Down three games to none in the NLCS, the Chicago Cubs needed a miracle to keep their postseason run going. They didn’t get it on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field, going down to the New York Mets in an 8-3 loss that completed a four-game sweep.
The Mets are off to their first World Series since 2000. For the Cubs, their World Series drought extends past 70 years. (The team last made it to the Fall Classic in 1945, and last won a championship in 1908.)
If there was any belief among the Cubs and their fans that getting back into this series by winning a game was possible, those hopes were quickly crushed by the Mets as they jumped out to a 4-0 first-inning lead. Lucas Duda, who came into Wednesday’s NLCS Game 4 with a slash average of .125/.192/.125, hit a three-run homer to knock the wind out of Wrigley Field. Travis d’Arnaud followed up with another home run to essentially send the Cubs to the mat.
Duda also had a two-run double in the second inning to increase the Mets’ lead to 6-0 and the game was all but over. The first baseman batted 3-for-4 with that home run, a walk and five RBI in a breakout night. He was really the only hole in the Mets lineup, with manager Terry Collins sitting him in Game 1 of the series against left-hander Jon Lester. But Duda picked the best time possible to shake off his postseason struggles, practically beating the Cubs by himself.
The Cubs built a potential rally in the sixth inning, loading the bases on a Jorge Soler double, Kris Bryant walk and and Anthony Rizzo single. No outs and the bases loaded? It was looking like we might have a ballgame, after all. But Starlin Castro hit a line drive right to David Wright at third base, which killed the buzz of a multi-run inning. Actually, that sentence doesn’t describe the play well enough. Castro crushed a line drive, one that actually got behind Wright. But the Mets’ captain timed his jump perfectly and snagged the ball out of the air.
But if you either watched or didn’t watch Game 4, the question you may have had going in — besides whether the Mets would end the series or the Cubs might stay alive — is if Daniel Murphy could hit yet another home run? I mean, there was no way, right? Murphy has had an incredible postseason and it’s fun to make jokes about how much he’s increased his free agent value because of that performance, but the Mets’ second baseman is still a mortal man. Or is he? He may not be.
Entering the eighth inning, Murphy had already hit two singles and a double in four at-bats. Cubs reliever Fernando Rodney had struck out the first two batters of the inning, but then walked Wright to bring Murphy to the plate. Even with Wright on first base, it was probably better to just walk Murphy and face Juan Lagares (the replacement for Yoenis Cespedes, who left the game with a sore shoulder), right? Instead, Rodney left a fastball out over the plate and Murphy crushed it to center field. Did it leave the ballpark? Oh, yes — he did it again.
If you’re keeping count and by now, you really should be that’s six consecutive playoff games in which Murphy has hit a home run. He’s hit seven overall during this incredible October run by the Mets, which is only one behind the postseason record held by Barry Bonds, Nelson Cruz and Carlos Beltran. And he has at least another four games coming up in the World Series.
We’ll have more on the Cubs here at The Outside Corner on Thursday, recapping an ascendant season in which they became a playoff team, probably a year ahead of schedule. (Though expectations were high after getting manager Joe Maddon and free agent pitcher Jon Lester, with a bushel of young talent ready to emerge.)
But Wednesday night was about the Mets finishing off a four-game sweep with dominant pitching, powerful hitting and aggressive speed on the basepaths. They await the winner of the ALCS between the Blue Jays and Royals, who are set to play Game 6 of their series on Friday. The Mets will have five days to savor their NLCS victory, as the World Series won’t begin until Tuesday, Oct. 27.