Mets manager Collins ponders roots after NLCS win

Second baseman Daniel Murphy continued his improbable home-run streak as the New York Mets completed their four-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series and advanced to the World Series for the first time in 15 years. Toronto beat Kansas City to force a game six in the ALCS.

By wrapping it up fast, the Mets can now set up their imposing rotation how they want for the World Series. World series will start next week and an important historical note here guys, the curse of the Billy goat of the Chicago cubs put in place back in 1945.

A few history was made, too.

The Mets averaged 5.3 runs per game against the Cubs, making it only the fifth playoff series where they averaged more than five runs per game.

While the Cubs went yard often against the St. Louis Cardinals, they failed to connect as often versus the Mets.

“I think we’re in a place nobody expected us to be and we can be proud of that”, Bryant said.

Murphy has 11 RBIs, still well short of Freese’s record-setting 21 RBIs in 2011 but definitely impressive when you consider that he has had to face a nightmare crew of opposing pitchers that included Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta. Soler finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Murphy is not a slugger-really he isn’t it-but that didn’t stop him from turning a Fernando Rodney pitch around, 415-feet to centerfield, in the eighth inning to give the Mets an 8-1 lead.

“The Karate Kid” has been referenced several times this postseason, especially after the Mets first round matchup with the Los Angeles Dodges when second baseman Chase Utley took out New York shortstop Reuben Tejada with a nasty slide. Both Kauffman Stadium and the Rogers Centre can get very loud, but the Mets have shown that they are not fazed by wild road crowds and that could play out in the World Series.

It wasn’t just the long-ball that was going for Murphy either.

Murphy broke the postseason mark set by Houston’s Carlos Beltran in 2004 with a two-run drive in the eighth inning.

Murphy, who only hit 14 home runs during the regular season, grabbed the series MVP award. “But to be one of four standing at the end of the year and still playing meaningful games in the middle of October is pretty special”.

Manager Terry Collins’ team never trailed for a single inning in taking all four games in the NL Championship Series.

Curtis Granderson stole second in the first inning Wednesday.

Collins said Teufel “spends hours putting together defensive alignment on different guys, depending on who is pitching, depending on situations and what the counts may be”.

The Mets swept the Cubs in the best-of-seven NLCS. No hover boards or self-tying sneakers, and the Cubs are definitely not going to the World Series. “There is going to be a time, which we’ve had this summer, where a ball was hit where if you were just in the normal – you’d be there”. Not only that, I think the biggest thing for me is they know how to compete.