Cubs use 6 HRs in win; Mets outslug Dodgers

Published 1:46 am Tuesday, October 13, 2015

CHICAGO (AP) — Kris Bryant and Jorge Soler each hit two-run drives and the Chicago Cubs connected for a postseason franchise-record six homers in an 8-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 3 of the NL Division Series on Monday.

Kyle Schwarber, Anthony Rizzo, Starlin Castro and Dexter Fowler also homered, powering Jake Arrieta to another win despite a rare off night for the bearded ace. The Cubs’ previous record for most homers in a playoff game was five in the opener of the 1984 NL Championship Series against San Diego.

A third straight win for Chicago on Tuesday afternoon, and the once woebegone franchise will advance to the NLCS for the first time in 12 years. The Cardinals, who led the majors with 100 wins this season, have won at least one playoff series in each of the last four years.

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Jason Heyward and Stephen Piscotty homered for St. Louis, and Jhonny Peralta had a run-scoring double.

Mets 13, Dodgers 7

NEW YORK (AP) — With big hits rather than beanballs, the New York Mets wiped out the Los Angeles Dodgers and took control of their testy Division Series.

Curtis Granderson drove in five runs with two doubles off the wall, Travis d’Arnaud and Yoenis Cespedes homered, and New York’s dangerous bats busted loose for a 13-7 victory Monday night that gave the Mets a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-five NL playoff.

Before a bloodthirsty crowd of 44,276 in the first postseason game at Citi Field, the Mets broke their postseason scoring record as New York public enemy Chase Utley watched from the Los Angeles bench. The NL East champs quickly erased an early three-run deficit and made a winner of a mediocre Matt Harvey in his playoff debut.

Back in the postseason for the first time in nine years, New York can reach the NL Championship Series with another win at home Tuesday night in Game 4.

Trying to save the Dodgers’ season, ace lefty Clayton Kershaw will start on three days’ rest. Hometown rookie Steven Matz goes for the Mets.

Utley is the subject of scorn in New York after his late takeout slide Saturday night broke the right leg of Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada at Dodger Stadium.

Amid much speculation the Mets would seek revenge, manager Terry Collins said before the game Harvey was told not to.

“This is too big a game. We need to not worry about retaliating,” Collins said. “We need to worry about winning. … We can play angry, but we’ve got to play under control.”

In the end, Utley never got in the game and the Mets saved all their hard hits for when they were at the plate.

Harvey labored through five innings in his first outing since missing a mandatory postseason workout and apologizing after he arrived.

Los Angeles lefty Brett Anderson took the loss, tagged for six runs and seven hits in three ineffective innings.

Granderson’s five RBIs matched a Mets postseason record set by Carlos Delgado in Game 4 of the 2006 NLCS at St. Louis, when New York set its previous postseason high with 12 runs.