The New York Mets have reached baseball's World Series for the first time since 2000 with an 8-3 rout of the Chicago Cubs to complete a four-game sweep in the National League Championship Series.
The loss meant the young, hard-hitting Cubs would have to wait at least one more season to carry the frustrated franchise back to the Fall Classic, which they last played 70 years ago.
The New York Mets celebrate after defeating the Chicago Cubs Photo: Photosport
New York will play the winner of the American League Championship Series between the Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays in the best-of-seven World Series starting next Tuesday.
The Mets jumped out to a 6-0 lead after two innings, scoring four runs in the first inning off starter Jason Hammel and two more in the second with first baseman Lucas Duda coming out of a post-season slump with a home run, a double and five RBIs.
Later, the hottest power hitter of the post-season has seen got into the act as Daniel Murphy launched a two-run homer in the eighth to set a Major League Baseball record with home runs in six consecutive post-season games.
After three wins that featured young, dominant starting pitching by New York's Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom, the Mets completed the series sweep by committee.
Rookie starter Steven Matz held the Cubs without a hit through three innings but faced threats in the fourth and fifth innings and yielded a run before giving way to 42-year-old Bartolo Colon.
Colon, who registered the win, pitched out of a fifth-inning jam and was followed to the mound by Addison Reed, Tyler Clippard and closer Jeurys Familia.
Clippard gave up a long two-run homer to Kris Bryant in the eighth inning that made it 8-3, before Familia shut the door in the ninth to set off a Mets celebration in the middle of Wrigley Field.
New York Mets manager Terry Collins celebrates on field after defeating the Chicago Cubs Photo: AFP
