Mets Sweep NLCS, on to World Series!

The Mets will be in the World Series for the first time in 15 years after completing the sweep Wednesday night of the Cubs in the NLCS.

As they have done all series long, the Mets jumped out to an early lead. Curtis Granderson led off the game with a single. With two outs he stole second and Yoenis Cespedes walked. Then Lucas Duda, who has been so terrible in this post-season, hit a home run into the seats in right center. Travis d’Arnaud followed with a home run and just like that the Mets had a 4-0 lead.

Duda made it 6-0 in the second with a two-run single. The Mets wanted to end this thing early.

They got a bit of bad news in the middle of the second when Cespedes was removed from the game with what is being called a sore shoulder. He has six days to rest up before the World Series starts next Tuesday.

Steven Matz was cruising along until the fourth when he allowed a leadoff double — the first hit off of him. He followed that with a walk. A single loaded the bases with no one out. Starlin Castro hit a screaming line drive right at David Wright. He nabbed it for the first out. Kyle Schwarber grounded out to Duda to score the first Cub run. Javier Baez fouled out to end the inning. Matz was lucky to escape the inning by allowing just one run.

With two outs in the fifth, Dexter Fowler lofted a pop fly down the line in right. It fell between Granderson and Daniel Murphy. Fowler only made it to first. That was big because Jorge Soler singled; Fowler probably would have scored if he was on second. With Terry Collins in no mood to take chances, he lifted Matz. So with runners on first and second with two outs, it was Bartolo Colon. He struck out Kris Bryant to end the inning.

Matz went 4.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits. He struck out four and walked two.

Wilmer Flores led off the sixth with a triple that got by a diving Schwarber. Luckily, the ball did not get stuck in the ivy on almost the exact same hit by Flores the previous night. He was stranded there after three infield ground outs.

Murphy led off the second with a double to deep center. It looked for a moment like it was going to be a homer for a sixth straight game, but it landed on the warning track. Juan Lagares bunted him over to third. Duda walked. d’Arnaud got hit by a pitch on the hand (he stayed in the game, but hopefully the injury-prone d’Arnaud is okay) to load the bases. Pinch hitter Kelly Johnson struck out. Flores flied out to end the inning.

Murphy was just waiting for the eighth, when he did indeed homer to center, a two-run shot to extend the lead to 8-1. He now holds the record for homers in consecutive playoff games. He has seven home runs in the post-season. Just unbelievable.

Colon went 1.1 scoreless innings and got credit for the win. Addison Reed pitched the seventh. Tyler Clippard allowed a two-run homer to Bryant in the eighth to make it 8-3. Jeurys Familia came on to close out the game in the ninth.

Mets win 8-3. Now they wait to see who they will play in the World Series. Who ever thought they would be reading that?!