Mets' Francisco Lindor meets the moment again, bringing the club a step closer to World Series return
Mets’ Francisco Lindor hugs teammates after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the NLDS on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024 at Citi Field. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
The fading lyrics of “My Girl” blended into the familiar “M-V-P” chants Francisco Lindor has been hearing at Citi Field since August when the shortstop strolled to the plate Wednesday night in the sixth inning.
The Mets, down 1-0, had loaded the bases for the third time, the two previous threats resulting in zero runs, and it was starting to feel late in Game 4 of this Division Series. A return trip to Philly was growing larger on the horizon, as was a rematch with Zack Wheeler in a winner-take-all Game 5 that loomed as the Mets’ toughest October test to date.
Once again, the moment had found Lindor, just as it did during the much of the regular season, and especially in the now legendary Game No. 161, when his ninth-inning homer to beat Atlanta was the playoff clincher. Now it was a trip to the NLCS on the line, and the Mets again turned to Lindor.
The Phillies countered with their hard-throwing reliever Carlos Estevez, and his first three pitches were pure fire: 100.3 mph ... 100.1 ... 99.8.
So was the fourth, but Lindor swatted the 99-mph heater straight into the Phillies bullpen, the contact so loud that every one of the 44,103 fans knew where it was headed. This was a no-doubter, a 398-foot missile, and Lindor had done it again, lifting the Mets to a 4-1 victory and their first champagne-spraying clincher at Citi Field. Not to mention a ticket to the NLCS, as they await the winner of the Padres-Dodgers series.
It was Tuesday night, shortly after the Mets’ homecoming win in Game 3, and Lindor’s late RBI-double, that the shortstop talked about the galvanizing bond behind this team’s October success.
“Relying on each other, believing that we will do it,” Lindor said. “Not trying to be bigger than the moment, but understanding that it’s a really big moment, and you’ve got to embrace it.”
No one does that better than Lindor. You don’t get those “M-V-P” chants for nothing. Maybe the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani edges him out for the 2024 NL trophy, but when things look darkest for the Mets, Lindor is the one they turn to, and he stepped up again to deliver yet another “instant classic” for this team’s rapidly-expanding collection.
The Mets’ confidence has snowballed since Memorial Day, and grown exponentially in the past few weeks, fueled by their uncanny prowess for dramatic wins on the road. Maybe the phenomenon could be tough to explain in practical terms, but the formula was not: quality starting pitching and timely hitting, with the occasional deep ball mixed in.
That’s enough to advance in October, and the Mets got to the brink of the NLCS by showcasing the spectrum of those talents in Tuesday’s homecoming Game 3 victory over the Phillies. Sean Manaea was superhuman, keeping the Phillies scoreless into the eighth inning, with Pete Alonso and Jesse Winker providing a pair of solo homers early on that put the Mets ahead to stay. Just as important, the Mets kept widening the lead, thanks to two-out, RBI-hits by Starling Marte, Jose Iglesias and Lindor.
Such a roster-wide effort is why the Mets made it this far in the first place. Knocking off Atlanta to qualify for the playoffs, bouncing the Brewers in the Wild Card round. This hasn’t been a case of any one player carrying the Mets. As they like to say, it’s about everyone pulling in the same direction, against the odds, and their resilience winning out.
The second half of the regular season served as a dress rehearsal for what the Mets are going through now. When you’re 11 games under .500 in early June, the urgency to win every day becomes a conditioned response, a learned skill-set that only gets better over time. But that doesn’t make it foolproof, either.
After riding the Flushing adrenaline-surge Tuesday night, the Mets misfired early against Phillies starter Ranger Suarez in Game 4. They twice left the bases loaded through two innings, going 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position, as their resourceful lineup couldn’t serve up a hero.
In the first, Mark Vientos fired up the crowd with a one-out double, letting out a primal scream after his headfirst slide into second. But after a Brandon Nimmo walk and Pete Alonso infield hit, Suarez went soft and softer with his breaking stuff to whiff both Iglesias and J.D. Martinez. The very next inning, another Vientos hit — this time an infield single — loaded the bases before Nimmo grounded out to end the threat.
The Citi crowd sat restless, almost confused by the Mets’ inability to capitalize amid such a successful October streak. They should understand by now, however, that Mendoza & Co. tend to save their best work for the later innings. The sign of a team unfazed by the escalating stakes — or repeated brushes with adversity. And their first-year manager is the embodiment of that mindset, despite being a rookie in his role.
“When you're prepared, it's easier to slow things down. Because the game will get fast and you can get caught up on the crowd and everything that goes on in the game. As long as you're prepared, you feel good going into it.”
Or have Lindor at the plate, with everything at stake.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
