The Cinderella 2015 season for the New York Mets lives on for another series.
Queens’ home team defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 in a nail-biting fifth and deciding game of the National League Division Series played at Dodger Stadium Thursday night. The Mets move on to play the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series, with Game 1 taking place Saturday night at Citi Field.
Starting pitcher Jacob deGrom didn’t have his best stuff, but managed to hold the Dodgers to just two runs over six innings. Second-baseman Daniel Murphy proved to be the offensive hero for the Mets, striking the decisive blow in the sixth with a solo home run off Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke.
Noah Syndergaard, normally part of the starting rotation, came on in relief of deGrom to pitch a scoreless seventh before Mets manager Terry Collins turned to closer Jeurys Familia to get the final six outs. One of those outs was Dodgers bench player Chase Utley, who garnered the wrath of Mets fans for a controversial slide in Game 2 that broke shortstop Ruben Tejada’s leg.
Utley, who is appealing a two-game suspension for the play, flied out to right field to lead off the bottom of the ninth. Familia then struck out A.J. Ellis and Howie Kendrick to clinch the series for the Mets.
The Mets will fly back to New York and begin the best-of-seven NLCS against the wild card Cubs. It’s also the first time both franchises will meet in the postseason. The Mets are looking to return to the World Series for the first time since 2000, while the Cubs — who haven’t won a World Championship since 1908 — last appeared in the World Series in 1945.
Collins announced that Matt Harvey would start Game 1 for the Mets.
Now it’s really time to celebrate!!! #MetsWIN! #LGM pic.twitter.com/fezsXCjFWB
— New York Mets (@Mets) October 16, 2015
