Jacob deGrom and the Mets bullpen limited the Dodgers’ explosive offense to two first-inning runs, squelching several threats and riding Murphy’s heroics to their first NL Championship Series since 2006.
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“Something doesn’t go right and we bounce back”, said the Mets’ 66-year-old Terry Collins, managing in the postseason for the first time. “We’ve done it all year long”. When Duda walked on a 3-1 pitch with one out, Murphy jogged to second and suddenly sprinted to third.
Said Syndergaard: “I got up four different times”. Travis D’arnaud would tie the game with a sacrifice fly.
So sheer talent was not going to win this game, and there were early questions about how long each starter could go.
Murphy had just two steals during the regular season.
Murphy had a hit in each of the five division series games, including a 3-for-4 effort in the clincher, and he finished the series 7 for 21 with a double, three homers and five RBIs.
Game 5 hero Daniel Murphy became only the second batter to homer off the Dodgers aces Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke this season, joining Kole Calhoun of the Angels.
Beyond Kershaw and Greinke, the starting rotation struggled with the absence of No. 3 starter Hyun-Jin Ryu, whose ailing left shoulder cost him the season.
“Daniel was a tough out all series”, said Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly.
But the Mets won a 13-7 slugfest at Citi Field in Game 3 and, despite losing to Kershaw the next night, accomplished something many thought highly improbable – beating Kershaw and Greinke twice in a five-game series.
After Justin Turner led off the inning with a double, Ethier followed with a popup to left.
New York trailed 2-1 in the fourth inning when, with three infielders on the right side and no one near third, Murphy strolled to second on Lucas Duda’s fourth-inning walk and sprinted to third.
Mets manager Terry Collins said he had his hook out at least four times for deGrom. Familia retired pinch-hitter Chase Utley – who earned the Mets’ wrath after his takeout slide broke shortstop Ruben Tejada’s leg in Game 2 – on a flyout leading off the ninth.
After the final out, the Mets swarmed the mound, jumping up and down in unison. He was loudly cheered by a small group of blue and orange-clad Mets fans when he came on the field after the game.
“What a team win”, Murphy said. “To get to the first round and be one and done, it’s pretty frustrating”.
The reigning NL rookie of the year gave up six hits, struck out seven and had three walks in six innings. The right-hander, who turns 32 next week, has the option of voiding the last three years of his contract – worth $71 million – and becoming a free agent.
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“I was pitching good, I was feeling confident”, Greinke said.
