Remembering Mets History (2015) NLCS Game #3- Mets Go Up Three Game to None Behind deGrom & Another Murphy HR

Tuesday, October 20th, 2015: NLCS Game #3- Wrigley Field, Chicago. Wrigley Field had not hosted an NLCS game since 2003. That series was over-shadowed by the whole Moises Alou foul ball debacle, where a fan interfered with the play leading to the Marlins winning rally. 

So, tonight an excited sellout crowd filled the Friendly Confines, with hope of getting back in this series.

Although there was a bit of excitement early on, the Mets quieted the crowd beat the Cubs & are one win away, that's one win away from the World Series.

Jacob deGrom (14-8 / 2.54 ERA / 205 Ks) got the ball, looking for his third post season win.

 In the NLDS deGrom was the winning pitcher of the clinching Game #5 in Los Angeles. In Game #1 he shut out the Dodgers for seven innings. He was 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA& 20 K's 13 innings.

The Cubs sent Kyle Hendricks (8-7 / 3.49 ERA / 167 Ks) to the mound. In the NLDS Game #2 win, Hendricks had given up three runs earning no decision.

The game started out a bit wacky, in the top of the 1st, Curtis Granderson reached on an error by short stop Javier Baez but then was thrown out trying to steal second. 

David Wright then collected his first hit of the game, as he singled. It was just his third post season hit & second of the NLCS.

Yoenis Cespedes then doubled to left field bringing in Wright making it 1-0 Mets. It was just Yoenis second hit of the series, his seventh of the post season.

In the bottom of the 1st, the Cubs tied it with a HR by Kyle Schwaber, his second of the series.

Two out singles by Anthony Rizzo & Starlin Castro got the Cubs fans excited, but deGrom then got Jorge Soler to ground out to Wilmer Flores. A 29-pitch shaky inning for deGrom, ended with just one run.

This was to be a night where deGrom did not have his best fastball but pitched like the Cy Young pitcher he was, making his off-speed stuff work.

In the bottom of the 2nd deGrom retired the Cubs in order. 

Murph's Fifth Straight Record Tying Post Season HR: In the top of the 3rd, in what became an unbelievable familiar sight, Daniel Murphy hit his sixth post season HR. A solo shot off Kyle Hendricks. It was the fifth straight post season game in which Murphy homered, tying the MLB post season record. 

Quotes- Mets broadcaster Josh Lewin: "Whatever the aliens did to Murphy when they invaded his body a few weeks ago, Mets fans are saying; Thank you!"

The Heroics of Daniel Muphy: Maybe it was the fact Yoenis Cespedes is hitting behind him, or D. Wright is batting in front of him. Maybe it was because he's hitting in the three spot, something Keith Hernandez suggested to done a long time ago. Maybe it was the post season luck, or maybe it was because the name of the Billy Goat that cursed the Cubs so many years ago was named Murphy.

The Mets had been trying to trade Murphy for two seasons, even though he was a 2014 All Star & was in the top ten in hits both seasons. Thru the first eight post season games, Murph had 12 hits, with six HRs nine runs scored& nine RBI. He hit 364 with & a .939 slugging% & 1.322 OPS.

In the bottom of the 4th, the Cubs tied it in the 4th on a solo HR by Jorge Soler. But deGrom settled in, and got into his groove, retiring the side in order in each of the next three innings. He retired ten batters in a row before exiting after the 7th inning. 

deGrom's line for the night, was seven innings, two runs on four hits one walk & seven strike outs while earning the win. He was 3-0 in this post season up then with a 2.57 ERA. 

deGrom's Post Season Wins: Jacob deGrom would collect his third post season win going 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA with 27 Ks in 20 innings in three games.

In the 6th, there was some historic Amazing Mets magic mixed with some historic Cubs bad luck. Yoenis Cespedes singled with his second hit of the night. 

Lucas Duda then finally took advantage of the shift the Cubs & other teams usually put on him. Duda shocked everyone as he sacrificed Cespedes over to second base.

Cespedes then stole third base, another stolen base surprise for Chicago. 

Trivia: The Mets had stolen third base just five times all season long. In eight post season games they had stolen third four times.

After a coaching visit to the mound, Pitcher Trevor Cahill struck out Michael Conforto, but the ball got past catcher Miguel Montero. 

In one of MLB's oldest ball parks having one of the longest distances from home plate to the backstop, the ball rolled all the way to the brick wall.

Cespedes easily scores from third base, with the go ahead run as the Mets went up 3-2.

MLB Triva: It was just the second time in post season history a go-ahead run was scored on a passed ball, strike out.

Next, Wilmer Flores doubled to right field, as the ball got by Jorge Soler, displaying a horrible effort of defense. One of many Cubs blunders on the evening. But then the ball got lost in the Ivy & the ground rules prevented any of the runs from scoring.

 

Mets manager Terry Collins argued the call to no avail.

Multi- Hit Three Hit Game: In the top of the 7th, the Mets tacked on a couple of more runs. With one out, David Wright stretched a base hit into a double, as left fielder Kyle Schwaber made another Cub blunder on the field. Wright's hit was his third hit of the night.

Next, Daniel Murphy had another great at bat, fouling off a bunch of Kris Bryant pitches, before getting an infield hit, hustling out of the box to beat out the ground ball to third base. 

Murph collected two more hits & two more runs scored in the game.

Multi-Hit Multi- RBI Game: Yoenis Cespedes then singled to left, collecting his third hit of the & second RBI of the night, bringing in Wright with the fourth Mets run. Cespedes was now batting .273 with nine hits two HRs five runs scored & seven RBIs & in the first seven post season games.

Duda then bounced a ball to first base, Rizzo stepped on the bag first then threw to the plate, but a hustling Murphy was safe as the catcher Montero was not on the plate & could not make a tag. 

It was now 5-2 Mets, all they would need as the bull pen was once again effective.

In the 8th, Tyler Clippard had an easy inning. In the bottom of the 9th, Jeurys Familia collected his fifth post season save.

The Mets now lead the NLCS three games to none & were just one win away from clinching the NL pennant. The last time the Mets held three games to none NLCS lead was in the 1969 NLCS.