Cubs’ pitcher Jake Arrieta watches the first hit he gave up in the game, in the fifth inning with the Cubs already ahead 5-0.

There is an old baseball axiom about momentum that goes: Momentum is only as good as that day’s pitcher.

That was proven again last night in Game 2 of the Loveable Losers Series.

Game 1 was all about the Indians’ superhuman Corey Kluber. But it’s hard to get momentum when your next day’s pitcher is so, well, human. Cleveland’s injuries to what would have been half of its four World Series starters reared its ugly head last night when they had to start Trevor Bauer. Bauer is no Corey Kluber.

But Cubs’ starter Jake Arrieta is.

Kluber won the American League Cy Young award in 2014; Jake Arrieta won the National League Cy Young in 2015. And just as Kluber showed why in Game 1, Arreta answered last night in Game 2.

Arrieta didn’t give up his first hit until there was one out in the fifth inning. In his 5.2 innings, he struck out six, and that only hit scored a few batters later on wild pitch.

The Cubs won the game 5-1, evened the series, and now head to Wrigley Field, which hasn’t hosted a World Series game since 1945, for Game 3 on Friday.

Aside from the pitching, the most remarkable story so far belongs to Cubs’ DH Kyle Schwarber, who, in two games, has single-handedly made spring training obsolete. Who needs five weeks to get ready? He had about five at-bats in a simulated game in Arizona since being declared able to go less than a week ago after having blown out his knee way back on April 7.

Schwarber is one of those batters who can roll out of bed and get a hit. All he has done so far in the World Series, after missing more than six months, is go 3-for-7 with a double and two RBIs.

Wait until he gets his timing down and starts reading the ball.

*****
NO GAME TODAY.