New York Mets sweep Chicago Cubs, punch ticket to World Series
In a season where the New York Mets found themselves well outside of a playoff spot at the trade deadline, the likelihood of the 2015 campaign leading to a National League pennant seemed very unlikely. Yet with trade deadline acquisitions, timely hitting, and unforgettable performances from their starting rotation, the New York Mets are the National League champions.
The Mets completed a four-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs Wednesday night, powering themselves to an 8-3 victory. The Mets piled it on early, scoring four in the game’s opening frame off of Cubs starter Jason Hammel, highlighted by a three-run home run from Mets’ first baseman Lucas Duda, who was just 3-for-24 entering tonight’s game.
Duda’s blast was followed by a solo shot from Travis d’Arnaud, giving the Mets the early 4-0 advantage. New York would continue to blow the game open in the second inning, tacking on a two-run double from Lucas Duda to give the Mets a 6-0 lead.
The Cubs would brew some traffic in the bottom half of the fourth inning off of Mets’ starter Steven Matz, yet Chicago would only muster an RBI groundout from Kyle Schwarber, making the game 6-1.
Daniel Murphy would then set an MLB postseason record in the eighth inning, homering in his sixth consecutive game. Murphy’s two-run blast gave the Mets a commanding seven-run lead.
Chicago would answer with a two-run shot from rookie Kris Bryant, yet that would be all the offense the Cubs would see, as New York closer Jeurys Familia shut the door in the ninth inning, sending the Mets to their first World Series since 2000, where they fell to the crosstown New York Yankees four games to one.
The Cubs have suffered sweeps in their last three postseason series losses, dating back to their defeats in the 2007 and 2008 National League Division Series’. Chicago fell victim to the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers in three game sweeps respectively.
The Mets await the winner of the American League Championship Series, in which the Kansas City Royals hold a three games to two lead over the Toronto Blue Jays.