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SPORTSTuesday 20 October 2015
Murphy HRs again; Mets beat Cubs for 2-0 NLCS lead
RONALD BLUM And ahead of his start
AP Baseball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Daniel against the Cubs, Synder-
Murphy hit his fifth playoff
homer and rookie Noah gaard changed the photo
Syndergaard outpitched
Chicago Cubs ace Jake atop his Twitter page to
Arrieta, sending the New
York Mets to a 4-1 victory a shot featuring lightning
and a 2-0 lead in the Na-
tional League Champion- striking Chicago’s famous
ship Series.
Arrieta, baseball’s most Willis Tower.
dominant pitcher since
the All-Star break, had not Having made the first re-
even settled in when Mur-
phy homered for the fourth lief appearance of his big
straight game, a two-run
drive just inside the right- league career in Game
field pole in a three-run first
inning. 5 against the Dodgers,
Given the quick lead on a
chilly night, Syndergaard Syndergaard came out
kept the bats of Chicago’s
young sluggers on ice with throwing 99 mph darts until
shutout ball into the sixth in-
ning. the the sixth, when Dexter
Curtis Granderson robbed
Chris Coghlan of a likely Fowler singled and scored
home run with a leaping
grab at the center-field on Kris Byrant’s two-out
wall, swiped a pair of bas-
es and scored two runs for double off the left-field
the Mets.
After beating Clayton Ker- wall.
shaw, Zack Greinke, Jon
Lester and Arrieta, the Mets Jon Niese came in and
are two wins from reaching
their first World Series since struck out Anthony Rizzo,
2000.
New York starts NL Rookie squelching Chicago’s
of the Year Jacob deGrom
when the series resumes comeback hopes.
Tuesday at Wrigley Field.
Syndergaard allowed
three hits, struck out nine
and walked one.
Jeurys Familia’s fourth
postseason save finished a
New York Mets’ Daniel Murphy hits a two-run home run during the first inning of Game 2 of the five-pitcher five-hitter and
National League baseball championship series against the Chicago Cubs Sunday, Oct. 18, 2015,
in New York. sent the Cubs to consecu-
Associated Press tive losses for the first time
since they dropped three
in a row from Sept. 23-26.
Chicago goes with Kyle Greinke and Lester, Murphy known for his fierce storms Chicago skipped batting
Hendricks, part of the less- added his fifth home run of
than-imposing back end of the postseason, giving him — after he tweeted a pho- practice because of the
its rotation. eight RBIs in seven games.
Long, blond locks flowing to of himself in costume do- hot weather, but Arrieta
If the long-downtrodden out the back of his cap,
Cubs are to reach the Syndergaard seems to be ing squats on Halloween took the mound in short
World Series for the first taking on a bit of the cocki-
time since 1945, they must ness of Game 1 winner two years ago. sleeves.
first force the best-of-seven Matt Harvey.
NLCS back to Citi Field next He gained the nickname After the Mets beat the He had not given up a first-
weekend. Thor — the Norse god
After homering off Kershaw, Dodgers in the Division Se- inning run in 25 consecutive
ries, the rookie tweeted, starts since May 29. With his
“Our enemy has been velocity down slightly, he
vanquished.......Odin is found himself trailing after
pleased” — a reference to nine pitches and down 3-0
Thor’s father. after 13.q
Grella scores fastest goal in
MLS history, Red Bulls win 4-1
The Associated Press goalkeeper Andre Blake. Sebastien Le Toux scored Los Angeles Galaxy defender Leonardo, right, and Portland Tim-
HARRISON, New Jersey Tim Cahill scored the pre- for the Union in the 55th bers forward Fanendo Adi battle for a Associated Press ball in
(AP) — Mike Grella took vious fastest goal at 8 sec- minute. In Washington, the first half of an MLS soccer game in Carson, Calif., Sunday,
just 7 seconds to score onds in the Red Bulls’ 3-0 Chris Pontius scored in the Oct. 18, 2015.
the quickest ever Major victory over the Houston 39th minute and D.C. Unit-
League Soccer goal as the Dynamo on Oct. 20, 2013. ed added three second- Associated Press
New York Red Bulls beat Grella also scored in the half goals to beat the Chi-
the Philadelphia Union 4-1 17th minute to give New cago Fire 4-0. headed home Fabian Es- Palmer’s deflection in the
on Sunday to earn the top York a 3-0 lead. United moved into second pindola’s corner in the 67th 71st, and Alvaro Saborio
seed in the Eastern Confer- Wright-Phillips added his place in the East and can minute, Espindola knocked volleyed in a high-arching
ence playoffs. 16th goal of the season on secure an automatic berth in a left-footer with the deflection from point-blank
Grella raced to the ball a right-footed volley in the in the conference semifi- benefit of defender Lovel range in the 80th.q
and attacked the open fourth minute. Kemar Law- nals with a win over Colum-
lane after flat-footed mid- rence scored his first MLS bus in the regular-season
fielder Michael Lahoud al- goal to make it 4-0 just be- finale. Pontius opened the
lowed the initial backpass fore the half. scoring when he pushed
to roll past him. With Ste- The Red Bulls are level with the ball past Chicago’s Jon
ven Vitoria backpedaling, FC Dallas in the Supporters’ Busch with a heavy touch
Grella juked left and sent a Shield race for the overall and raced behind the
left-footed shot deflecting regular-season title with goalkeeper to finish in the
off the defender and past one game left. open net. Bobby Boswell
