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CUBS AVENGE LOSS IN 1910, DEFEAT CLEVELAND TO WIN WORLD SERIES

The Chicago Cubs won the first two and last two games of a six-game series to defeat the Cleveland Indians and win the franchise's first World Series Championship.

GAME ONE (WEST SIDE PARK, CHICAGO) - CUBS 2, INDIANS 1

Both Cubs' runs score in the second inning as Don Hurst doubles and scores on a Bobby Adams triple and Adams crosses the plate on, of all things, an infield single by pitcher Warren Spahn. The Indians get to Spahn (who was brilliant) in the eighth as his opposing pitcher Joaquin Andujar reaches on a one-out single. An error by Chuck Hinton pushes Andujar to second and he scores on a close play at the plate on a single by Wilbert Robinson. Spahn then buckles down and does the impossible - escapes further damage by striking out Dave Orr and getting Joe DiMaggio to ground to second.

GAME TWO (WEST SIDE PARK, CHICAGO) - CUBS 2, INDIANS 0
The Cubs' pitching rules the day once again (not that Cleveland's pitchers haven't been good themselves). Cubs' starter Juan Pizarro spreads seven hits over the course of a complete-game shutout. His opposing number, Eddie Hogan, allows two runs to score in the first, but nothing further. The Cubbie runs came as a result of singles by Ralph Kiner and Jack Clements, with Kiner scoring on Don Hurst's single and then Hogan walking Dave Magadan with the bases loaded to force Clements home.

GAME THREE (LEAGUE PARK, CLEVELAND) - INDIANS 6, CUBS 5
The Tribe gets back in the Series - barely - by dint of a two-run ninth inning rally to win game three by a thin 6 to 5 margin. With Vic Aldridge twirling for Cleveland and George Uhle for the Cubs, this set up as another pitcher's duel, but didn't work out that way. Aldridge himself started the offensive ball rolling, singling to start the home half of the third and then STEALING second and going to third when Clements' throw sailed into center. His own catcher, Wilbert Robinson drove him home a batter later with a single. After Dave Orr sacrificed (yes sacrificed!), Joe DiMaggio rifled a single into the gap, scoring two more. The 3-1 lead held until the fifth when the Cubs plated a run as Bobby Adams' triple scored Dave Magadan. In the sixth Clements redeemed himself with a two-run homerun to tie the game at three. A Magadan error allowed the Indians to surge ahead 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh. Kiner scored on a fielder's choice in the eighth to tie it again and the Cubs pushed a run across in the top of the ninth to go up 5-4 and sit on the verge of taking a three-games-to-none lead in the Series. With Scott Ruskin relieving Uhle, the wheels came off for the Cubs in the bottom of the ninth. Del Crandall was hit by a pitch and Joe Keough bunted his way on (both Crandall & Keough were pinch hitting). Jim Lefebvre singled to right, scoring Crandall to tie the game. After a walk to Robinson, who steps up but Dave Orr. Orr naturally comes through in the clutch, scoring Keough to give the Indians the needed victory.

GAME FOUR (LEAGUE PARK, CLEVELAND) - INDIANS 9, CUBS 7
Well, the offenses really came to life in this one, a rematch of a fantastic game one pitcher's duel that was anything but this time around. After the Cubs scored one in the first off Andujar, the Indians took out their frustrations on Spahn to the tune of a four-run bottom half of the first. The Cubs whittled the lead away and surged into a 5-4 lead in the fifth, but that lead evaporated in the home half as the dynamic duo of Orr and DiMaggio promptly tied it up. Cleveland went up 6-5 in the sixth, but the Cubs plated two in the visitor's seventh to lead 7-6. That lead was also short-lived as the Indians pounded Spahn again for three more in the home half to give the game it's final tally of 9-7, and tie the series at two apiece.

GAME FIVE (LEAGUE PARK, CLEVELAND) - CUBS 8, INDIANS 4
The bats remained active in the pivotal game five. The Indians took an early 1-0 lead, but saw the Cubs come back to lead 3-1 after two and 5-1 after three. Chicago plated three more in the eighth for a commanding 8-1 lead. The Indians gained some respectability by scoring three of their own in the home eighth, for the game's final margin of 8-4. Juan Pizzaro was the hero for the Cubs. Not only did he pitch them to victory with a complete game, but his bases-loaded double in the eighth scored the Cubs' final three runs. Gene Robertson was 4-for-5 with a couple of runs scored and driven home for the Cubs.

GAME SIX (WEST SIDE PARK, CHICAGO) - CUBS 6, INDIANS 4
The Cubs completed their World Series victory with an exciting 6 to 4 win over Cleveland at home in game six. The Indians looked to tie the series up as they pushed ahead to a four-three edge after four innings, but the Cubs offense continued to punish Indians pitching and scored three decisive runs in the home eighth to take the victory. The winning rally saw Gene Robertson lead off with a double and move to third on a ground out by Bobby Adams. Pitcher George Uhle drove Robertson home with a single to knot the game at four. After Hinton forced Uhle at second, Kiner drew a walk which set the stage for Jack Clements' heroics. Clements doubled down the right field line to score both Hinton and Kiner for the final runs of the game - and series. Uhle pitched around a Dave Magadan error in the ninth to hold the Tribe down and give the Cubs their first title.

Jack Clements was named Series MVP. He compiled a .407 average and tied with Magadan for the team lead in RBIs with 4 - all of them big runs coming on a home run and the series-clinching double in game six. Ralph Kiner hit .522 for Chicago. Cleveland was led by DiMaggio's .458 average and 4 RBIs. Orr, with one notable exception, was held in check by Chicago, hitting just .208 with a pair of RBIs.