2015 National League Division Series


The 2015 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-game series on the National League side in Major League Baseball’s 2015 postseason to determine the participating teams in the 2015 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners and a fourth team—the winner of a one-game Wild Card playoff—played in two series. TBS carried all the games in the United States, with Sportsnet simulcasting TBS coverage for Canada. The Division Series began on October 9 and concluded on October 15. The Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals had home field advantage in this round of the playoffs.
These matchups were:
The higher seeded team in each series hosts Games 1, 2, and 5, and the lower seeded team hosts Games 3 and 4.
The Mets defeated the Cubs in the NLCS, then went on to lose the 2015 World Series to the American League champion Kansas City Royals.

Matchups

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs">Cardinals–Cubs rivalry">St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Mets

Chicago vs. St. Louis

This was the third overall postseason meeting between the Cubs and Cardinals, with the two having met in the 1885 and 1886 World Series, and their first since the Cardinals joined the National League in 1892.

Game 1

The St. Louis Cardinals shut-out the rival Chicago Cubs 4–0 behind John Lackey's shutout innings in the first meeting between the two in the playoffs. Lackey pitched into the sixth inning with a no-hitter before the Cubs' Addison Russell singled in the seventh. The Cardinals scored first when Stephen Piscotty hit a ground-rule double, then Matt Holliday hit a RBI single in the first. Lackey and Jon Lester, pitched well as neither team scored again until the eighth inning, when Tommy Pham hit a one-out home run off Lester, who then walked Carpenter before Piscotty's home run increase the Cardinals' lead to 4–0.
The Cubs attempted a comeback in the ninth inning off Trevor Rosenthal, but the Cardinals secured the victory when Kris Bryant struck out with runners on first and third for the final out of the game.

Game 2

In Game 2 Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks allowed a home run to the leadoff batter, third baseman Matt Carpenter in the first, but in the top of the second, with runners on first and third with one out, starter Jaime Garcia's errant throw to first on Hendricks bunt allowed the Cubs to tie the game. Addison Russell's sacrifice bunt and Dexter Fowler's single scored a run each before Jorge Soler's two-run home run made it 5–1 Cubs. They added another run in the third on Miguel Montero's RBI groundout off Lance Lynn with runners on first and third. Hendricks allowed back-to-back shots to Kolten Wong and Randal Grichuk in the fifth inning, but
Travis Wood, Trevor Cahill and Hector Rondon worked innings of shutout relief as the Cubs evened the series with a 6–3 win.

Game 3

struck out nine Cardinals over innings and served up four runs, the most he has allowed since June 16. But, the Cubs set a Major League playoff record with six home runs in an 8–6 victory. Kyle Schwarber's home run in the second off Michael Wacha put the Cubs up 1–0. In the fourth, after back-to-back leadoff walks, Jhonny Peralta's double and Tommy Pham's groundout scored a run each to put the Cardinals up 2–1, but the Cubs tied the score in the bottom half on Starlin Castro's home run. Next inning, Kris Bryant's two-run home run put the Cubs in front 4–2. Kevin Siegrist relieved Wacha and allowed a home run to Anthony Rizzo to extend the Cubs' lead to 5–2. Jason Heyward's two-run home run in the sixth cut the lead to 5–4, but the Cubs got those runs back in the bottom half on Jorge Soler's two-run home run off Adam Wainwright with one run charged to Seth Maness. Dexter Fowler's home run in the eighth off Jonathan Broxton increased the Cubs' lead to 8–4. In the ninth, Hector Rondon allowed a two-out two-run home run to Stephen Piscotty before Matt Holliday grounded out to end the game as the Cubs took a 2–1 series lead.
Jason Heyward and Stephen Piscotty hit homers for the Cardinals, and the eight total home runs for both teams set a Major League mark for one postseason game.

Game 4

Eight Chicago Cubs' pitchers allowed eight hits and combined for 15 strikeouts and four walks to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals and win a postseason series for the first time ever in Wrigley Field.
The game did not start well for the Cubs with the second batter, Stephen Piscotty, hitting a two-run home run. In the bottom of the second inning, with two on and two outs versus John Lackey, starting pitcher Jason Hammel drove in Starlin Castro with a sharp single to center and Addison Russell's replacement at shortstop, Javier Baez, followed with a three-run home run to right. The Cardinals tied the score in the sixth on Tony Cruz's double with two on off Trevor Cahill followed by Brandon Moss's single. However, they were prevented from taking the lead by a strong throw by right fielder Jorge Soler to catcher Miguel Montero, cutting down Cruz at the plate as he attempted to score the lead run from second.
Anthony Rizzo hit a go-ahead home run off Cardinal reliever Kevin Siegrist in the bottom of the inning on a two-out, 0–2 pitch.
Kyle Schwarber added a home run in the seventh inning, also off Siegrist, that landed on top of the new right field Budweiser scoreboard.
Pedro Strop in the eighth inning and Hector Rondon in the ninth struck out four of the seven batters they faced to preserve the 6–4 victory.

Composite line score

2015 NLDS : Chicago Cubs beat St. Louis Cardinals

Los Angeles vs. New York

This was the third postseason meeting between the Dodgers and Mets, having split the first two meetings.

Game 1

made his postseason debut to open the series for the Mets. He was opposed by reigning Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player Award winner Clayton Kershaw. Misplays by left fielder Michael Cuddyer resulted in doubles for Justin Turner in the second and Corey Seager in the third. deGrom escaped damage in both innings and eventually retired the last 11 batters to face him, exiting after the seventh having shut the Dodgers out allowing five hits and one walk to go along with 13 strikeouts. Kershaw made quick work of the Mets for most of his outing, allowing only a home run to Daniel Murphy through his first six innings. However, in the top of seventh, Kershaw uncharacteristically walked three batters, leading to Don Mattingly electing to go to right-hander Pedro Báez to face David Wright with the bases loaded and two out. Wright lined a 3-2 pitch back up the middle against Báez, scoring two runs and making it a 3–0 game to that point. The two runs were charged to Kershaw, who ultimately finished with a line of innings with four hits, three earned runs, four walks, and 11 strikeouts.
The Dodgers got on the board with a two-out RBI single from Adrián González in the bottom of the eighth off Mets reliever Tyler Clippard. With Turner due up as the potential tying run, Terry Collins responded by inserting closer Jeurys Familia into the game for a 4-out save. Turner lined out to first to end the eighth and Familia finished off a spotless ninth for his first career postseason save as the Mets took the series opener, 3–1.
DeGrom's 13 strikeouts tied a Mets post-season franchise record. He and Kershaw were the first pair of starters to each pitch 11 or more strikeouts in a post-season game and only the second pair to each have double digit strikeouts.

Game 2

Looking to even the series, the Dodgers turned to Zack Greinke, who led the league in earned run average in the regular season. The Mets countered with rookie Noah Syndergaard in an attempt to go back to New York with a 2–0 series lead. The Mets scored two in the second off Greinke on home runs by Yoenis Céspedes and rookie Michael Conforto, the latter doing so in his first career postseason at-bat. Greinke was stellar after that, shutting out the Mets and facing the minimum of 15 batters from the third through seventh innings. He allowed five hits with no walks and eight strikeouts. However, through six innings, Greinke was out-dueled by Syndergaard, who gave up one run through his first six innings while striking out nine.
Syndergaard and the Mets took a 2–1 lead to the bottom of the seventh. L.A.'s eighth-place hitter, Enrique Hernández, drew a one-out walk. Don Mattingly sent up veteran Chase Utley to hit for Greinke. Hernández stole second and Utley followed with a single to put the tying run on third and the go-ahead run at first with one out. Utley's hit chased Syndergaard from the game, manager Terry Collins sending in 42-year-old Bartolo Colón. Howie Kendrick lined a 1-2 pitch over the outstretched arm of Colón but on a hop to second baseman Daniel Murphy, setting up the most controversial play of the game. Murphy tossed to shortstop Rubén Tejada, who was moving to second base to start a potential double play. Utley slid late, with his helmet making contact with Tejada's thigh, who tried to spin and throw to first but was upended and injured. Hernández scored, Kendrick was safe at first, and it appeared a runner would be at first with two outs and the game tied at 2–2. The Dodgers challenged the ruling at second base, arguing that Tejada never made contact with the bag to force out Utley. Just as the Mets were about to cart Tejada off the field with what would later be diagnosed with a fractured fibula, the call at second was overturned to safe. Now with runners on first and second and one out, Collins inserted Addison Reed in relief. After a Corey Seager flyout, the Dodgers took a 5–2 lead on back-to-back doubles from Adrián González and Justin Turner. Dodger relievers Chris Hatcher and Kenley Jansen pitched scoreless eighth and ninth innings, respectively, to even the series at a game apiece.