at-bats tonight; guys continued to grind. I think the swing in momentum helps us out a little bit. I've never been so happy to go to Cleveland in my life. It's going to be a rocking atmosphere over there." -- Ross

• Ross says farewell to Wrigley in style

Video: Ross on win, staying alive in World Series

"I wanted to win tonight. We'll evaluate when we get back to Cleveland, and we'll be ready to go. We've got to win one more game." -- Bauer, on heading home

• Interviews: Maddon | Bryant, Russell | Chapman | Francona

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

This is the 65th time the World Series has stood at 3-2. Of the previous 64 times, the team with the 3-2 lead has won Game 6 on 25 occasions (39.1 percent), and that has been the case in seven of the past 12 instances.

• DYK: Lester's prowess at Wrigley lifts Cubs

WHAT'S NEXT

Indians: Josh Tomlin was on the mound for Cleveland's clinching win in the American League Division Series, and the right-hander will get a chance to close out the World Series in Game 6 on Tuesday night at Progressive Field. In Game 3 of the Fall Classic, Tomlin silenced the Cubs over 4 2/3 innings, lowering his ERA to 1.76 in the postseason.

• Tomlin can deliver Tribe clinch at home in G6

Cubs: Jake Arrieta, who won Game 2, will make his fourth postseason start and second at Progressive Field on Tuesday night. Arrieta limited the Indians to one run on two hits over 5 2/3 innings, striking out six on Wednesday. He was 11-3 with a 3.59 ERA in 15 starts on the road this season.

• Arrieta's turn to help keep Cubs' Series dream alive</s>Cleveland Indians fan Kelli Donnelly reacts during a Game 5 watch party of the Major League Baseball World Series against the Chicago Cubs at Progressive Field, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Chicago Cubs' Kris Bryant, left, celebrates with Jake Arrieta after Game 5 of the Major League Baseball World Series against the Cleveland Indians, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Chicago. The Cubs won 3-2 as the Indians lead the series 3-2. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Fans celebrate after Game 5 of the Major League Baseball World Series between the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Cubs Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Chicago. The Cubs won 3-2 as the Indians lead the series 3-2. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

The Chicago Cubs Chicago celebrate after Game 5 of the Major League Baseball World Series against the Cleveland Indians Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Chicago. The Cubs won 3-2 as the Indians lead the series 3-2. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Chicago Cubs' Willson Contreras, left, Aroldis Chapman and Anthony Rizzo celebrate after Game 5 of the Major League Baseball World Series against the Cleveland Indians, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Chicago. The Cubs won 3-2 as the Indians lead the series 3-2. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Singer Eddie Vedder sings "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during Game Five of the 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians at Wrigley Field on October 30, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Singer Eddie Vedder sings "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during Game Five of the 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians at Wrigley Field on October 30, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Indians strikes out to end the game against the Chicago Cubs in Game Five of the 2016 World Series at Wrigley Field on October 30, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Javier Baez, left, and Ben Zobrist of the Chicago Cubs celebrate after beating the Cleveland Indians 3-2 in Game Five of the 2016 World Series at Wrigley Field on October 30, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman and catcher Willson Contreras celebrate after Game 5 of the Major League Baseball World Series against the Cleveland Indians, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Chicago. The Cubs won 3-2 as the Indians lead the series 3-2. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Anthony Rizzo of the Chicago Cubs slides into second base for a double in the fourth inning against the Cleveland Indians in Game 5 of the 2016 World Series at Wrigley Field on Oct. 30, 2016 in Chicago. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Chicago Cubs' Addison Russell hits a RBI single against the Cleveland Indians during the fourth inning of Game 5 of the Major League Baseball World Series on Oct. 30, 2016 in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Cleveland Indians' Jose Ramirez celebrates his home run during the second inning of Game 5 of the Major League Baseball World Series against the Chicago Cubs on Oct. 30, 2016, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

A Chicago Cubs fan watches during the first inning of Game 5 of the Major League Baseball World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians on Oct. 30, 2016, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

A fan holds up a sign before Game 5 of the Major League Baseball World Series between the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Cubs on Oct. 30, 2016, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs play in Game 5 of the 2016 World Series at Wrigley Field on Oct. 30, 2016 in Chicago. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

CHICAGO — Pushed to the brink of elimination in their first World Series appearance in 71 years, the Chicago Cubs aren’t going down without a fight.

Dropping the first two games at Wrigley Field meant it was do-or-die time in the third and final game of the series in Chicago, and the Cubs needed a handful of season-saving performances to send the Fall Classic back to Ohio and thwart the Cleveland Indians’ attempt to finish them off.

From three players in particular, that’s exactly what they got Sunday night, but it was far from easy and Cubs fans, 41,711 of the them, had to deal with another cliffhanger.

In the end, the Cubs earned their first World Series win at Wrigley Field since Oct. 8, 1945, and it was Jon Lester, Kris Bryant and Aroldis Chapman leading them to a season-extending 3-2 victory.

Lester provided the steadiness, limiting the Indians to two runs over six innings.

The Cubs did all their scoring during a three-run fourth inning, and it was Bryant providing the pop, breaking the ice with a solo home run to become the second-youngest player in franchise history to homer in a World Series game.

Finally, Chapman provided the (sigh of) relief, doing his best Andrew Miller impersonation when Cubs manager Joe Maddon brought him into the game in the seventh inning and asked the flame-throwing lefty to get the final eight outs of the ball game, which took a season-high 42 pitches to do.

All of that adds up to the Indians now clinging to a 3-2 series lead, as the scene will now shift back to Cleveland for Game 6 at Progressive Field on Tuesday night and, potentially, Game 7 on Wednesday.

While the Cubs still have hope, the odds are not in their favour.

Of the previous 46 teams that have jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the World Series, 40 of them have gone on to win.

On a chilly, late October night with their season on the line, Lester immediately got the crowd into the game, striking out the side in the top of the first.

He used three different pitches to get the job done, too, getting Rajai Davis with a changeup, Jason Kipnis with a cutter, and Francisco Lindor with a curveball, walking off the field to a roar from the Wrigley faithful.

Lester continued to cruise in the second inning, inducing a pair of weak pop ups, until Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez changed all that.

On the second pitch of the at-bat, Lester grooved a four-seam fastball and Ramirez deposited it in the left field bleachers for a 1-0 lead.

It looked like that solo home run would be big, as Indians starter Trevor Bauer was rolling, but along came the bottom of the fourth inning.

Bryant, the slugging all-star third baseman, walked to the plate and ripped a line-drive homer to left centre field to quickly tie the game, but the Cubs were far from done.

Anthony Rizzo came within a couple feet of making it back-to-back jacks, hitting a double off the right field wall.

Ben Zobrist then singled — the first time all series that the Cubs strung together three straight hits — to set up runners at first and third for shortstop Addison Russell, who promptly chopped an infield single down the third base line, scoring Rizzo to give the Cubs a 2-1 lead.

After Jason Heyward struck out, second baseman Javier Baez laid down a bunt for a single to load the bases up for catcher David Ross.

With many wondering if this was a spot Maddon would turn to Kyle Schwarber for a big, run producing knock, the Cubs weren’t about to throw Lester off his game by yanking his personal catcher in the fourth inning.

Ross ended up delivering, but not in the dramatic fashion many were envisioning with Schwarber at the plate, hitting a sacrifice fly to left field to make it a two-run advantage heading to the fifth inning.

It would prove to be a key run.

Bauer needed 29 pitches to get through the inning, leaving him at 74 through four innings, yet another inefficient start for the 25-year-old right-hander.

In each of his four post-season starts this month, Bauer failed to go five innings — the first pitcher in post-season history to do that — and Indians manager Terry Francona decided he had seen enough, turning to righty Mike Clevinger in the bottom of the fifth.

Clevinger made it through an inning unscathed, and the Indians were able to cut the Cubs’ lead to 3-2 in the top of the sixth.

Davis singled with one out, before swiping second on Lester and being driven in on a Lindor base hit.

Thanks to Lester’s yips and inability to throw over to first base, everyone in the building expected the quick Lindor to easily cruise into second, but Ross had other ideas, gunning down the Indians shortstop to end the inning.

Lester, who gave up four hits, struck out five and didn’t walk anybody, was done after six innings and 90 pitches.

It was Lester’s fifth-career World Series start, tying him with teammate John Lackey for most among active pitchers, and it helped the Cubs live to see another day.</s>Cleveland Indians fan Kelli Donnelly reacts during a Game 5 watch party of the Major League Baseball World Series against the Chicago Cubs at Progressive Field, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Chicago Cubs' Kris Bryant, left, celebrates with Jake Arrieta after Game 5 of the Major League Baseball World Series against the Cleveland Indians, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Chicago. The Cubs won 3-2 as the Indians lead the series 3-2. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Fans celebrate after Game 5 of the Major League Baseball World Series between the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Cubs Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Chicago. The Cubs won 3-2 as the Indians lead the series 3-2. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

The Chicago Cubs Chicago celebrate after Game 5 of the Major League Baseball World Series against the Cleveland Indians Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Chicago. The Cubs won 3-2 as the Indians lead the series 3-2. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Chicago Cubs' Willson Contreras, left, Aroldis Chapman and Anthony Rizzo celebrate after Game 5 of the Major League Baseball World Series against the Cleveland Indians, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Chicago. The Cubs won 3-2 as the Indians lead the series 3-2. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Singer Eddie Vedder sings "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during Game Five of the 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians at Wrigley Field on October 30, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Singer Eddie Vedder sings "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during Game Five of the 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians at Wrigley Field on October 30, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Indians strikes out to end the game against the Chicago Cubs in Game Five of the 2016 World Series at Wrigley Field on October 30, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Javier Baez, left, and Ben Zobrist of the Chicago Cubs celebrate after beating the Cleveland Indians 3-2 in Game Five of the 2016 World Series at Wrigley Field on October 30, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman and catcher Willson Contreras celebrate after Game 5 of the Major League Baseball World Series against the Cleveland Indians, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Chicago. The Cubs won 3-2 as the Indians lead the series 3-2. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Anthony Rizzo of the Chicago Cubs slides into second base for a double in the fourth inning against the Cleveland Indians in Game 5 of the 2016 World Series at Wrigley Field on Oct. 30, 2016 in Chicago. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Chicago Cubs' Addison Russell hits a RBI single against the Cleveland Indians during the fourth inning of Game 5 of the Major League Baseball World Series on Oct. 30, 2016 in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Cleveland Indians' Jose Ramirez celebrates his home run during the second inning of Game 5 of the Major League Baseball World Series against the Chicago Cubs on Oct. 30, 2016, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

A Chicago Cubs fan watches during the first inning of Game 5 of the Major League Baseball World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians on Oct. 30, 2016, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

A fan holds up a sign before Game 5 of the Major League Baseball World Series between the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Cubs on Oct. 30, 2016, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs play in Game 5 of the 2016 World Series at Wrigley Field on Oct. 30, 2016 in Chicago. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

CHICAGO — Pushed to the brink of elimination in their first World Series appearance in 71 years, the Chicago Cubs aren’t going down without a fight.

Dropping the first two games at Wrigley Field meant it was do-or-die time in the third and final game of the series in Chicago, and the Cubs needed a handful of season-saving performances to send the Fall Classic back to Ohio and thwart the Cleveland Indians’ attempt to finish them off.

From three players in particular, that’s exactly what they got Sunday night, but it was far from easy and Cubs fans, 41,711 of the them, had to deal with another cliffhanger.

In the end, the Cubs earned their first World Series win at Wrigley Field since Oct. 8, 1945, and it was Jon Lester, Kris Bryant and Aroldis Chapman leading them to a season-extending 3-2 victory in Game 5.

Lester provided the steadiness, limiting the Indians to two runs over six innings.

The Cubs did all their scoring during a three-run fourth inning, and it was Bryant providing the pop, breaking the ice with a solo home run to become the second-youngest player in franchise history to homer in a World Series game.

Finally, Chapman provided the (sigh of) relief, doing his best Andrew Miller impersonation when Cubs manager Joe Maddon brought him into the game in the seventh inning and asked the flame-throwing lefty to get the final eight outs of the ballgame, which took a season-high 42 pitches to do.

“That was a big ask and he answered,” Indians manager Terry Francona said of Chapman’s performance. “That was impressive.

“It was a big ask. We’ve done it here, too. Nobody’s just ever running to the bat rack when Chapman comes into the game, I’ll tell you that.”

Bryant wasn’t surprised the man with the 103-mph fastball got the job done.

“He just went out there and did his thing and, I think, that right there is exactly the reason why we got him,” Bryant said.

All of that adds up to the Indians now clinging to a 3-2 series lead, as the scene will now shift back to Cleveland for Game 6 at Progressive Field on Tuesday night and, potentially, Game 7 on Wednesday.

“Sometimes, they beat you,” Francona said. “I didn’t think we beat ourselves, I thought they beat us.”

While the Cubs still have hope, the odds are not in their favour.

Of the previous 46 teams that have jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the World Series, 40 of them have gone on to win.

“Why not us?” Bryant said when asked about the historical trends. “I feel like we play our best with our backs against the wall.

“We’re all about writing our own history. This team is a special one.”

On a chilly, late October night with their season on the line, Lester immediately got the crowd into the game, striking out the side in the top of the first.

He used three different pitches to get the job done, too, getting Rajai Davis with a changeup, Jason Kipnis with a cutter, and Francisco Lindor with a curveball, walking off the field to a roar from the Wrigley faithful.

Lester continued to cruise in the second inning, inducing a pair of weak pop ups, until Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez changed all that.

On the second pitch of the at-bat, Lester grooved a four-seam fastball and Ramirez deposited it in the left field bleachers for a 1-0 lead.

It looked like that solo home run would be big, as Indians starter Trevor Bauer was rolling, but along came the bottom of the fourth inning.

Bryant, the slugging all-star third baseman, walked to the plate and ripped a line-drive homer to left centre field to quickly tie the game, but the Cubs were far from done.

Anthony Rizzo came within a couple feet of making it back-to-back jacks, hitting a double off the right field wall.

Ben Zobrist then singled — the first time all series that the Cubs strung together three straight hits — to set up runners at first and third for shortstop Addison Russell, who promptly chopped an infield single down the third base line, scoring Rizzo to give the Cubs a 2-1 lead.

After Jason Heyward struck out, second baseman Javier Baez laid down a bunt for a single to load the bases up for catcher David Ross.

With many wondering if this was a spot Maddon would turn to Kyle Schwarber for a big, run producing knock, the Cubs weren’t about to throw Lester off his game by yanking his personal catcher in the fourth inning.

“There’s all kinds of drama out there,” Maddon said.

Ross ended up delivering, but not in the dramatic fashion many were envisioning with Schwarber at the plate, hitting a sacrifice fly to left field to make it a two-run advantage heading to the fifth inning.

“I mean, yeah, there guy was kind of cruising a little bit through the first three,” Bryant said. “It was nice to have a big inning to kind of get us going.

“For me, I wasn’t going out there and trying to hit a homer or anything like that. I just wanted to have a good at-bat and it was nice it went over the fence.”

Bauer lasted just four innings, and while the Indians would cut the Cubs’ lead to just one run in the sixth inning, they couldn’t get any closer.

Lester gave up four hits, struck out five and didn’t walk anybody in his six innings.

Maddon’s decision to go to Chapman early was a planned move, one that helped the Cubs stay alive.

“I talked to Chappy before the game and he was aware of being ready in the seventh inning,” Maddon said.

“He’s kind of fresh. He hasn’t been overused in the latter part of the season or in the playoffs.”</s>If it weren’t for the Chicago Cubs and their history of legendary losing, we would all be cheering for the Cleveland Indians now. Any other opponent at any other place, and the Indians would be America’s darling underdog losers finally getting it together.

The Indians are lost in the Cubs’ shade, even though they beat the Cubs in Wrigley Field again Saturday night in the World Series. This time, it was 7-2 and now the Indians, up three games to one, are just one win away from winning the Series for the first time since 1948.

It is incredible that any one team could fail that consistently for that long, even if they haven’t failed nearly as long as the Cubs. And what’s happening now isn’t that the Cubs, who we have heard about all year long, are crumbling under the pressure of history.

Their problem is that they are just too young and too dumb. They’re too dumb to feel what everyone in their stadium and their city is feeling. But also, they are too dumb to stop swinging for as much glory as possible, a massive home run when the team could stand to drop down a bunt, steal a base, move a runner along and then knock him in with a sacrifice fly. When you can’t win big, you have to try small.

If you watched the game, you know his clarification wasn’t necessary. You watch a car drive into a tree and you don’t really anyone to say that the driver screwed up. If you’d like a detailed rundown of Saturday night’s game, here it is:

Indians really good. Cubs really bad. It was third-baseman-Kris Bryant-made-two-fielding-errors-in-the-same-inning bad.

And I hate to bring this up as a lifelong Cubs, um, observer (cough, cough, wink, wink), but there is one little thing to consider here: The Cubs are a baseball Dream Team of the present and future. The Indians are not. They have one starting pitcher, Corey Kluber, who shut down the Cubs again Saturday. And they have a bullpen that believes in itself.

They have a manger in Terry Francona, who is a World Series genius. The Indians believe in him. But while these Cubs are not really about their history anymore, the Indians are not really free of theirs.

After 1948, the Indians had a long history of really, really bad. But then they got a new stadium and built things right in the early 1990s. And why haven’t they won since then?

The Indians have been here before and they haven’t had their history-breaking moment yet the way the Cubs have, partly anyway, in getting to the Series for the first time since 1945.

Believe me (cough, cough, wink, wink), I’m not trying to get the Indians to think about the pressure of their history. But someone asked Francona if he might sit down his players before Sunday’s game and talk about staying calm and not thinking about the wrong things. Like, say, the franchise’s recent history of choking.

“No, that might make them nervous,” he said. “They’re doing fine. What matters right now is that we’re doing this right now.”

And that sounded like a direct request to keep the Indians in the now and not to infect the with their history. They did win it in 1948, thanks to the genius of owner Bill Veeck – as in wreck – the perennially underfunded, marketing and promotional genius. In fact, Veeck started as an office boy for the Cubs, worked his way up and actually planted the ivy that covers the home run wall at Wrigley.

In Cleveland, he was ridiculed for focusing on promotion over winning. And then he won. And then?

Have you heard of the Curse of Rocky Colavito? Well, one of the incredible moves of general manager Trader Frank Lane was to trade a young home run hero. There were other incredible trades, too, that led to decades of bad Then, they turned things around finally in the 1990s.

And in Game 7 in 1997, they were two outs from winning the World Series. Then, Mesa, the closer, couldn’t close. He blew it. The Florida Marlins won two innings later.

People don’t really know much about the Indians’ history, other than it happened in a city with a lake that caught on fire. While the Indians seem a little upset that they aren’t getting the attention they deserve, the truth is that they are resting comfortably in the Cubs shade. They haven’t been pressured by their past because no one is talking about it. They also are taking cover from the NBA title won by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The city’s losing image does not rest entirely on the Indians’ shoulders.

So on Saturday, after the Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, the Indians were comfortably able to come back. They got two runs in the second when Carlos Santana homered, and then Lonnie Chisenhall got on base and worked his way around the bases while Bryant threw the ball everywhere and bobbled it. The game actually stayed close until the seventh inning, when Jason Kipnis hit a three-run homer. It was 7-1. Game over.

But now for the hard part for the Indians: breaking their history. The Cubs have their best pitcher, Jon Lester, throwing Sunday and their next best, Jake Arrieta in Game 6 while the Indians throw guys not named Kluber. Here is a prediction: The Cubs will still get this thing to a deciding Game 7.

And then we’ll just have to see what happens to Cleveland with Kluber throwing on less than his regular rest again, tired, and playing in Cleveland, surrounded by ghosts of Indians losing past. There is a reason the Major League movies were made about the hapless Indians, why Back to the Future thought it was funny to have a future with the Cubs winning the World Series.

But that’s not to put any pressure on them (cough, cough, wink, wink).</s>The World Series between the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs continues today with Game 4 at Wrigley Field.

The Indians lead the series 2-1 after taking Game 3 in Chicago on Friday night.

Right-hander Corey Kluber (18-9) will start on the mound for the Indians, while John Lackey (11-8) will start for the Cubs.

Here’s everything you need to know if you want to watch Game 4 on television in Las Vegas:

Game 6: (if necessary) Cubs at Indians, Tuesday, 5:08 p.m.

Game 7: (if necessary) Cubs at Indians, Wednesday, 5:08 p.m.

Contact Kira Terry at kterry@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3880. Follow @kiraterry on Twitter.</s>The Chicago Cubs trail the Cleveland Indians by three games to two in the World Series knowing that one more loss will finish their historic season. But the Cubs are full of optimism after winning Game 5 on Sunday and now the series goes back to Cleveland for a sixth meeting with the Indians
• World Series Game 5: Chapman shines to keep Cubs’ hopes alive against Indians</s>(CNN) If the Chicago Cubs don't do something fast, the long-suffering misery in Chicago will continue.

Carlos Santana and Jason Kipnis each hit home runs, and Corey Kluber stymied the Cubs for the second time in this series, leading the Cleveland Indians to a 7-2 win in Game 4 of the World Series at Wrigley Field on Saturday night.

The win gives the Indians a 3-1 series lead. They are a game away from winning their first championship since 1948.

This marks the 47th time that the World Series stands at 3-1. The previous 46 times, the team leading 3-1 has won the series 40 times (87.0%) and has won Game 5 on 26 occasions (56.5%).

The Cubs haven't won the World Series in 108 years, and until this year, they hadn't even reached the Fall Classic since 1945. The 71-year wait between championship appearances is the longest stretch for any team in the four major American sports (MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL).

On the flip side, the city of Cleveland -- unbelievably -- might hold its second championship parade since June.

Game 5 is Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET. Starting pitchers will be Jon Lester for Chicago and Trevor Bauer for Cleveland.

Leading off the bottom of the first inning, Dexter Fowler doubled to left field, sneaking the ball just past a fully outstretched Rajai Davis. Two batters later, Anthony Rizzo singled to drive him in for a jumping out to a quick 1-0 lead.

It was the first run scored by the Cubs in a World Series game at Wrigley Field since Bill Nicholson knocked in Peanuts Lowrey in the eighth inning of Game 7 in 1945.

But Cleveland answered right back -- and then some.

In the top of the second, Santana drilled a John Lackey fastball over the right-field wall for a solo home run to make it 1-1. It was the first World Series homer hit at Wrigley since Hank Greenberg hit one 71 years ago.

After Jose Ramirez grounded out to first, Lonnie Chisenhall reached base on a throwing error by Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant. Chisenhall advanced to second on a Roberto Perez ground out. Tyler Naquin was intentionally walked to put runners on first and second.

Kluber then helped out himself, reaching on an infield single to third, driving in Chisenhall to make it 2-1. On the play, Bryant committed his second error of the inning, with an off-line throw to first base, forcing Rizzo to come off the bag.

Cleveland tacked on another run in the top of the third, when Kipnis led off with a double and Francisco Lindor brought him home with a single to make it 3-1.

Lackey lasted five innings, giving up three runs -- two of them earned -- along with four hits, and a walk, striking out five.

With Mike Montgomery in for relief, Lindor scored on a Chisenhall sacrifice fly in the sixth. Kipnis slammed the door in the seventh with a three-run blast off Travis Wood to make it 7-1.

Kipnis went 3-for-5 with three RBIs. Lindor had two hits, an RBI and scored a run. Santana was 3-for-4.

Kluber allowed one run, five hits and one walk, striking out six over six innings. In this postseason, he has allowed three earned runs in 30.1 innings and has an ERA of 0.89.

Andrew Miller's postseason streak of scoreless innings ended at 16 when Fowler hit a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth. But with the score at 7-2, it hardly mattered at that point.

Sianis, according to legend, threw up his arms and proclaimed, "The Cubs ain't gonna win no more. The Cubs will never win a World Series so long as the goat is not allowed in Wrigley Field." They haven't won since.

Coupled with the Cubs' drought, the 174 combined seasons between titles for the two clubs is the largest in World Series history.</s>One more win and baseball fans everywhere might finally believe in these Cleveland Indians.

That's all it will take for Corey Kluber & Co. to clinch this World Series.

Kluber pitched six sparkling innings on short rest for another win, Jason Kipnis hit a three-run homer in his hometown and the Indians beat the Chicago Cubs 7-2 Saturday night to take a 3-1 lead.

Carlos Santana also connected for the first of his three hits as Cleveland moved closer to its first championship since 1948. Trevor Bauer gets the ball Sunday night at Wrigley Field in Game 5 when the Indians try for the franchise's third World Series title against Jon Lester and the faltering Cubs.

"I think we like the position we're in, but the task isn't done yet," Kluber said. "We still have one more game to win, and we're going to show up tomorrow and play with the same sense of urgency we've played with until this point. We don't want to let them build up any momentum and let them get back in the series."

Still, not bad for a team that seemed like an underdog all year long. Manager Terry Francona's club beat the defending champion Royals and star-studded Tigers for the AL Central title, and then eliminated David Ortiz and the Red Sox and the heavy-hitting Blue Jays on their way to the AL pennant.

Then much of the talk centered on the major league-leading Cubs and their 108-year championship drought. But it's been mostly Indians once more as they moved to 10-2 in this postseason. They did it with Francona pushing all the right buttons while he improved to 11-1 in the World Series.

The Indians now will try to bring another crown to Cleveland, adding to the one LeBron James and the Cavaliers earned earlier this year.

Dexter Fowler doubled and scored in the first for the Cubs, and then homered against Andrew Miller in the eighth. Fowler's drive to left-center was the first homer for Chicago in the World Series since Phil Cavaretta connected in Game 1 in 1945 and the first run allowed by Miller during his dominant postseason.

In between Fowler's two hits, the Cubs came up empty every time they had a chance to put any pressure on Cleveland.

The Indians won for the second straight day at Wrigley — those two wins matched the Cubs' entire total of World Series victories in more than a century of playing at their famed ballpark.

Pitching on three days' rest for the second time, Kluber allowed five hits, struck out six and walked one. The steady, stoic right-hander, who struck out nine in a dominant performance in Game 1, improved to 4-1 with a 0.89 ERA in five playoff starts this year.

Francona put Santana at first after starting him in left in Game 3, and Mike Napoli was out of the starting lineup for the time in the playoffs. And just like the rest of October, the decision worked out quite well for Francona and the Indians.

Santana led off the second with a drive to right against John Lackey, tying it at 1. Santana's third homer of the playoffs silenced the crowd of 41,706 at Wrigley Field, and the Indians seized the momentum from there.

Two throwing errors on Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, including one on Kluber's infield single, led to an unearned run that put Cleveland ahead to stay. Francisco Lindor singled in Kipnis in the third, Lonnie Chisenhall added a sacrifice fly in the sixth and Kipnis' second playoff homer made it 7-1 in the seventh.

Kipnis, who is from a Chicago suburb and grew up a Cubs fan, finished with three hits and scored two runs.

Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward made his first start of the World Series and responded with two hits. The 27-year-old Heyward, who signed a $184 million, eight-year contract with Chicago last winter, was just 2 for 31 in 12 playoff games coming into the night.

Indians: Bauer lasted just 3 2/3 innings in Game 2, allowing two runs and six hits. The right-hander had a career-best 12 wins during the regular season, but is 0-1 with a 5.00 ERA in three playoff starts.

Cubs: Lester dropped to 3-1 with a 1.35 ERA in four career World Series starts when he allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings in the opener Tuesday night. The left-hander was the co-MVP of the NL Championship Series, going 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA in two starts against the Dodgers.</s>Cleveland Indians' Rajai Davis and Francisco Lindor (12) celebrate after Game 4 of the Major League Baseball World Series against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday in Chicago. The Indians won 7-2 to take a 3-1 lead in the series. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)</s>One more win and baseball fans everywhere might finally believe in these Cleveland Indians.

That’s all it will take for Corey Kluber & Co. to clinch this World Series.

Kluber pitched six sparkling innings on short rest to win again, Jason Kipnis hit a three-run homer in his hometown and the Indians beat the Chicago Cubs 7-2 Saturday night to take a 3-1 lead.

Carlos Santana also connected for the first of his three hits as Cleveland moved closer to its first championship since 1948. Trevor Bauer gets the ball Sunday night at Wrigley Field in Game 5 when the Indians try for the franchise’s third World Series title against Jon Lester and the faltering Cubs.

Not bad for a team that seemed like an underdog all year long. The Indians beat the defending champion Royals and star-studded Tigers for the AL Central title, and then eliminated David Ortiz and the Red Sox and the heavy-hitting Blue Jays on their way to the AL pennant.

Then much of the talk centred on the major league-leading Cubs and their 108-year championship drought. But it’s been mostly Indians once more, with manager Terry Francona pushing all the right buttons while improving to 11-1 in the World Series.

The Indians will try to bring another crown to Cleveland, adding to the one LeBron James and the Cavaliers earned earlier this year.

Dexter Fowler doubled and scored in the first for the Cubs, and then homered against Andrew Miller in the eighth. Fowler’s drive to left-centre was the first homer for Chicago in the World Series since Phil Cavaretta connected in Game 1 in 1945 and the first run allowed by Miller during his dominant post-season.

In between Fowler’s two hits, the Cubs came up empty every time they had a chance to put any pressure on the Indians.

Pitching on three days’ rest for the second time, Kluber allowed five hits, struck out six and walked one. The steady, stoic right-hander, who struck out nine in a dominant performance in Game 1, improved to 4-1 with a 0.89 ERA in five playoff starts this year.
The Chicago Cubs defeat the Cleveland Indians 3 runs to 2 at Illinois' Wrigley Field in Game 5 of the 2016 World Series to avoid elimination and force a Game 6 with the series standing at 3 games to 2 in favor of the Cleveland Indians. It is the Cubs' first-ever win of a World Series game at the stadium since October 1945.