It was second baseman Daniel Murphy who silenced a sold-out crowd at Dodgers Stadium on Friday night, a solo blast in the fourth inning against a stunned Clayton Kershaw to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.
But equally important was a seventh inning, bases loaded two-run single by the captain David Wright who is back in the playoffs for the first time in nine years and is relishing every moment.
“I’ll start out by saying that was fun,” a pumped up Wright said after a convincing 3-1 victory over the Dodgers to take Game 1 of the NLDS.
“To come full circle like that meant a lot. That was cool, that was fun and that was about as sweet as I thought it was going to be.”
Asked if he was relieved when manager Don Mattingly pulling Kershaw for right-handed reliever Pedro Baez, the Mets third baseman said it was still a tough pitcher on the mound.
“I think normally you’d be pleased to get Kershaw out of the game, but then you look up and the next guy is throwing 100.”
Terry Collins praised Wright, pointing out how clutch he’s been since returning to the team after being sidelined for months with spinal stenosis.
“His first at-bat coming back after missing four months he hits a homerun. A telltale sign that he’s back. He hits a homerun on the day we clinched. Tonight in a big spot against a guy throwing 99 miles an hour and he gets a big base hit and drives in two big runs.”
I am so happy for David Wright, who sent chills down my spine after he lined that 2-RBI single and arrived to first base pumping his fist and letting out a roar you could hear back in Flushing. It was so memorable, so magic, so Mets.
It’s only been one game in the postseason and already I have four iconic images branded in my brain; red-hot Murphy coming through as always, an exhilarated Wright with the huge clutch hit, a lights-out deGrom with a historic and electric pitching performance, and of course the always untouchable Familia with a four out save. I can hardly wait to see what the Mets have in store for us in Game 2.
Mets in three, baby!!!
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