300 Words Or Less: Mets Tear Up Plan, Spit Out Dodgers

By Joey Wahler

The Mets playoff clincher in Los Angeles wasn't a perfect game. Just the perfect game.

How else to describe beating Zack Grienke, 19-0 this year with a lead, and 35-5 lifetime at Dodger Stadium?

After a homer, double, single, two RBIs and two runs scored, Daniel Murphy said, "What a team win. It felt like everybody got a piece of this one."

METS NLDS GAME 5 PHOTO GALLERY

Yet this hardly went according to plan. Murphy, often the untimely gaffe King, steals a run, catching the Dodger infield napping in the fourth inning. Jacob deGrom wasn't brilliant but gutty. Noah Syndergaard pitches a scoreless relief inning, his first ever. Jeurys Familia notches a six-out save, his longest ever.

Talk about exorcising Met demons. With the tying run at first, Syndergaard ends the seventh inning by striking out Justin Turner, who nearly singlehandedly won this series. Concluding the eighth, Familia fans notorious Met killer Jimmy Rollins. Leading off the ninth was Slide Heard Round The World villain Chase Utley, three-for-his-last-three vs Familia, who gets him to line out.

In Clayton Kershaw and Grienke the Dodgers lived off a 1-2 pitching punch for the ages, but little else, lacking good karma. When Andre Ethier was seen jawing at Don Mattingly in the fourth inning, another Los Angeles implosion seemed imminent.

These Mets have written a season of captivating stories. Wilmer Flores going from crying to hero. Yoenis Cespedes becoming unconscious. Sandy Alderson's other trade deadline steals. Curtis Granderson's bounce back, team MVP year. David Wright's timely return.

Plus that great young pitching, which proves its mettle, or Met-tle, in Game 5.

Let's not forget Matt Harvey going from innings limit backlash to declaring himself available for relief last night. He wasn't needed.

Utley's suspension appeal is Monday. The Mets will be busy in the League Championship Series.