In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.
A World Series 71 years in the making
Tonight the World Series comes to Wrigley Field for the first time since 1945. The crowd reaction should be pure insanity as these fans are hungry for this. We all remember PNC Park’s reaction when the Pirates played the 2013 Wildcard Game. I am sure this will be equally as loud and wild. I am almost as excited for the pregame intros as I am for the game.
Kyle Hendricks vs. Josh Tomlin is the pitching matchup tonight so you’d have to think this favors Chicago. With the game two win, the Cubs really have the advantage at the moment. They have a great chance to go ahead in the series. We know that Corey Kluber is going in game four for the Indians on short rest, so we will see how both game three and four play out.
Schwarber sits
The other piece of major news as the series shifts to Chicago is Kyle Schwarber was not cleared to play the field. The Cubs slugger was tremendous in games one and two of this series, so his bat will definitely be missed. I imagine he will be reserved for a big pinch-hitting spot. If this game is close, Wrigley Field will likely come unglued once his walkup music is cued up.
It’s really interesting that Schwarber is healthy enough to bat and run the bases but not field ready. It tells you that he cannot be 100 percent, which makes his play in the first two games even more impressive. There are certain times that you can get sick of certain players getting media attention. I do not think this is one of those times. His knee injury was brutal, so the fact that he is not only playing but contributing is just a testament to his work ethic.
Golden Marte
In non-World Series news, Pirates’ left fielder, Starling Marte was once again named a Gold Glove Finalist. You’d have to think Marte is the favorite to win the award. He’s easily the game’s best defensive Left Fielder and his reputation is really starting to pick up nationally.
Marte won the award in 2015, so it’s no surprise to see him nominated again. Marte was the Pirates’ most consistent player this past year on both sides of the ball as he followed up his great defense in 2015 by getting even better this year. Marte’s defensive range and speed are only two of his exceptional areas. He is best known for his gun of an arm. His arm may be the strongest in the game yet people still try to run on him. Personally, I hope players keep testing his arm because I love watching him run runners out on the basepaths.
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