Mets Take 3-0 Lead Over Cubs In NL Championship Series

Daniel Murphy is a contact hitter known for shaky fielding and occasionally getting lost on the bases. This playoff impersonation of Babe Ruth, Roberto Alomar and Derek Jeter all rolled into one? He can't explain it, nor can his manager.

"Question is: Who is this guy?" skipper Terry Collins said.

Murphy homered in his record-tying fifth straight postseason game, Jacob deGrom pitched seven strong innings, and the New York Mets beat the Chicago Cubs 5-2 Tuesday to take a 3-0 lead in the NL Championship Series.

"I've watched a lot of baseball over the years. I don't think I've seen anybody put on this kind of a show on this stage like he has so far," Collins said. "I mean, even the guys in the dugout, they're baseball guys too, and they're saying the same thing."

A cluster of New York fans gathered in the rain behind their team's dugout after the final out and chanted "Let's go, Mets!" With a win Wednesday at Wrigley Field, the Mets will be going to their first World Series in 15 years.

Rookie Steven Matz gets the start for New York in Game 4, while Jason Hammel goes for the Cubs.

Murphy tied the homer mark set by Houston's Carlos Beltran in 2004 with his drive off Kyle Hendricks in the third. Murphy's home run was his sixth of the postseason in his 30th at-bat. He has hit just 62 home runs in 3,354 regular-season at-bats. The free-agent-to-be second baseman is also making sharp plays in the field and showing heads-up, aggressive instincts while running the bases.

Royals 14, Blue Jays 2

Whether it's a long ball by Ben Zobrist, a slashing single from Lorenzo Cain or another exhilarating trip around the bases for Alcides Escobar, these Kansas City Royals are relentless -- and one win from a return trip to the World Series.

Zobrist hit a two-run homer on knuckleballer R.A. Dickey's fourth pitch of the game, Alex Rios connected an inning later and the Royals romped past the Toronto Blue Jays 14-2 on Tuesday for a 3-1 lead in the American League Championship Series.

"We're very confident,'' Rios said. "We have a very well-balanced team from top to bottom.''

Cain scored on a passed ball and Mike Moustakas had a sacrifice fly in an LCS-record four-run top of the first. The 12-run gap represents the largest margin of victory by a road team in AL postseason history and fourth-largest margin in overall playoff history.

Wednesday, October 21 Schedule (All Times Central)

Kansas City at Toronto, 3:07 p.m.
ALCS - GAME 5

New York at Chicago, 7:07 p.m.
NLCS - GAME 4

Thursday, October 22 Schedule (Time Central)

New York at Chicago, 7:07 p.m.
NLCS - GAME 5 (if needed)