IGT - NLCS Game 2 - Cubs at Mets - Sun, 10/18/15, 8:07 PM

[Gwreck]

Let's Go Mets!

[Guest El Segundo Escupidor]

[Guest themetfairy]

Kill KILL KILL!!!

[Guest d'Kong76]

2WhlcwcznSo
GAME: Chicago Cubs (101-67) at New York Mets (94-74)
DATE/TIME: Sunday, October 18 - 8:00 PM EST
WHERE: Citi Field, New York City, New York
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A
Playoff Series: League Championship; NY Mets leads 1-0
Covers Media Group, Ltd.

The Chicago Cubs send ace Jake Arrieta to the mound against the host New York Mets on Sunday in hopes of evening the National League Championship Series at one win apiece. New York limited Chicago to five hits in the opener and received solo homers from the red-hot Daniel Murphy and Travis d'Arnaud en route to a 4-2 victory. Cal Ripken declined comment on whether he will do an encore Centerfield asshole eating before tonight's game.

Arrieta has won 13 consecutive decisions dating back to late July - which includes two postseason wins - in a dynamic turnaround of his career. "I think that our players gain a lot of confidence when he pitches," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said in a press conference. "I think that's a normal part of that, but I think for the most part, it's just a matter of us being ourselves, trusting ourselves, sticking to our own methods." Murphy has homered in three straight postseason games - something he never has done in the regular season - to match the franchise mark set by Donn Clendenon in 1969, when the first baseman was named World Series MVP. "Saving the homers," Murphy joked after Game 1. "If I knew what I was doing, I would have hit more homers during the regular season."

TV: 8:07 p.m. ET, TBS

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Jake Arrieta (2-0, 2.45 ERA) vs. Mets RH Noah Syndergaard (0-1, 3.68)

Arrieta struck out nine in 5 2/3 innings against St. Louis in his last start, but he also allowed four runs and five hits. He said he noticed a difference during the postseason starts in terms of the pressure and expectations being ratcheted up a notch. "The physical toll really hasn't bothered me at all, but I think that the mental side of it and all the energy you burn leading up to the game does have a little bit of effect," Arrieta said at his press conference. "But having a couple of these under my belt now, I'm pretty confident going in that I'll be able to handle that pretty well."

The 23-year-old Syndergaard made one start and one relief appearance in the NL Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and said the experience taught him not to change his approach. "I think the anticipation before was thinking that the game was going to be completely different, but in reality it's still the same game," Syndergaard said in his press conference. "You're still 60 feet, 6 inches away. The only thing that's really different is the crowd's a little bit louder." Manager Terry Collins said the rookie also will start Game 6 if the series goes that far.

WALK-OFFS:
1. Mets RF Curtis Granderson notched two RBIs in Game 1 and has recorded seven this postseason.
2. Chicago LF Kyle Schwarber homered in Game 1 and is 8-for-17 with four blasts and six RBIs in the playoffs.
3. New York RHP Jeurys Familia picked up his third save of the playoffs in the opener while giving up his first hit in 6 2/3 innings this postseason.

[Frayed Knot]

Apparently Jimmy Kimmel is throwing out the first ball tonight. I have no idea why.
He is a Brooklyn native (though raised largely in Las Vegas) and, according to at least one article, claims to be a MLBS although we know that such claims are often made for timing and trending purposes so maybe that's true and maybe it isn't.

[Gwreck]

Probably legit.

From a 2012 news story about Kimmel's show doing a special week of tapings in Brooklyn:

He says some of his fondest memories as a youth are �running around until it got dark with the kids in the neighborhood� and hanging out by a nearby convenience store and trading baseball cards.
�I remember one of the great joys of my life was getting a Mets team card,� he said. �It was rare to get a Mets team card, and I traded it for like a 150 other Mets cards.�

[Guest d'Kong76]

I've heard his name but had no idea (until just googlin') who the heck he was.
I have Mets team cards, why can't I throw out the first pitch!?!

[Frayed Knot]

And conveniently he's in town now to do a week of tapings in Brooklyn so the timing works out well all around.
Still gotta wonder how much of a current NYM fan he while hanging around with his LA buddies four decades removed from living in NYC, but it's too trivial an issue to spend any time stewing over.

[Guest d'Kong76]

�It was rare to get a Mets team card, and I traded it for like a 150 other Mets cards.�

I'm calling bullshit, but we'll never know.

I'm getting antsy already, at least I have the Jets game to listen to/watch.
I could just watch this all afternoon haha:
http://m.mets.mlb.com/nym/video/v524051883/mets-travis-darnaud-hits-home-run-off-apple/?affiliateId=clubMEGAMENU&partnerId=as_nym_20151018_54123776&adbid=655771596599095296&adbpl=tw&adbpr=39367703

[Gwreck]

Happy Birthday to Yoenis Cespedes, who turns 30 today.

I've got a few ideas about how he could appropriately celebrate the occasion.

[Guest d'Kong76]

4-4 with 6 RBI, hitting for the cycle optional...

[Guest El Segundo Escupidor]

Gwreck wrote: Happy Birthday to Yoenis Cespedes, who turns 30 today. I've got a few ideas about how he could appropriately celebrate the occasion.

I want him to win back his postseason bat-flip title which he held for 3 days after Game 3.

[Gwreck]

Curtis Granderson RF
David Wright 3B
Daniel Murphy 2B
Yoenis Cespedes CF
Lucas Duda 1B
Travis d'Arnaud C
Michael Conforto LF
Wilmer Flores SS
Noah Syndergaard P

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'd like to see Duda and Conforto swapped in that lineup.

[Edgy MD]

Duda back in left field?! No huh-way!

[HahnSolo]

I was kind of thinking Wright might get moved down in the order. Not sure where, but out of the #2 slot.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Edgy MD wrote: Duda back in left field?! No huh-way!

Should I have said "batting order"?

[Gwreck]

Fun stat I saw today:

Mets are now 28-14 all-time at home in the postseason; the best home winning percentage of any MLB team.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Fowler 8
Schwarber 7
Bryant 5
Rizzo 3
Castro 4
Coghlan 9
Montero 2
Baez 6
Arrieta 1

[apmorris]

[Zvon]

El Segundo Escupidor wrote:

This is the absolute best. Had to Email that to my bro, huge BB & Mets fan.


I missed Doctor Who last night. *sob*
That just makes me want to...
[fimg=500]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xOhP8t07T9s/VgMmcWvaKyI/AAAAAAAAfrc/mUtf6V2C8bk/s680-Ic42/killKILLKILL.gif[/fimg]

[ashie62]

[bigpurple:3c7mninr]SEARCH AND DESTROY![/bigpurple:3c7mninr]

[Piggiestomatoes]

Thor's your daddy.

[video:3324v5g1]

[/video:3324v5g1]

[batmagadanleadoff]

If Arrietta can't beat the Mets tonight, the Mets are gonna win the WS this year.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Just heard this on the radio (and forgive id it's been posted already):

Three players have played for the Mets, Cubs, Blue Jays and Royals. Who are they?

[batmagadanleadoff]

Brian Mcrae

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Brian Mcrae

That's one!

[Guest d'Kong76]

It's NOAH time!!

[Valadius]

They're playing the Game of Thrones opening title music right now in Flushing. I AM SO PUMPED!!!!!!!

[Zvon]