【2004 Archives】

Could it really go down like this004 Archives Could the Chicago Cubs reallyend the most infamous curse in sports by coming back from a 3-1 World Series deficit?

As improbable as it sounds, the Cubs are now just one win from doing exactly that after dismantling the Indians in Cleveland in Tuesday night's Game 6.

The Cubs haven't won the World Series since 1908 -- a fact that's been repeated ad nauseam during this year's playoff run. When the Indians raced out to a 3-1 lead in this year's series, that drought seemed sure to drag on. But the Cubs won Game 5 behind pitcher Aroldis Chapman's best Ironman impression Sunday night, then immediately put the wood to Cleveland in Game 6 on Tuesday.

Chicago scored three runs in the first, then took a 7-0 lead behind Addison Russell's third-inning grand slam. Cleveland would eventually cut the deficit to 7-2, but Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run homer in the ninth to extend Chicago's lead back to seven.

Chapman allowed a run in the ninth but eventually closed the lid on Cleveland to secure the Cubs a 9-3 win.

If -- and it certainly remains a bigif -- Chicago can close out the series in Game 7 on Wednesday night, the Cubs will become the first team to come back from a 3-1 World Series deficit since the Kansas City Royals in 1985.

But there's another side to this, too, of course.

Cleveland hasn't won a World Series since 1948. That's not 1908, but Indians fans are working with a pretty epic losing streak of their own.

So here we are. World Series Game 7. Something's got to give.

No matter who wins Wednesday night, one team's fans will taste baseball's ultimate victory for a the first time in a very, verylong time.

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