Jake Arrieta and Kyle Schwarber provided magical nights that would’ve seemed straight out of folklore. Who could predict that a player who had missed nearly the whole season with an injury could have 2 clutch hits and 2 pivotal RBIs for their team’s first World Series win? Or that a Cy Young Award-winning pitcher would carry a no-hit bid into the 6th inning of a World Series game?

While it’s easy to remember the Cubs’ rally from a 3-1 deficit in the 2016 World Series, their 5-1 win in Game 2 was pivotal in mounting any hope of winning the series. And Arrieta and Schwarber helped spark that.  

Arrieta was terrific. He held Cleveland hitless until the 6th inning, when now-Cubs infielder Jason Kipnis doubled with one out. It seemed, for a time, as though Arrieta had a shot at joining Don Larsen as the only pitchers to throw no-hitters in the World Series. (Larsen threw a perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series as his Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 2-0 en route to their 17th title.)

Kipnis and Cleveland were left impressed with Arrieta’s performance.

“We didn’t get much going,” he told reporters after the game. “You have to tip your hat to Arrieta. He was awesome.”

Arrieta had thrown a pair of no-hitters in a Cubs uniform, one in 2015 against the Dodgers and another in 2016 on April 21 against the Reds. It was another shining moment for Arrieta in a stellar campaign in which he went 18-8 with a 3.10 ERA in the regular season.

Arrieta surrendered back-to-back walks to Francisco Lindor and Mike Napoli with two outs in the bottom of the 1st, then got José Ramírez to fly out to deep center field to nix the threat.

He surrendered the Indians’ lone run of the game in the 6th when Kipnis scored on a wild pitch.

Cleveland countered with Trevor Bauer, who pitched just 2/3 of an inning in the ALCS, when his cut on his pinky finger that he had gotten from a drone accident reopened. Bauer was rusty and the Cubs took advantage early and often.

Anthony Rizzo started the scoring in the 1st inning, doubling to right field to drive in Kris Bryant.

In the 3rd inning, Schwarber continued his improbable return from injury. After doubling and drawing a walk in Game 1, Schwarber ripped a 2-run single to center field, giving the Cubs a 3-0 lead.

Ben Zobrist made it 4-0 in the 5th with a triple that scored Anthony Rizzo and Schwarber drove him in with another single to center.

Here’s how teams lined up for the second game of the Fall Classic:

Cubs

Dexter Fowler – CF
Kris Bryant – 3B
Anthony Rizzo – 1B
Ben Zobrist – LF
Kyle Schwarber – DH
Javy Báez – 2B
Willson Contreras – C
Jorge Soler – RF
Addison Russell – SS
Jake Arrieta – P

Indians

Carlos Santana – DH
Jason Kipnis – 2B
Francisco Lindor – SS
Mike Napoli – 1B
José Ramírez – 3B
Lonnie Chisenhall – RF
Coco Crisp – LF
Tyler Naquin – CF
Roberto Pérez – C
Trevor Bauer – P 

Mike Montgomery and Aroldis Chapman sealed the win for the Cubs. Montgomery pitched 2 shutout innings with 4 strikeouts and Chapman grabbed the final 4 outs with 2 strike outs. Chapman threw 23 pitches in the outing. In the 9th, Chapman threw 18 pitches, with all but one hitting 97 mph and 10 reaching 100 mph.

Fun Facts:

–   Jake Arrieta helped the Cubs record their first World Series win since Game 6 of the 1945 World Series (an 8-7 win in 12 innings over the Tigers).

–   Arrieta carried the longest no-hit bid in a World Series since Jerry Koosman of the Mets threw 6 no-hit innings in 1969.