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          New York Mets

          Mets headed to World Series after sweeping Cubs with 8-3 win

          • Adam Rubin, ESPN Staff WriterOct 22, 2015, 03:39 AM
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              Adam Rubin has covered the Mets since 2003. He's a graduate of Mepham High School on Long Island and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He joined ESPNNewYork after spending 10 years at the New York Daily News.
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          CHICAGO -- The New York Mets are headed to the World Series for the fifth time in franchise history.

          Slumping Lucas Duda erupted with five RBIs -- matching the most in a postseason game in franchise history -- and the Amazin's completed a sweep of the Chicago Cubs with an 8-3 win in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday at Wrigley Field.

          The pennant-clinching victory capped the first four-game postseason sweep in the franchise's 54-year history. The Mets became only the sixth team in major league history to never trail while sweeping a best-of-seven series, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

          And how about this for history? Daniel Murphy's two-run homer in the eighth gave him a long ball in six straight games. That's a new postseason record. Murphy entered the night tied with Carlos Beltran, who homered in five straight postseason games with the Houston Astros in 2004. Beltran signed for seven years, $119 million with the Mets that winter.

          The Cubs remain in search of their first World Series title since 1908.

          Thumbs-up: Duda had struggled throughout the postseason, going only 3-for-24 entering Game 4 of the NLCS. He awakened at a critical time. Duda delivered a three-run homer against Jason Hammel in the first inning. He then delivered a two-run double in the second against reliever Travis Wood to lift the Mets to a 6-0 lead.

          Duda became the fifth player in franchise history to produce five RBIs in a postseason game. He joined Curtis Granderson (Game 3 versus the Dodgers), Carlos Delgado (2006), Edgardo Alfonzo (1999) and Rusty Staub (1973).

          Travis d'Arnaud immediately followed Duda's first-inning homer with his own long ball. It marked only the second time in postseason history that Mets batters produced back-to-back homers. The other instance: Darryl Strawberry and Kevin McReynolds in the fourth inning of Game 4 of the 1988 NLCS against Los Angeles.

          The Mets scored in the first inning in all four NLCS games, and have done so in five straight games including the Game 5 win at Dodger Stadium in the division series.

          With three long balls on Wednesday, the Mets now have a franchise-record 14 postseason homers, with a round still to go. The previous record was 12 in 1969.

          Steven Matz held the Cubs hitless the first turn through the lineup, then got into trouble in the fourth when Chicago loaded the bases with none out. Starlin Castro proceeded to smoke a liner, but David Wright snared it at third base. Kyle Schwarber followed with an RBI groundout, but that was the lone run the Cubs produced in the frame as Matz escaped with a 6-1 lead. Cubs hitters had been 0-for-28 in the series leading off innings before Jorge Soler doubled to open the fourth, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

          Matz was pulled with two on and two outs in the fifth. He fell one out shy of qualifying for the victory. Bartolo Colon entered and struck out Kris Bryant to strand the pair of inherited runners.

          Colon notched his first postseason win since 2001 with Cleveland. His 14-year, 12-day gap between postseason victories is the longest in major league history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The previous record belonged to Milt Wilcox at 14 years (Oct. 5, 1970 to Oct. 5, 1984).

          Thumbs down: Yoenis Cespedes departed the game in the second inning with what the team labeled as left shoulder soreness. Cespedes reported that he was unable to lift the shoulder, manager Terry Collins said on the in-game telecast.

          Juan Lagares took over in center field.

          Also, Wilmer Flores took a knee in the head from shortstop Javier Baez while stealing second base in the first inning, but he remained in the game. D'Arnaud then was hit by a pitch in the right wrist/hand in the seventh. He, too, continued.

          What's next: The Word Series opens Tuesday in the American League ballpark. The Kansas City Royals lead the ALCS 3-2 over the Toronto Blue Jays.