Mets Top Cubs 5-2 in NLCS Game 3, Putting History (and Irony) on Their Side

The Mets took a 5-2 win over the Cubs in the National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 3 on Tuesday at Wrigley Field to give them a 3-0 series lead. The New York ball club is now one victory away to their fifth National League pennant and their first World Series appearance since 2000.

“That clubhouse right now, that’s all they’re talking about is tomorrow,” Mets manager Terry Collins said after the game. “They know what they’re facing.”

In 34 scenarios, just one club has come back from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series. However, that club was none other than the 2004 Red Sox, which was headed up by none other than Cubs president of baseball operations, Theo Epstein. Further, the Mets had not beaten the Cubs all year and, until Game 3, they had not won at Wrigley since May 19, 2013.

Meanwhile, as was the case in National League Division Series Game 5, Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom struggled to find his mojo early in the game, giving up a homer to Kyle Schwarber during a 29-pitch first inning. However, he ended up averaging fewer than 12 pitches per inning for the rest of NLCS Game 3. While Jorge Soler solo homered with one out in the fourth, deGrom would go on to retire the final 11 batters he faced.

“Of course you think about those things, you think about the parallels, think about the fact that that happened against a New York team,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “We think about all that stuff, but it’s up to us to go out and play and execute. I put all my stock in the fact that I know our guys are going to be ready to play tomorrow.”

The Mets will try to eliminate the Cubs in Game 4, which is on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET (air time), 8 p.m. game time on TBS.

WATCH: NLCS Game 3 Highlights — Mets at Cubs