The New York Mets advanced to the National League Championship Series by winning 3-2 at the Los Angeles Dodgers in the decisive Game 5 on Thursday, with Daniel Murphy responsible for the tying and go-ahead runs.
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First, take a look back at the three stars of the divisional series.
To no surprise, the blame game started immediately after the Los Angeles Dodgers were eliminated from the NLDS in five games by the New York Mets.
This is an obvious call. After a quiet Game 2 and 3, Murphy homered off of Kershaw again for the Mets’ lone run in Game 4.
Pick up the latest Mets poststeason shirts, caps and more! Yoenis Cespedes, Michael Conforto, Lucas Duda, David Wright, Curtis Granderson, and Travis d’Arnaud all finished the year between a 131 and 135 wRC+. Murphy went 3-4 on the night.
Murphy was also responsible for an RBI double in the first inning which gave the Mets a 1-0 lead. Indeed, he has averaged 205 innings a year since returning to full-time starting duties in 2008, and that number would’ve been higher if not for that freak collar bone injury he got when Carlos Quentin charged the mound on him back in 2013.
Greinke did a fair enough job for the Dodgers, striking out nine over six and two-thirds.
The Mets pitching dominated the second half of the game, and the Dodgers were unable to get their offense going to tie up the game.
There’s a reason the Mets picked deGrom to start Game 1: he’s the ace.
“We have a good team here”, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez said. In another deciding game against the Dodgers, Game 7 of the NLCS in 1988, Ron Darling was knocked out in the second inning, giving up six runs (four earned) in one inning (he faced five batters in the second, retiring none of them). In Game Five they stranded runners in scoring position from the second through the sixth inning. But the love-in from Mets fans has been a long time coming because, like them, Murphy has been through the tough times. He gave up two runs in the first but settled and allowed six hits with seven strikeouts and three walks in six innings. Murphy joined the Angels’ Kole Calhoun as the only players to homer off both Clayton Kershaw and Greinke in 2015. It played very well, although there are still a few concerns about it. Joe Maddon will have to dial up the right combinations in the pen and if he is able to do so the Cubs have to like their chances. He went with his closer Jeurys Familia for a potential 6 out save. Beyond the perfection, Familia was incredibly efficient. “We’ve just got to keep moving forward”, said Joe Maddon, Cubs manager.
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Daniel Murphy’s usual walkup music is “Shipping Up to Boston” by the Dropkick Murphys, and Murphy showed in Game 5 that if the Mets allow him to ship out after the season as expected, they will be making a big mistake.
