Murphy homered in the sixth for a 3-2 lead, driving a 93 miles per hour pitch about a dozen rows into the right-field seats.
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The game, as predicted, was incredibly tense and a true pitchers’ duel. “Why would you ever think to point the finger at the manager?” catcher Yasmani Grandal said after the Game 5 loss to the New York Mets.
On top of all the Dodgers’ failures Thursday, St. Louis, the team that dramatically ended their past two postseasons, already had been eliminated by the Chicago Cubs, meaning the Dodgers would have advanced free of any psychological scars.
The big-spending Dodgers, with a payroll of US$289 million, remained without a World Series title since 1988.
Who’s to blame? The players are adamant it’s not manager Don Mattingly.
Greinke (1-1) gave up three runs and six hits in 62/3 innings. Third baseman Justin Turner and right fielder Andre Ethier brought home shortstop Corey Seager and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez for a 2-1 Los Angeles lead.
Ethier returned to the dugout and began yelling at Mattingly while simultaneously walking away from him. With Orel Hershiser on the mound, the game was over, and the Mets went on to lose, 6-0.
Anyway, by now you know that the Mets beat the Dodgers in Los Angeles by a score of 3-2.
Los Angeles failed to capitalize with two runners on in both the second and third.
New York is looking to advance to the World Series for the first time in 15 years, the longest absence in franchise history but one the Cubs and all their pained, loyal followers certainly scoff at. “It was nothing more than trying to settle him down”.
Asked whether he intends to pitch inside again Friday night, Volquez replied: “Of course”.
Unlike many postseasons, this one looks like it could be the year of the bat.
“I’m not a mind reader”.
“He’s about as locked in as I’ve seen a hitter”, Wright said. That’s a power-laden club over there.
When he spoke previous year about his contract situation, Greinke said what he would do would be based in part on the contracts Max Scherzer and Jon Lester landed.
Marco Estrada started for the Blue Jays and allowed three runs in five and a third innings.
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.
Bautista’s reaction wasn’t taken well by the Rangers, who essentially called it bush league, and the entire affair touched off a wide-spread debate about decorum. “That, I would say, you can still accept them but I do disagree with the lifestyle, 100 percent”. 333 and getting a hit in all five games.
“I freaked out when I caught it, and then you’ve got to make the throw”, Murphy said.
The Dodgers apparently gave him a day off every four days or so, which makes sense considering he only played in 126 games. Game 5 was the Murphy show for the Mets, as he was responsible in one way or another for all three runs they scored.
There was plenty of emotion in that series, too. That became that much more evident after he posted the best earned run average (1.66) in the majors. There are no two better matched and exciting teams in all of baseball right now. Right now, there’s definitely no one on the Mets that I want in a big spot than Murphy, and he delivered.
For the Dodgers, the key to victory, as it has been for Zack Greinke starts all season, is being able to score enough runs to get Greinke, and the team, the win. “I think we sincerely pull for each other and it’s made this season exciting”. And yet when they prove they really care, a few people disapprove.
Game 2 in the best-of-seven set is Sunday night, with Cubs ace Jake Arrieta facing rookie Noah Syndergaard.
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“We didn’t lose because of Donnie”, said utility player Enrique Hernandez, . “We should have won this game”.
