Cleveland Indians: Final game against the Chicago Cubs before October

The Cleveland Indians take on the Chicago Cubs tonight in the final matchup between the two teams until a potential World Series rematch.

The beginning of the 2017 season doesn’t erase what happened in 2016, but it does help Cleveland Indians fans move forward to focus on returning to the World Series.

There is nothing wrong with remembering the past, but it will be nice to have a fresh start and focus on another title chase.

The final reminder of last season comes tonight as the Indians meet up with the Chicago Cubs in Goodyear. Jon Lester will take on Danny Salazar in a potential World Series preview, as this is the final time the two teams will meet until a potential World Series rematch.

Cubs fans had been waiting a long time for a title, but they are no longer the lovable losers. The Indians are now trying to erase a historic title drought and may have to go through the Cubs once again to get it done.

The Cubs will face some tough competition in the National League, but they certainly didn’t get any worse this offseason. The same goes for the Indians, as the two teams may be mirroring the rivalry between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers. And as Cavs fans know, things turned out well the second time around.

Just like the Cavs, the Indians dealt with some major injuries in the first championship appearance. Given the team stays healthy, there is no reason why the Indians can’t defeat the Cubs this year. Just imagine the result if the rotation was healthy, and Edwin Encarnacion and Michael Brantley were in the lineup.

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But once again, the time for wondering “what if” will finally pass after tonight’s game. And once the Indians open the regular season in one week, we can all begin the process of enjoying the ups and downs of the MLB season which will hopefully end with the Indians holding the championship trophy.