Murphy’s Law as Mets sweep Cubs
CHICAGO — Daniel Murphy homered in his record sixth straight post-season game and the New York Mets reached the World Series for the first time in 15 years, beating the Chicago Cubs 8-3 Wednesday night for a playoff sweep.
Manager Terry Collins’s team never trailed for a single inning in taking all four games in the NL Championship Series.
New York, seeking its first title since 1986, will play Game 1 of the World Series at either Kansas City or Toronto on Tuesday night. The Royals lead the AL Championship Series 3-2.
Murphy broke the post-season mark set by Houston’s Carlos Beltran in 2004 with a two-run drive in the eighth inning.
Lucas Duda homered and drove in five runs. Travis d’Arnaud also connected as the Mets advanced to their first World Series since 2000.
Kris Bryant homered for Chicago, but a championship drought dating to 1908 continues. Joe Maddon’s young team had many believing this might be the year, but the Cubs did little against the Mets’ fresh aces.
Murphy was an obvious choice as the series’ MVP after his record binge.
A contact hitter known for inconsistent fielding and occasional lapses on base, Murphy was the driving force for the Mets.
He set the record with his latest blast in the eighth inning, and also added a double and two singles. He hit safely in each of the Mets’ nine post-season games.
New York, meanwhile, advanced to the World Series for the first time since a bitter Subway Series loss to the Yankees in 2000. This time, the Mets will try to win their first championship since the amazin’ bunch led by Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry won it all in 1986.
That Mets’ drought, of course, is nothing compared to that of the Cubs, who haven’t won it all since 1908 and won’t this year because of Murphy.
Sure, the Mets’ aces pitched in. The Cubs’ big bats failed to produce big results against starters Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz.
But Murphy’s Babe Ruth impersonation has fuelled the Mets — and this after he’d homered in back-to-back games just once in his six-year career. It’s good timing, too, given his expiring contract.
Murphy went 9 for 17 with four homers and six RBIs in the NLCS after going deep 14 times during the season. In nine playoff games, he has seven long balls and is 13 for 38 with eight RBIs.
He has also played sharp defence at second and made all the right moves on the bases.