2016 World Series Game 7 vs Indians
The longest night in baseball history ended with a title for Chicago.
Game 7 of the 2016 World Series stands as the singular defining moment in the Chicago Cubs franchise history, marking the end of a 108-year championship drought known as the 'Curse of the Billy Goat.' Played on November 2, 2016, at Progressive Field in Cleveland against the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians), this contest is remembered not just for its victory, but for its unprecedented drama, including extra innings and a historic comeback from a three-run deficit. It remains the longest Game 7 in World Series history by time played.
- Final Score
- Cubs 8, Indians 7 (10 innings)
- Series Result
- Cubs win 4-3
- Venue
- Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio
- Date
- November 2, 2016
- Key Moment
- Kris Bryant's RBI single in the 7th inning to tie the game
Lore & Background
The script seemed written in stone: the Indians held a commanding 6-3 lead entering the bottom of the eighth at Progressive Field, the air thick with the scent of impending heartbreak for Chicago. Then, the impossible unfolded. With two outs and the Cubs' season hanging by a thread, Ben Zobrist ripped a two-run double to center field, instantly erasing the deficit. Before Cleveland could regroup, Kris Bryant lashed a tie-breaking single that sent the stadium into a state of suspended disbelief. The game didn't end there; it spiraled into extra innings, dragging on under a cold November sky where Aroldis Chapman's ninth-inning scoreless frame for the Indians set the stage for a final, nerve-wracking chapter in the 10th.
In Their Own Story
The wind off Lake Erie didn't just blow; it tore at the stadium, biting through uniforms and freezing tears on fans' cheeks. Inside the dugout, the silence was heavier than the humidity, a suffocating weight of 108 years pressing down on every player. Then came the crack of Zobrist's bat—a sharp, clean sound that momentarily severed the roar of the Cleveland crowd before exploding into pure pandemonium in Chicago. As Addison Russell grounded out to secure the final out, the tension didn't just break; it shattered. The resulting roar from Wrigleyville seemed to travel instantly across the miles, a collective release of breath held since 1908 finally crashing against the shores of Lake Michigan.
Reader's Guide
This was the climactic showdown of the 2016 World Series: National League champion Chicago Cubs versus American League champion Cleveland Indians. After surviving a daunting 3-1 series deficit, the Cubs faced their ultimate test on November 2. The narrative arc was legendary: the Indians seized a 6-3 lead in the eighth, only to watch it evaporate as Ben Zobrist's two-run double and Kris Bryant's go-ahead single ignited an improbable rally. The contest stretched into extra innings, becoming the longest Game 7 by duration in history. In the 10th inning, Miguel Montero delivered the decisive blow with a ground-rule double that drove in the winning run. Beyond the box score, this victory obliterated the 'Curse of the Billy Goat,' validating a decade of rebuilding and transforming a night of agonizing anxiety into an eternal coronation for Chicago.
Did You Know?
- The game clocked in at four hours and nine minutes, cementing its status as the longest Game 7 in World Series history by time played.
- Ben Zobrist earned World Series MVP honors after slashing .429 with two home runs across the series, anchored by his critical two-run double in Game 7.
- This victory ended the Cubs' 108-year championship drought, the longest active title drought in North American professional sports history at that time.
- A surreal rain delay in the bottom of the ninth inning halted play with the score tied 6-6, adding an agonizing layer of suspense before the game resumed in extra innings.