MLB Playoffs

On Sunday at Citi Field, it was all about Thor hammers and billy goat namesakes. That is to say it was all about Noah Syndergaard, Daniel Murphy and the New York Mets.

Thanks in large part to Syndergaard's god-like arm and Murphy's infallible bat, the Mets cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs and grabbed a commanding 2-0 edge in the National League Championship Series.

One inning and some thunder from Thor.

That's all it took for the New York Mets to stake a 2-0 lead over the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series with Sunday's 4-1 victory. Noah "Thor" Syndergaard baffled the powerful Chicago lineup with his high-octane fastball, and the Mets offense put three runs on the board in the bottom of the first inning behind Daniel Murphy's fifth postseason home run.

The New York Mets have taken a 2-0 lead in the National League Championship Series after Sunday's 4-1 win over the visiting Chicago Cubs.

The Mets tagged Chicago ace Jake Arrieta for three runs in the bottom of the first inning, getting An RBI double from David Wright and then a two-run home run from Daniel Murphy. That's Murphy's second homer of this series and fifth of the postseason, tying a club record.

The Kansas City Royals are at it again.

Looking intent on winning the American League for the second straight year, the Royals have taken both Games 1 and 2 of the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays. The October magic they mustered up a year ago is making a return and could propel them to another World Series appearance.

Only two days into the championship series round, a couple of clubs have already made convincing statements as the 2015 MLB postseason carries forward into a new week.

So far, the biggest story revolves around the Kansas City Royals and their impressive start in the ALCS against Toronto. They've jumped out to a 2-0 series lead after taking care of business at home, while the New York Mets did the same out in the NL in Game 1.

The New York Mets drew first blood in the National League Championship Series, defeating the Chicago Cubs 4-2 in Game 1 on Saturday at Citi Field.

Now, with another contest in Queens on Sunday at 8:07 p.m. ET on TBS before the scene shifts to the Windy City, the Cubs will look to even the ledger.

NEW YORK — He took the mound to begin the series, determined to set a tone. He left the mound nearly eight innings later, with the fans chanting his name and his teammates ready to sing his praise.

Through their first five games, the Chicago Cubs made hitting in the postseason look easy. Maybe a little too easy.

As such, a reality check like the one the Cubs were dealt in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series was coming sooner or later. But given that it was the New York Mets who dealt it, the question now becomes whether the Cubs' bats will be able to recover.

Behind a star performance from Matt Harvey, Game 1 of the National League Championship Series belongs to the New York Mets.

Harvey electrified the Citi Field crowd, striking out nine in 7.2 innings, and pushed the Mets to a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

He was backed by some power, including home runs from Daniel Murphy and Travis d’Arnaud. It was Murphy’s third in as many games and fourth in the postseason. Curtis Granderson also added two RBI out of the leadoff spot to propel the Mets to victory.

After a lifeless opener to start the series, the Toronto Blue Jays will turn to their rented ace, David Price, in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series against the Kansas City Royals. The Jays badly need a split before returning to the Rogers Centre on Monday night.