Lucas Duda woke up just in time, Daniel Murphy continued his torrid postseason stretch, and the New York Mets clinched their first World Series appearance since 2000 with an 8-3 win over the Chicago Cubs, sweeping the series 4-0.
Mets closer Jeurys Familia fell to the ground in amazement after striking out Dexter Fowler to send the Mets to the big dance.
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
Duda broke out of a postseason homerless drought, that included a 3-for-24 funk, with a five-RBI night, while Murphy blasted a home run in his sixth consecutive postseason game, becoming the first player in major-league history to accomplish the feat.
Top Performer: Take your pick. Duda or Murphy. Duda's five RBIs included a three-run home run in the first inning that got the Mets rolling, while Murphy was 4-for-5 with a home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored.
Starting Pitchers: Cubs starter Jason Hammel disappointed his club yet again, lasting just 1 1/3 innings - his second consecutive start pitching less than three frames.
Rookie Steven Matz fared better than his opposition, not allowing a hit until a Jorge Soler double in the fourth. He managed to escape the inning, though, allowing just one run despite loading the bases with no outs.
| PITCHER | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hammel | 1.1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| Matz | 4.2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Key Moment: Although back-to-back shots from Duda and Travis d'Arnaud got the team off on the right foot, the Mets' pitching staff helped them out of two tough jams that sunk the Cubs' chances of getting back into the game.
Along with Matz getting out of his jam in the fourth, the ageless wonder Bartolo Colon entered the game and shut the door on a potential Cubs rally in the fifth, stranding two Cubs on the bases. Colon became the oldest pitcher in baseball history to send his team to the World Series by clinching a LCS game.
Up Next: The Mets await the winner of the American League Championship Series between the Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays, while the Cubs hit the golf courses after putting together their finest season since 2008, winning 97 games despite fielding a roster with an average age of 26.7 years.
