Baseball: Indians Blank Cubs 6-0 In World Series Opener

CLEVELAND, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Oct, 2016 ) - While the Chicago Cubs returned to the World Series on Tuesday after a 71-year wait, the Cleveland Indians made sure they would wait even longer for a Series victory.

Cleveland's Roberto Perez smashed two home runs and pitcher Corey Kluber struck out nine batters over six shutout innings to spark the Indians over Chicago 6-0 in the opening game of the 112th World Series.

The Cubs own America's longest sports championship drought, having not won the Major League Baseball crown since 1908, while the Indians have the second-longest futility streak in the major leagues, having last taken the title in 1948.

The best-of-seven showdown that will end one team's misery continues Wednesday at Cleveland before the scene shifts to Chicago's iconic 102-year-old Wrigley Field.

Major League Baseball advanced Wednesday's start by one hour to 7 p.m.

(2300 GMT) due to forecasts of heavy rain by late evening. The game-one winner has gone on to capture the World Series in 17 of the past 19 years. The Cubs, who led the major leagues with 103 regular-seasson victories, made their first World Series appearance since 1945, a 25,948-day gap, before 38,091 spectators.

Perez blasted a three-run homer off Cubs reliever Hector Rondon in the eighth inning after a solo round-tripper off the metal railing atop the left-field wall in the fourth inning. The 27-year-old Puerto Rican catcher became the first player since 2002 to hit two homers in his first World Series game.

Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez each went 3-for-4 with a double at the plate for the Indians.