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From Chase Field in downtown Phoenix, on a crisp Halloween night in 1925… Game 3 of the World Series delivered the kind of taut, quietly dramatic baseball that has defined October for generations.
The defending champion Cleveland Indians, down two games to none and desperate for a spark, turned to right-hander Mike Niccolai of San Diego, CA — and he delivered a performance worthy of the moment. Seven innings, five hits, no runs, and the kind of poise under pressure that turns a pitcher into a postseason legend.
He didn’t overpower Arizona’s lineup — he out-thought them. Mixing location, tempo, and a biting curveball that kept the Diamondbacks guessing all evening, Niccolai guided Cleveland to a 1–0 victory that keeps their hopes alive in this best-of-seven series.
The lone run came, fittingly, from the bat of E. Watt — a quiet, steady center fielder who’s been one of the unsung heroes of this Cleveland club. His two-out single in the fifth plated R. Lopez and gave the Indians the only tally they’d need.
And when it came time to seal it, closer M. Grondin was as reliable as ever. Two innings, one hit, and not a whisper of doubt.
For Arizona, it was a night of frustration. Starter A. Mendoza pitched brilliantly in defeat — eight innings, one run, but no support from a lineup that had carried the D-backs through the first two games.
And so, as the series resumes tomorrow night, Cleveland breathes new life into their title defense. The Diamondbacks still lead, two games to one — but this was the kind of game that can shift the tone, the confidence, and perhaps the course of a championship.
Final score again, from Phoenix: Cleveland 1, Arizona nothing. The Indians take Game 3, and baseball — as it so often does in October — reminds us that even in an era of power and spectacle, there’s still something timeless about a crisp, 1–0 ballgame.
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