Remembering Mets History (2015) NLDS Game #5: Murph's Multi- Hit/ Multi- RBI Game Leads Mets to NLCS

October 15th, 2015: Dodger Stadium- Los Angeles, California. A large crowd of 54,602 came to Dodger Stadium for the deciding Game #5 as the series was tied at 2-2. 

Two nights earlier, in Game #4, the Dodgers surprised the Mets with a 3-1 win behind Clayton Kershaw at Citi Field with centerfieldmaz in attendance.

For the Series finale, Terry Collins sent Game One winner, Jacob deGrom to the mound to face L.A.'s Zack Greinke, the Game Two winner.

In the top of the 1st inning, Curtis Granderson reached safely on a ground ball to Justin Turner at third base. Terry Collins challenged the original out call & the play was overturned.

Daniel Murphy the offensive star of the game, then doubled to left field bringing in Granderson with the game's first run. It was Murph's fourth RBI of the series & his first double, he had now hit safely in all five games.

In the bottom of the 1st the Dodgers answered right back, with four consecutive singles, first by Cory Seager & Adrian Gonzalez, then RBI singles from Justin Turner & Andre Ethier made it 2-1 L.A. Jacob deGrom struck out Yasmani Grandal & Enrique Hernandez to end the inning. deGrom would be pitching himself out of trouble most of the night, as 57 of his 107 pitches were made with runners in scoring position.

In the bottom of the 2nd, he walked Joc Pederson then Wilmer Flores error at short but two on, with one out. But deGrom struck out Corey Seager & Adrian Gonzalez to get out of the inning.

In the bottom of the 3rd, Justin Turner led off with a double then stole third. Yasmani Grandal reached on a walk putting two men on with one out. deGrom then got Enrique Hernandez to hit a comebacker to the mound, turning a 1-5-3 double play to end the inning. 

In the top of the 4th inning, Daniel Murphy singled with his second hit of the game to lead off the inning.

As Lucas Duda drew a one out walk, Daniel Murphy made one of the biggest plays of the series.

The Dodgers had the shift on for Duda, with all fielders on the right side of the infield as no one was covering third base.

As Duda drew the walk, Murph moved ahead to second base &then quickly dashed over to third base sliding in safely.  

Quotes-Met broadcaster Howie Rose: "It's probably the most famous stolen base in Mets history."

Quotes- Daniel Murphy: "Just trying to casually walk to second and hoping that nobody called
time because, I look like an idiot if somebody calls time and I run to third. I'm not sure who was supposed to cover, but there was nobody there. I'm not the fleetest of foot, but just fast enough for that one."

It was a huge Dodger blunder, coming in a big game. The next batter Travis d'Arnaud, hit a sac fly to right field, Murph safely scampered home with the tying run, making it a 2-2 ball game.

In the bottom of the 5th Justin Turner doubled for the second time but was left stranded on second as Andre Ethier popped out & Jacob deGrom struck out Yasmani Grandal to end the inning with his seventh strike out of the game.

In the top of the 6th inning, Daniel Murphy continued his hot hitting once again, with a solo HR putting the Mets ahead.  

Murph Trivia: It was the third hit of the game for Murph as he raised his series average to .333. It was his third HR of the NLDS & his second one off Zack Greinke. Murph had now homered in back-to-back games as well., with this one to be the game winner, as the Mets would go on to the 3-2 win.

Murph would have three of the Mets seven hits on the night, driving in two runs & scoring two runs.

Quotes- Daniel Murphy: "We went back and forth the whole at-bat. He has just a good changeup he locates so well. I got 3-2 right there and I finally got a heater in the zone I was looking in all night. Middle-in, I was able to keep it fair." "What a team win, it felt like everybody got a piece of this one."

The 7th, an inning had been a problem for the Mets bullpen as of late, tonight Mets manager Terry Collins brought in rookie Noah Syndergaard, despite saying before the game he would not use him. 

Syndergaard was the losing pitcher in Game # 2 allowing three runs, four walks while striking out nine in 6.1 innings.

Noah got Howie Kendrick to ground out, then struck out Corey Segar. After walking Adrian Gonzalez, he struck out Justin Turner to end the inning with a spectacular relief effort.

In the bottom of the 8th inning, manager Terry Collins then called upon his closer, Jeurys Familia to do something he did not do all year, to get a six out save. 

Familia got Andre Ethier to ground out, then Carl Crawford lined out to left field & Jimmy Rollins easily grounded out to Lucas Duda at first base.

In the top of the 9th inning, Familia actually got an at bat & struck out to end the inning with men two on base. Collins could not replace him with a pinch hitter as his plan almost backfired.

In the bottom of the 9th, pinch hitter Chase Utley lined out to right field for the first out. Familia took care of business striking out AJ Ellis & Howie Kendrick to end the game.

With the 3-2 victory, the Mets took the NLDS three games to two as they advanced to the franchise's eighth NLCS to face the Chicago Cubs.

Quotes- Manager Terry Collins: "We have a tough game, something doesn't go right, we bounce back. We've done it all year long. We have tremendous heart. There is nothing else to say. We have some young guys and veteran guys. They meshed together. It's been a blast."