page_title: 2015 National League Championship Series
section_title: Game 1
hierarchical_section_title: 2015 National League Championship Series / Game summaries / Game 1
caption_attribution_description: English: The New York Mets and Chicago Cubs are introduced before Game 1 of the 2015 National League Championship Series at Citi Field.
context_page_description: The 2015 National League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff contested between the Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets for the National League pennant and the right to play in the 2015 World Series. The Mets swept the Cubs four games to none for their fifth National League pennant in franchise history. The series was the 46th in league history with TBS airing all games in the United States. Game 1 was played on October 17.
  This was the first postseason meeting between the Mets and Cubs, and first NLCS in which the losing team never had a lead during a game. It was also the first since 2007 to end in a sweep and the third best-of-seven NLCS to do so.
  The Mets would go on to face the Kansas City Royals in the World Series, losing to them in five games.
context_section_description: Having used aces Jake Arrieta and Jacob deGrom late in their respective Division Series, the Cubs turned to Jon Lester and the Mets to Matt Harvey for Game 1 of the Championship Series. Daniel Murphy, fresh off a Division Series in which he hit three home runs, jumped Lester early on with a home run in the first inning. Lester would settle down, only allowing that lone run through four innings, but Harvey was even better, throwing four perfect innings as he blew away the Cubs hitters.
  After getting ahead of Anthony Rizzo on an 0–2 count, Harvey came inside with a fastball and plunked the Cubs first baseman on the arm, allowing Rizzo to reach base as the first Cubs baserunner of the night. The next batter, Starlin Castro, jumped Harvey for a double that eluded the reach of Gold Glove winner Juan Lagares in center field that scored Rizzo and knotted the game at one. Harvey would retire the following batter, Jorge Soler, on a groundout to third, forcing Castro to hold at second, but subsequently allowed a base hit to left by Javier Báez. Testing the strong arm of left fielder Yoenis Céspedes, Castro attempted to score on the hit by Báez, but was thrown out at the plate by Céspedes in plenty of time, helping Harvey escape the inning having only allowed the one run.
  In the bottom of the fifth, Wilmer Flores and Lagares would both reach on one-out singles against Lester, bringing up Harvey with runners on first and second. The Met starter attempted to move the runners over with a sacrifice bunt, but did so right towards the first baseman Rizzo who fired over to third to force out Flores for the second out of the inning. The third baseman Kris Bryant attempted to make a return throw to first base which may have forced out Harvey for a double play, but Bryant fumbled the ball from his glove hand to his throwing hand, allowing the inning to continue. The next batter, Curtis Granderson, then blooped a single into center field to score Lagares and help the Mets regain the lead.
  Once again with the lead Harvey would regain control and blank the Cubs in the top halves of the sixth and seventh, while the Mets would add runs off of Lester. Travis d'Arnaud hit a home run in the sixth inning off of Citi Field's Home Run Apple in center field. The Mets would then manufacture another run in the seventh after a Lagares leadoff single. After Harvey sacrificed Lagares to second, the Met center fielder stole third with one out, setting up a Granderson sacrifice fly to make it a 4–1 game.
  
  With Harvey still pitching into the eighth, Kyle Schwarber smoked a home run deep into the Cubs bullpen in right center, ending Harvey's night after 7⅔ innings, having allowed only two runs and four hits to go along with nine strikeouts.
  Mets closer Jeurys Familia came on for the 4-out save, and would finish it off for Harvey, getting help from a Murphy diving play for the last out of the game.
caption: The Met and Cub reserves and coaches stand on the field for introductions before Game 1 at Citi Field.
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