Even when they're joking around, the New York Mets are dominating the Cubs in the NLCS.
In the third inning of Game 2 on Sunday night, when Curtis Granderson stole third base, he thought he was running on a head's up suggestion by teammate Daniel Murphy. One batter after Granderson stole second, Murphy was walked intentionally with one out. In a down moment, he signaled Granderson -- Granderson later said in a postgame interview -- suggesting a double steal on the second pitch.
"I said, 'All right,' let's go ahead and do it on the second pitch," Granderson said to himself, before successfully taking off for third. "Murphy was the one telling me to go there."
Yes, about that:
Murphy was joking when he signaled to Granderson to steal third. "I didn't know he was going to take me seriously. I stayed at first base."
— Ben Reiter (@SI_BenReiter) October 19, 2015
Shortly thereafter, Granderson scored an insurance run on an infield single by Yoenis Cespedes in the Mets 4-1 victory. Granderson also saved a run, probably, with a leaping catch at the fence on Chris Coghlan's drive to right.
It's not a great sign for the Cubs, who are down 0-2 in the series, when the opponent can jokingly suggest stealing bases and everything works out. But that's how the postseason has been going for Murphy, who hit a two-run homer in the first inning, has homered in four straight games, and done it against some of the top pitchers in the majors.
And not just his hitting, but even Murphy's jokes are killing the Cubs.
