Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Jon Lester and now Jake Arrieta. No one can hold back the star Daniel Murphy and the Mets. Murphy homered for the fourth straight game in the playoffs, this time against the leader of the biggest victories, and New York won 4-1 on Sunday against the Cubs to take a 2-0 lead in the National League championship series.
The two-run homer capped three runs for the Mets against a pitcher who had been untouchable in the first inning during the last five months and now had his shortest outing of the year opening. For the second straight night, the Mets starter struck out nine batters in Chicago. Noah Syndergaard did in six and two-thirds innings allowing just three hits and one run.
On a cold night, where the temperature dropped to 5 degrees Celsius (41 Fahrenheit), Arrieta was found down 3-0 after just 13 pitches. Curtis Granderson led off the bottom of the first with a single and then scored on David Wright double over center fielder Dexter Fowler.
Then, Murphy caught a curve on a 1-2 count from Arrieta to the left field foul pole. Murphy became the eighth batsman in history to shake homers in four consecutive playoff games, and the first since Evan Longoria in 2008 with the Rays. It was Murphy’s fifth homer this postseason, Arrieta, Kershaw and Greinke looming as favorite to form the three most voted for the Cy Young Award.
The last time the Cubs ace had allowed runs in the first inning was on May 29 against Kansas City, a total of 25 starts, including the current playoffs. It was also the second time he allowed at least three runs in the first. Curtis Granderson robbed Chris Coghlan homered and conceived the fourth run in New York when he led off the third with a walk. Granderson proceeded to steal second base, then third, scoring by an infield single. The Dominican Family Jeurys handled the ninth to score his fourth save of the postseason, and the second of this series.
After a day off on Monday, Kyle Hendricks will open for the Cubs in the game against Jacob deGrom Tuesday night, when the series will move to Wrigley Field. With the format of best in seven games, 22 of the last 25 teams that started 2-0 ended up winning the series.
