NLCS 2015: Murphy sets Mets postseason record with home run off Arrieta

His strong peripherals and consistent velocity in that game suggest that the poor outing was likely just the law of averages finally catching up to him, but for the first time in months, there’s reason to have less than 100% confidence in Arrieta heading into a start.

The Mets might have bottomed out during a three-game sweep by the Cubs from June 30 to July 2 during which they were outscored 9-1. Adrian Gonzalez opened the scoring with an RBI single and he later scored on Justin Turner’s two-run single. And as it turns out, the very public early-September flap over Matt Harvey’s innings limit, the same one that threatened the Dark Knight image the young pitcher established in the early part of his Major League career, now looks merely like the part of the story in which Gotham doubts Batman or laments his absence or questions his motivations just before he comes surging back to save the city from its greatest nemesis at the moment it needs him most. Jeurys Familia got four outs for his third playoff save and the Mets jumped ahead in their first NLCS since 2006.

Time for the Chicago Cubs to hit the panic button.

Daniel Murphy blasted a home run in the first inning off Cubs starter Jon Lester. There were a couple plays at the plate, too, one of which involved a fantastic throw from Yoenis Cespedes.

There were no hiccups from the Mets on Saturday as Murphy whipped the sellout crowd into a frenzy with a two-out, first-inning homer into the second deck in right field. By taking Clayton Kershaw (twice), Zack Greinke and Lester deep, the second baseman has tagged $517 million worth of pitchers in these playoffs.

Granderson’s soft RBI single on an 0-2 pitch from Lester put the Mets up 2-1 in the fifth, and d’Arnaud hit a 431-foot drive in the sixth.

The inning began on an ominous note when Ben Zobrist floated a soft pop fly into shallow right that left Ryan Goins and Jose Bautista staring at each other to make the easy catch as the ball fell fair. Reports suggest that the ball will soon have the equivalent of a glassy mausoleum erected on top of the right field video board as a reminder of the franchise’s first-ever series clincher since 1916.

Neither of the Blue Jays wound up catching it. After posting a 1.77 ERA in the regular season, he allowed four runs and five hits over 5 2/3 innings in Game 3 of the NLDS but still picked up the win. He exited after giving up a leadoff walk to Jhonny Peralta in the fourth. He allowed four earned runs in that win, which was news for the right-hander considering allowed four earned runs total in his previous 13 starts. While it’s hard to know how Game 1 would’ve turned out with Arrieta on the hill, it will all be null-and-void if the Cubs’ ace can lead his team to victory in Game 2.

The series continues with Game 2 at Citi Field on Sunday. All but three of the previous 25 teams to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven era have won the series – though Toronto did rally from the same hole to beat the Rangers in five games in the division round. They feature the classic Blue M logo and ads from 2003.

Still, the Cubs have chosen to ensconce Schwarber’s home run ball in a plastic box atop the videoboard for all to see. Edwin Encarnacion and Troy Tulowitzki added to the lead in the sixth.