Did you know? Top 10 facts from NLCS Game 3
The franchise record books for both the Mets and Cubs underwent some changes on Tuesday night, though it was New York that ultimately moved to within one win of a World Series berth.
The Mets certainly have history on their side after winning Game 3 of the National League Championship Series, but -- as Tuesday's game itself demonstrates -- history can easily be rewritten. Each club crowned a new franchise postseason home run leader, while the Mets scored the eventual game-winning run in unprecedented fashion to back their history-making starting pitcher.
:: NLCS: Cubs vs. Mets -- Tune-in info ::
Here's a look at 10 of the top facts and figures from Tuesday's NLCS clash.
• Daniel Murphy continued his torrid streak at the plate, becoming just the second player in postseason history to homer in five consecutive games. With his solo homer in the third inning, Murphy joined Carlos Beltran (2004 Astros) as the only players to hit a home run in five straight postseason games.
• Murphy now has six home runs overall this postseason, making him the Mets' all-time postseason home run leader. He had entered the night tied atop the franchise list with Mike Piazza, who homered five times in 26 postseason games with the Mets.
• Murphy, however, has needed only eight career postseason games to reach that mark. The only other players to hit at least six home runs within their first eight postseason games are Beltran, who homered seven times in that span, and Ken Griffey Jr., who teed off for six.
• Despite the home run history being made, the go-ahead run actually scored on a strikeout, of all things. With the game tied 2-2 in the top of the sixth, Yoenis Cespedes raced home from third on a wild pitch that Michael Conforto had chased for strike three. Prior to Tuesday, no team had ever scored a go-ahead run in the sixth inning or later of a postseason game on a strikeout. In fact, the only other time a team scored a go-ahead run on a strikeout at any point in a postseason game came in Game 2 of the 2011 American League Division Series, when the Rangers took a 4-3 lead in the fourth inning when Adrian Beltre raced home after David Murphy struck out swinging at a wild pitch from James Shields.
Video: NLCS Gm3: Cespedes scores go-ahead run on strikeout
• Despite giving up two home runs, Mets starter Jacob deGrom otherwise held the Cubs in check en route to winning his third straight start to begin his postseason career. In doing so, deGrom became the first pitcher to win each of his first three postseason starts while striking out at least seven batters in each outing.
• Murphy wasn't the only player to become his franchise's postseason home run king on Tuesday, as Kyle Schwarber moved to the top of the Cubs' list as well. Schwarber's first-inning homer was his fifth this postseason, moving him to the top of the Cubs' postseason leaderboard, ahead of Aramis Ramirez and Alex Gonzalez, who each hit four postseason homers in a Cubs uniform.
• At just 22 years old, Schwarber is also the youngest player in Major League history to hit five home runs in a single postseason. The only other player to hit four home runs in a single postseason before turning 23 was Miguel Cabrera, who crushed four homers in the 2003 postseason at the age of 20.
Video: Schwarber hits fifth shot for Cubs' postseason record
• Schwarber's five postseason home runs are the second-most all-time by a rookie, just one shy of the six hit by Evan Longoria in his 2008 rookie campaign.
• This marks the first time the Mets have ever led 3-0 in a best-of-seven series. The Cubs, meanwhile, find themselves on the wrong end of a 3-0 series for the fourth time. Chicago also trailed 3-0 in the 1910, '32 and '38 World Series. They were swept in both 1932 and '38, while they managed to win Game 4 in 1910 before losing that series in Game 5.
• Overall, the Cubs are the 35th team to fall behind 3-0 in a best-of-seven series. The only team to ever rally from a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven series is the 2004 Red Sox, who did so in the AL Championship Series against the Yankees.