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CLEVELAND -- Nothing scares these Chicago Cubs. Not the stakes, the weight of history, a tough night at the plate or the prospect of going down two games to none in the franchises first World Series in 71 years.Their at-bats were good during a Game 1 shutout loss, the Cubs insisted. A breakout by the balanced lineup that propelled them to a National League championship and the best record in the majors was just a swing away.Three swings, as it turned out.Kris Bryant provided the first, a sharp single to center field off Cleveland Indians starter Trevor Bauer two batters into Game 2 on Wednesday night that gave the Chicago dugout and blue-clad Cubs fans scattered throughout Progressive Field a needed jolt.The second came seven pitches later, a double to right from Anthony Rizzo that sent Bryant racing home with the Cubs first World Series run since Harry Truman was president.The third was in the fifth, a triple to right by Ben Zobrist that handed Jake Arrieta all the cushion he needed in a 5-1 victory that tied the Fall Classic at one game apiece heading back to Wrigley Field on Friday.Our goal today, it felt like a must-win for us, Bryant said. We didnt want to go home down 0-2.And so the Cubs didnt, thanks in large part to three players who represent the various stages of Chicagos renaissance under President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein.Rizzo, the teams longest-tenured position player, endured 101 losses during his first season with the Cubs in 2012, a summer-long bout of misery that led to Chicago taking Bryant with the second pick in the 2013 amateur draft.Bryants arrival in the majors last spring helped propel the Cubs to 97 wins and a spot in the NLCS, leading Zobrist -- fresh off a championship with the Royals in 2015 -- to sign with Chicago last winter.There the three were in the heart of the order Wednesday, scoring four of their teams five runs to move the Cubs within three victories of the franchises first World Series title in 108 years.Oh, and the guy hitting behind them -- designated hitter Kyle Schwarber -- is 3 for 7 in the World Series after missing all but two games this season with torn ligaments in his left knee.I like our chances with and without Schwarber, Chicago catcher David Ross said. I like them a lot more with Schwarber.And the duo nicknamed Bryzzo, too.Bryant went hitless in his first Series game Tuesday night, though he was hardly alone as the Cubs mustered little against Corey Kluber, Andrew Miller and Cody Allen.The going wasnt nearly as tough against Bauer, who pitched with the pinkie on his right hand still recovering from a gash sustained while he was tinkering with a toy drone earlier in the playoffs.Bryant ripped a single up the middle on a 2-2 pitch in the first and scored on Rizzos double. It was Chicagos first run since the eighth inning of a Game 7 loss to Detroit in the 1945 World Series, a mere 44 years before Rizzo was born.Those guys, theyre the two keys, Zobrist said. The biggest cogs in our lineup and when those guys swing the bat it gives the rest of us confidence.Rizzo walked and Zobrist singled in the third before Rizzo scored on a single by Schwarber to make it 2-0. In the fifth, Rizzo led off with a walk and raced home on Zobrists triple into the right-field corner. Zobrist scored to make it 4-0 when Schwarber singled up the middle.Zobrist has come through in the clutch much the way he did while helping the Royals to a title last fall.Hes been our leader, especially in this World Series, Ross said. Hes the guy you lean on thats been in this moment. And hes the one stepping up big, getting the best at-bats, taking walks, hitting doubles, running the bases really well. Just a baseball player through and through.One thats now 5 for 9 through two games in his third World Series.In the end, this October night on baseballs biggest stage felt like so many other games Chicago has played over the last six-plus months. Arrieta dominated, the lineup delivered and the crowd chanted Lets Go Cubs.All the way back to Chicago, where a chance to start a party more than a century in the making awaits. Cheap Air Max 270 . 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Young scored a season-high 26 points to spark a huge effort from the leagues most productive bench, and Los Angeles beat the Brooklyn Nets 99-94 on Wednesday night after blowing a 27-point lead. Discount Nike Air Max Wholesale . That gave fans outside Joe Louis Arena another chance to ask for autographs from the 19-year-old whose stardom in the NHL has arrived earlier than most expected. HOUSTON -- Mike Moustakas was a bit daunted when he came to the plate in the eighth inning with the bases loaded and his team down by one. The numbers were looming right there on the scoreboard: 0 for 18 and a batting average under .180 Then the 24-year-old heard his Kansas City Royals teammates shouting words of encouragement, and he calmed down and smacked an RBI single to right field to tie the game. George Kottaras followed with a bases-loaded walk to drive in the go-ahead run in a four-run eighth inning, and the Royals rallied for a 7-3 win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night to end a four-game skid. "One hit is not going to ... completely turn anything around, but its a big hit in a big situation and it gives me a lot of confidence going into tomorrow," he said. "Everybody had confidence in me." The Royals trailed 3-0 and couldnt get much going offensively until the seventh when they cut the lead to one on RBI singles by Alcides Escobar and David Lough. Eric Hosmer chased Wesley Wright in the eighth when he singled to load the bases. He was replaced by Jose Cisnero, who gave up the one-out RBI single by Moustakas. Cisnero then walked Kottaras on four pitches to put the Royals on top. "I just think we had some great at-bats. I was really happy for (Moustakas) to get the big base hit to tie the ballgame because hes been struggling a little bit," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Those are little things that can get you going." They added two more runs when Escobar grounded into a force out to score Hosmer before an error by Marwin Gonzalez allowed Moustakas to go home. Houstons Jimmy Paredes tied a career high with three hits, including a three-run homer in the fourth inning. Paul Clemens (1-2) took the loss after allowing three hits and two runs while getting only one out before Wright replaced him. Bruce Chen (3-0) pitched a scoreless seventh for the win. The Royals added a run in the ninth when Elliot Johnson scored on a wild pitch by Cisnero. Astros starter Bud Norris allowed five hits -- all singles -- in six inning scoreless innings. He came out for the seventh inning, but was removed before facing a batter with tightness in his back. "He threw the ball well," Yost said. "It showed you how well he threw the ball; as soon as he got out of there we started our offensive outburst." It was the second straight game Norris had left early because of back problems. He had his start pushed back two days as a precaution after he left his previous outing with lower back spasms. "We knew going into the game he had the issue the last game, because of that, we were only going to push him so far," manager Bo Porter said. "After that long inning, it kind of tightened up on him, and he went down and got stretched out. I think we mmade the right decision getting him out of the game.dddddddddddd The Royals didnt get a runner past second base until the seventh inning. Norris was replaced by Travis Blackley who allowed back-to-back singles by Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain. Moustakas grounded into a force out which left runners at first and third base. Paul Clemens took over with two outs, and Escobar greeted him with a pinch-hit, run-scoring single to cut the lead to 3-1. A sharply hit single by Lough, which Escobar had to leap to avoid, skidded into right field and sent another run home to make it 3-2. Kansas City starter Wade Davis yielded eight hits and three runs in five-plus innings. J.D. Martinez hit a one-out single in the fourth inning before Carlos Penas two-out single. Paredes then launched his first homer of the season into the seats in right field to give Houston a 3-0 lead. Matt Dominguez singled and Gonzalez drew a walk, but Davis escaped the inning when Robbie Grossman grounded out. The Royals were foiled by their baserunning in two straight innings. Johnson singled with two outs in the third inning, but was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double. In the next inning, Alex Gordon led off with a single, but was later caught stealing. Paredes walked to start Houstons sixth before a single by Dominguez chased Davis. He was replaced by J.C. Gutierrez and Kottaras, the catcher, picked off Paredes when he strayed too far from second base. Gutierrez allowed a single with two outs to Grossman, but worked out of the jam when he retired Jose Altuve. NOTES: All of Kansas Citys 13 hits were singles. ... The series wraps up on Wednesday when Kansas Citys James Shields opposes Jordan Lyles. ... Houston Texans first-round draft pick receiver DeAndre Hopkins threw out the ceremonial first pitch on Tuesday night. ... Royals C Salvador Perez was out of the lineup a night after bruising his right hip crashing into railing chasing a foul ball. An MRI revealed no damage and he hopes to play on Wednesday. ... Former Astros star Larry Dierker was named special assistant to the president on Tuesday. Dierker, who made his debut for the Astros in 1964, will work as an ambassador for the team, handling speaking engagements and other fan events. ... The Astros, whose Triple-A affiliate is in Oklahoma City, announced plans to raise money through their foundation to help victims of Mondays devastating tornado in Oklahoma. They will hold a silent auction of game-worn jerseys and sell grab bags containing autographed baseballs. All of the proceeds will go to the American Red Cross relief efforts. "We have close ties to that community and many friends there," Houston president Reid Ryan said. "Those are the folks that support us in Oklahoma City, so were eager to do our part to help them out in a time of need." ' ' '