Chicago Cubs complete historic comeback, win World Series in Game 7
CLEVELAND, OH -- The Chicago Cubs won their first World Series championship since 1908 when Ben Zobrist hit a go-ahead double in the 10th inning, beating the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in a thrilling Game 7 delayed by rain early Thursday.
Lovable losers for generations, the Cubs nearly let this one get away, too. All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman blew a three-run lead with two outs in the eighth when Rajai Davis hit a tying homer.
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The umpires called for the tarp before the 10th began. Play started up again at 12:11 a.m., but more rain was in the forecast.
Chicago, seeking its first title since 1908, and Cleveland, in search of its first since 1908, had to wait through the rain to see which team would end its drought.
The Cubs put a runner on third base with one out in the ninth. In a bizarre play, Javier Baez tried to bunt a full-count pitch from Bryan Shaw and fouled it off for strike three. Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor then ranged up the middle to grab Dexter Fowler's grounder to end the inning.
Fowler homered on Corey Kluber's fourth pitch of the game. The Cubs led 5-1 in the fifth and were ahead 6-3 in the eighth.
Chapman gave up an RBI double to Brandon Guyer and Davis followed with his home run that sent most of the crowd at Progressive Field into a frenzy. A sizeable contingent of Cubs fans was inside the ballpark, and they sat in stunned silence.
The 23-year-old Baez and 39-year-old David Ross also homered for the Cubs. Chicago was trying to become the first team to overcome a 3-1 Series deficit since the 1985 Kansas City Royals.
