Indians pitcher Josh Tomlin makes it a happy father's day

CHICAGO – When Josh Tomlin's night was done and he had made the walk to Cleveland's dugout, his eyes scanned the Wrigley Field crowd searching for his dad.

Jerry Tomlin was there — at the World Series — just like they both had dreamed.

With his dad watching from a wheelchair, Tomlin pitched 4⅔ scoreless innings Friday night as the Indians spoiled a game Chicago fans had waited 71 years to see by blanking the Cubs 1-0 in Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead in the Series.

On a historic night in one of baseball's grandest ballparks, the Tomlins' story was as sweet as it gets.

"I knew where he was, and what this meant to him and me and my mom," Tomlin said after Cody Allen struck out Javier Baez for the final out. "So it was pretty special, one of the most emotional starts I've had in my career."

Jerry Tomlin nearly died two months ago from a circulatory malformation that has left him paralyzed from the chest down. He spent two months in the Baylor Rehab Institute in Dallas before being released on Josh's birthday, which happened to be the day the Indians clinched the AL pennant.

And although he can't walk and faces a daunting future, Jerry wasn't going to miss seeing Josh pitch in the Series.

"It's hard to put into words," he said about 30 minutes before Josh threw his first pitch. "I didn't know what I was going to say when I got here, and I still don't. The way everything played out and the way people helped me to get here, man, it's definitely a dream come true.

"There was no way I was going to miss this."

And his son, who used to pretend he was in the World Series when he threw to his dad in their backyard, pitched the game of their lives, holding the Cubs and their fearsome lineup without a run on two hits before he was lifted by manager Terry Francona, who gave him a hug before taking the ball.

Jerry Tomlin made the trip to Chicago accompanied by his wife, Elena, who stood in the aisle as game time approached.

"We both have butterflies," she said. "This is a day [Josh] has been waiting for since he was 4 years old. He's been playing baseball his whole life. What more can you ask for than when your kid gets to live his dream?"