The Windy City breathed a collective sigh of relief on Sunday as the Chicago Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians at Wrigley Field to keep the baseball team's quest for a first World Series title in a century alive for at least one more game.
As lines of police took up positions around the stadium, throngs of buoyant Cubbie fans streamed into the streets of Chicago's North Side, elated that their team stared down elimination and came away with a 3-2 win.
"This was the game where I was like, if we can win this one, anything is possible," said Dan Olson, 35, after his team's victory.
Lots of happy and relieved fans high fived each other as they flew the Cubs "W" victory flag and cheered and made their way down the streets surrounding Wrigley Field.
The mood contrasted with the anger and frustration that erupted on Saturday night, when a Cleveland victory in Game Four gave the Indians a 3-1 edge in the best-of-seven series. Chicago fans vented their frustrations by kicking seats, ripping off their Cubs shirts or tossing their blue baseball caps in trash bins.
"I'm feeling amazing," said Cubs fan Nicole Herrington, 29, moments after her team won.
Even so, the fears that Chicago's "Loveable Losers" may blow the best chance to win the World Series since 1908 remained, with Cleveland leading the series 3-2.
The Cubs must win two more games on the road to claim professional baseball's biggest prize.
Some 350 miles (563 kilometers) to the east, thousands of Indians fans who watched Game Five on giant video screens inside Cleveland's Progressive Field were more subdued, but still confident that the Tribe would eventually pull out its first World Series title since 1948. Even after the loss, fans left the stadium in an upbeat mood, cheering "lets go Tribe ... Tuesday."
"Let the Cubs have a win," said Arthur Lavin, a lifelong Indians fan after the game. "My biggest hope was to win two in Chicago."
On Chicago's North Side, hundreds of fans spent the tense evening crowded on sidewalks outside Wrigley Field and watched on a giant screen as the Indians drew within one run of the Cubs in the sixth inning.
"People can count us out as much as they want but there is always that eternal hope," said Joe Kiessig, 26, as he watched his team at a nearby house party.
Hundreds of Chicago police officers lined the streets around the stadium wearing florescent yellow vests. Many joined fans crowding to watch TVs through restaurant and bar windows.
In Game Six on Tuesday, the Indians have another chance to close out the World Series and give their city its second major sports championship this year. The Cavaliers, led by LeBron James, ended Cleveland's 52-year major sports championship drought when they won the NBA title this summer.
"We are ready to get our boys back home," Christine Aspiotes, 28, said. "We are getting used to winning in Cleveland. We are getting good at handling it."
Thursday, April 25, 2024
