1. First pitch is set for 8 p.m. tonight on FOX. With Game 2 tomorrow night at the same time on the same channel. After a day off, the series shifts to Chicago for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Saturday night, respectively.
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2. Jon Lester will start for the Cubs tonight against Indians ace Corey Kluber. Chicago will send Jake Arrieta to the mound for Game 2 while Cleveland manager Terry Francona hasn’t named his starter from an injury-depleted rotation yet.
3. Either the longest or the second-longest wait for a World Series championship will end when this series is over. The Indians haven’t won it all since 1948…. 40 years after the Cubs last did so. Per mytopsportsbooks.com, Chicago is a 2/3 favorite to win the series.
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4. Not surprisingly, the series has provided a hot ticket. At noon Tuesday, standing-room-only tickets were still going for more than $800 on Stubhub with seats behind the plate listed at anywhere from $1,700 to $10,000.
5. The Cubs have two local connections with relief pitcher Joe Smith (Wright State) and young slugger Kyle Schwarber (Middletown High School). Schwarber was added to the World Series roster despite missing nearly all of the season with a knee injury. (Smith is not on the World Series roster.)
Chicago also has three former Reds: pitchers Travis Wood and Aroldis Chapman and catcher David Ross.
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