NLCS
METS 4, CUBS 2
NEW YORK -- Matt Harvey delivered the big-game performance he's been pining for, Daniel Murphy took his latest star turn on the October stage and the New York Mets beat the Chicago Cubs 4-2 Saturday night in their National League Championship Series opener.
"I wanted this game bad," Harvey said.
The Cubs came into the game on a roll after eliminating NL Central champion St. Louis in four games, but Chicago's young sluggers were stopped cold on a chilly night at Citi Field.
Game 2 in the best-of-7 series is tonight, with Cubs ace Jake Arrieta facing rookie Noah Syndergaard.
"If Harvey wasn't pitching, it would have looked a lot better," Cubs Manager Joe Maddon said. "His stuff is always good, but the command was outrageous tonight."
Harvey pitched into the eighth for the first time in more than two months, brushing aside all that hoopla last month about his innings limit.
"I talk to this guy every day. I know exactly what he's made of," Mets Manager Terry Collins said. "He wants the baseball."
Jeurys Familia got four outs for his third playoff save and New York jumped ahead in its first NLCS since 2006 by beating the Cubs for the first time all year. The Mets went 0-7 during the season series and had dropped nine in a row to Chicago.
New York is looking to reach the World Series for the first time in 15 years, the franchise's longest absence since its first championship in 1969. The Cubs haven't been to a World Series since 1945 and haven't won a World Series since 1908.
Murphy gave the Mets the lead in the first inning with a home run off losing pitcher Jon Lester, his fourth home run of the playoffs, and made a diving play at second base for the final out in the ninth.
"I freaked out when I caught it, and then you've got to make the throw," Murphy said. "I was in the right spot."
Yoenis Cespedes threw out Starlin Castro at the plate with the score tied 1-1 in the top of the fifth inning, Curtis Granderson drove in two runs and Travis d'Arnaud hit a home run measured at 431 feet, off the red Mets apple in straightaway center field.
"I've never seen that before," Murphy said.
Kyle Schwarber was the only power-hitting Cubs rookie to flex any muscle, hitting a 459-foot home run that chased Harvey with two outs in the eighth that pulled Chicago to within 4-2.
Murphy finished off the Dodgers in the deciding game of their division series with an all-around offensive performance that inspired a tweet from former New York Yankees great Reggie Jackson, who referred to Murphy as the "real Mr. October."
Two nights later, the free-agent-to-be was at it again, getting the Mets off to a fast start against Chicago.
Murphy, who set a career high this season with 14 home runs, hit one into the second deck in right field for his fourth of the postseason. By taking Clayton Kershaw (twice), Zack Greinke and Lester deep, the 2014 All-Star has tagged $517 million worth of pitchers in these playoffs.
It was Murphy's third home run against a left-hander in the playoffs -- he had one during the regular season -- and by connecting in his third consecutive postseason game, he matched a Mets record set by Donn Clendenon in 1969, the year he was World Series MVP.
"Saving the homers," Murphy said, jokingly. "If I knew what I was doing I would have hit more homers during the regular season."
Granderson's soft RBI single on an 0-2 pitch from Lester put the Mets up 2-1 in the fifth, and d'Arnaud hit a long home run to center in the sixth. Juan Lagares stole third against Lester in the seventh and scored on Granderson's sacrifice fly to short left.
Harvey came out throwing 95-96 mph on a 48-degree night. He threw 23 of his first 29 pitches for strikes and retired his first 12 batters, six on strikeouts.
The right-hander was rolling along until he hit Anthony Rizzo in the right arm with an 0-2 pitch to start the fifth. Castro lined the next offering to deep center field and Gold Glove winner Lagares, wearing a ski mask that covered most of his face, had the ball sail over his head for an RBI double that might have been aided by a 15 mph wind.
One out later, Javier Baez hit sharp ground single to left, but Cespedes charged the ball and cut down Castro at the plate by a couple of steps to keep the score tied at 1-1.
That helped Harvey out of trouble, and he got some good fortune, too.
Chicago hit several line drives that were turned into outs, including one by Schwarber that forced Harvey to duck quickly out of the way and another by Dexter Fowler in the sixth inning that struck the pitcher in the back of the head.
Harvey threw to first for the out and immediately and waved off Mets trainer Ray Ramirez, who came out to check anyway with Collins before they left Harvey on the mound.
It was his game, indeed.
"The ball kind of dented my arm a little bit, got my right in the triceps," Harvey said. "It's a little bit swollen right now, but the training staff will take care of that."
Sports on 10/18/2015