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 USA College Jerseys . 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"No difference at all," chirped U.S. roommate and linemate James van Riemsdyk. "Its still the same cranky Phil. NEW YORK -- Yu Darvish threw 46 pitches in a simulated game Wednesday and could return to the Texas Rangers rotation shortly after the All-Star break.Sidelined by shoulder discomfort since a June 8 outing against Houston, Darvish threw all his pitches during the three-inning game.Ball came out clean. Really tight rotation on the breaking ball. Sharp, Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. There were some breaking balls that were short that youd see him kind of act out on, that he didnt get them where he wanted to, but, again, thats the perfectionist in Yu. The ball had good movement at the plate, had some really nice darting life at the plate.Pitching coach Doug Brocail said Darvishs next step will be determined after the 29-year-old right-hander evaluates how he feels Thursday, when Texas finishes a four-game series against the New York Yankees. A minor league rehab assignment of about 60 pitches or another simulated game are both possibilities. But the Rangers wont put Darvish back in their rotation until after the All-Star break, when their schedule resumes July 15 at the Chicago Cubs.If he feels good enough to go on a rehab assignment, I wouldnt mind sending him on a rehab assignment. If hes reluctant, then well wait, Brocail said.Rangers teammates Jurickson Profar and Ryan Rua batted against Darvish, and Profar homered over the short right-field porch.I told him it doesnt count, `cause it only went 317 (feet), catcher Bryan Holaday said.Banister was impressed by the outing.I dont think there was another ball thaat was barreled up, he said.ddddddddddddDarvish missed last season following Tommy John surgery and is 2-0 with a 2.87 ERA over three starts since returning to the Rangers on May 28 after five rehab starts in the minors. He has 19 strikeouts and six walks over 15 2/3 innings with the Rangers.Curveball was really sharp, Holaday said. His sinker out there was just explosive. Great downward action, and it was late.In other news, Texas claimed left-hander Eric Surkamp off waivers from Oakland and optioned him to Triple-A Round Rock.The 28-year-old Surkamp adds depth to a Texas team that boasts the best record in the American League despite an injury-riddled rotation. In addition to Darvish, left-hander Derek Holland and righty Colby Lewis are on the disabled list.Surkamp is 0-5 with a 6.98 ERA in nine starts over four stints with the Athletics this season. He was designated for assignment on Monday.Surkamp was 3-1 with a 3.07 ERA in five starts for Triple-A Nashville this year. He is 4-8 with a 6.68 ERA in 52 games (16 starts) during his big league career. He also has pitched for the Giants, White Sox and Dodgers.Im sure that well mix him in as a reliever, Banister said. I like the arm.To create space for Surkamp on the 40-man roster, Texas transferred outfielder Drew Stubbs from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL. Stubbs has been out since May 7 with a sprain of his left small toe. ' ' '