CLEVELAND -- Who wrecks the hex?Who can reverse the curse?The Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians will send their postseason aces into Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday with an eye toward winning their first championship in three generations ... or much, much longer.You know the history by now.Cleveland has not won a World Series since 1948. The Indians came up short in their three most recent appearances, the last in 1997, when Edgar Renterias walk-off single in the 11th inning of Game 7 gave the Florida Marlins the title.The Cubs have not been in the Series since 1945 and have not won it since 1908. Numerologists suggest this might be the year. There are 108 stitches on a baseball. Wrigley Field sits on Chicagos planned development lot 108. The Cubs win the Series in the movie Back to the Future II, which has a running length of 108 minutes.And on and on.Not that the teams are focused on the history.After youve actually done it, thats when you really dwell on that particular thought, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. In the meantime, I promise you, our guys are going to be in the present tense. I think we all have a tremendous amount of respect for history and whats happened before us or not happened before us. But, you know, you go in that room right now, theyre very young. Really not impacted by a lot of the lore, I dont think.Cubs left-hander Jon Lester and Cleveland right-hander Corey Kluber have been the two best starting pitchers in the postseason while lifting the Great Lakes neighbors this far. Each will make his fourth start of the postseason, his third in a Game 1.Lester is 2-0 with three quality starts, an 0.86 ERA and an 0.76 WHIP in 21 innings in the playoffs this year. He threw eight shutout innings in a 1-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants in the first game of the National League Division Series, gave up one run in six innings of a no-decision in the 8-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first game of the NL Championship Series and gave up one run in seven innings in an 8-4 victory in Game 5 of the NLCS.You know, there will be nerves and there will be adrenaline and all that stuff when I go out there to throw the first pitch and kind of get the ball rolling, Lester said, but once you get into the game, I feel like then youre able to go back to your game plan.Klubers postseason ERA, 0.98, trails only Lester among pitchers who have made more than one playoff start this month. He won both of his previous Game 1 starts, throwing seven shutout innings in a 6-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox in the American League Division Series and 6 1/3 shutout innings in a 2-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in the first game of the AL Championship Series.In Game 5 of the ALCS, he lost after allowing two runs in five innings.Obviously, youre in the World Series, and theres two teams left and all that kind of stuff, Kluber said. For me at least, its been all about getting prepared and being ready when it is time to throw that first pitch.The teams also have more than the usual familiarity.Cleveland manager Terry Francona led ghost-busting Boston to its first World Series title in 86 years in 2004, then to another crown in 2007, both times for general manager Theo Epstein, now the Cubs president.I know thats a really cool thing for fans to talk about and stuff, Francona said. It really doesnt enter into what were doing. I just think if you look too far back, you look too far forward, you miss whats right in front of you.Epstein interviewed Maddon for the Boston managerial job in 2004 before hiring Francona. Maddon said the other day the Red Sox made the right choice at the time.Our players are going to dictate who wins and loses on both sides, as it should be, but Theo had the guts to hire me up there when I didnt have a ton of resume and they were expected to win, and he believed in me, Francona said. We went eight years of a lot of good baseball.Lester won 65 games in his four full seasons as a starter under Francona, who was replaced after 2011 and hired by Cleveland in 2013. Lester is 8-6 with a 2.05 ERA in 19 playoff appearances, 17 starts, and he won four games in the Red Soxs run to the 2013 World Series title.I watch him pitch right now and when he takes the mound, extremely calm, Maddon said. Hes in the moment. There is something about that internal level of confidence and the ability to -- this is an overused term, but its true -- slow things down. I think some players have that ability better than others.The Cubs had 33 hits while winning the final three games of the NLCS against the Dodgers. Anthony Rizzo was 7-for-14 with two homers, Addison Russell 6-for-13 with two homers and Dexter Fowler 6-for-14 with two doubles.Clevelands staff, despite injuries to three start pitchers, has given only 15 runs in eight playoff games, sweeping Boston and taking out Toronto in five. Cheap Atlanta Braves Jerseys China . - Blake Griffin had 30 points and 12 rebounds, J. Cheap Houston Astros Jerseys China . Shot outdoors against the stunning backdrop of Banff, Alta., the networks 30-minute original production airs tonight at 8pm et/5pm pt on TSN2. 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GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Aaron Rodgers is tempering his expectations for himself and the Green Bay offense Friday night.All Rodgers is expecting is to finally play a game this preseason when the Packers visit the San Francisco 49ers.Whatever Mike wants me to do, Rodgers said Tuesday, referring to coach Mike McCarthy.Though playing time for Green Bays third of four preseason games wont be set until Wednesday, the goal according to McCarthy is to play Rodgers after the two-time MVP quarterback was a healthy scratch the previous two weeks.I think Im going to play, Rodgers said after McCarthy put the team through its longest practice of training camp, nearly 2 hours, 45 minutes. Im not sure how long he wants me to play, but itll be good to get out there and get some work with the guys.Not that Rodgers needs much work as he enters his 12th NFL season and ninth as a starter.Even with top receiver Jordy Nelson returning to the field in recent days after being out nearly a year with knee injuries, Rodgers hasnt felt a need to use the preseason games as an audition for the season. Rodgers said after only two weeks of camp in early August that he felt ready for the season, which opens Sept. 11 at the Jacksonville Jaguars.Saying he expects Fridays exhibition to be his only game action of the preseason, Rodgers responded with nothing when asked what he needs to see in whatever playing time he gets.And Rodgers also doesnt feel the offense, even with two notable additions, needs him on the field in a preseason game to sufficiently prepare for that season opener.But itll be good to feel the tempo if I play -- Im expected to play, Rodgers said. So if I play Friday, itll be good to feel the tempo out there if we get some stuff in the no-huddle that were used to.The biggest priority for the 32-year-old Rodgers this summer has been his cconditioning, which he says hes accomplished by running the offense at a high tempo in practice, and also with his on-field workouts before the preseason games he hasnt played.ddddddddddddActually, the stuff Im doing on game day is probably more exertion than I would be doing on the field (in the game), Rodgers said. Ive just got to be ready to go four quarters, and Im confident that the work Ive put in in the offseason and the work this past month in camp, Ill be ready to go once the season starts.Though Nelson isnt expected to play Friday after being limited to individual work in practice this week, Rodgers will get a chance to work with newly chosen starting center JC Tretter. Likewise with veteran tight end Jared Cook, who the Packers signed in the offseason.Its going to be a good test just to see how he runs the offense, how he calls the plays, and for me to keep up, said Cook, an eight-year pro.Game notes Corey Linsley, who lost his starting job to Tretter, said Tuesday he doesnt think surgery will be needed for the torn hamstring that has kept him out since the start of camp. Linsley also doesnt think his season is in jeopardy because of the injury. Im not giving up on that. Im not out for the year, said Linsley, the starter at center since the beginning of his rookie season in 2014. . Rookie DT Kenny Clark, the teams first-round draft pick, didnt practice Tuesday because of a back injury. DT Mike Daniels was out with an illness. Starting safety Morgan Burnett (back) and backup QB Brett Hundley (ankle) remained out. . The Packers released undrafted rookie OT Josh James, who had been sidelined with a hamstring injury.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '