Whether that approach will carry against a much tougher Mets pitching staff, however, remains to be seen. Young talent is growing up—and giving the Mets championship hope. Please visit our SB Nation Mets site Amazin' Avenue. The First Pitch Thread and all the overflow threads will be published in that stream, as well as the recap. In the NLCS opener, Murphy immediately took charge. Perhaps more important is Lester's career postseason pitching line: 15 games (13 starts), 91⅓ innings, 2.66 ERA, 1.051 WHIP. He threw 97 pitches in five innings five days ago in Game 3 of the Division Series against the Dodgers, allowing seven hits and two walks. Just as for the Mets, the Cubs offensive lineup is far different than it was the last time Harvey faced them (no Kyle Schwarber or Javier Baez in that game). Harvey retired 12 in a row to start the game, taking a perfect game into the fifth before hitting Anthony Rizzo with a pitch to lead off the frame. "He was absolutely on top of his game," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of Harvey after the game. A coincidence? The 2015 Game Thread procedure has changed a bit. In the first NLCS game ever played at Citi Field, the Mets nabbed a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs. He threw 189⅓ innings in the regular season, and had his pitch counts limited after early September. 2015 MLB playoffs: Start times released for ALCS, NLCS Major League Baseball has released all game times for the Blue Jays-Royals ALCS and Cubs-Mets NLCS. After going 2 for 18 in the division series, meanwhile, Lucas Duda found himself on the bench for the championship series opener, with Michael Cuddyer taking his spot at first base. With none on and two out in the bottom of the first, he took two pitches, then blasted a 1–1 cutter from Lester into the upper deck in rightfield for his fourth home run of the playoffs to make it 1–0 Mets. They will also appear in the game's StoryStream™ as noted above. Baez eventually got to third on a stolen base and a throwing error by Travis d'Arnaud, but Harvey stranded him. The controversy about limiting Harvey's innings this year is well-known, in his first year back after Tommy John surgery. One more thing to get you in the mood for baseball! From there, Harvey ran into trouble only twice more. You decide. The Cubs are expecting reduced capacities at Wrigley Field in 2021. Mets: Fresh off his relief appearance in Game 5 of the NLDS against the Dodgers, Syndergaard will start NLCS Game 2 Sunday at Citi Field. The Mets, too, are an expansion team. #LetsGo Preview: http://t.co/xOytGAcAZM #FlyTheW pic.twitter.com/mBYyU244Nk. Schwarber’s home run aside, though, the offense couldn’t find its rhythm. This one won't be easy, but if the Cubs can be patient with Harvey and run up his pitch count, that could be the key to success. Manager Terry Collins stuck with his righty for the eighth, where Harvey retired pinch-hitter Chris Coghlan and Dexter Fowler before Kyle Schwarber unloaded a solo homer to deep right center to make it 4–2. Murphy, the Mets’ veteran second baseman, came into the NLCS swinging the hottest bat of any regular: Over the course of five games against the Dodgers in the NLDS, Murphy hit .333/.333/.810 with three homers and five runs driven in. The Mets need more than Granderson and Murphy to keep their title hopes alive. I've been trying to think about what to put here that you haven't already read or thought about, and frankly, there really isn't much we haven't already gone over and over and over. Let by Matt Harvey on the mound, New York held a red-hot Chicago offense in check, while unexpected postseason heroes Daniel Murphy and Curtis Granderson keyed the offense as it took down Jon Lester.