Francisco Lindor knew. He didn’t have to watch.
He turned on an inside cutter from Ryan Fernandez leading off the ninth inning and sent the ball soaring into Citi Field’s second deck in right field, 401 feet away.
“I hit it with everything I had,” he said. “If that one didn’t go, I was going to run out of luck.”
Lindor’s home run, the 250th of his major league career, lifted the New York Mets over the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 on Friday night and sent smoke rising from the Home Run Apple in center field.
He started to watch the ball head toward the seats, then turned away and decided there was no reason to observe the remainder of its parabolic journey.
“I kept my face in the dugout with the guys,” Lindor said. “I don’t even know where the ball landed. I knew it was going to be a home run.”
New York overcame deficits of 2-0 in the fifth and 3-2 in the sixth, then took a 4-3 lead on Luis Torrens‘ RBI double in the eighth. They Mets blew that advantage when Huascar Brazoban allowed Brendan Donovan home run starting the top of the ninth, a drive off the netting of the foul pole in right.
Brazobán struck out Jordan Walker, Thomas Saggese and Pedro Pages in order to bring up the 31-year-old Lindor, a centerpiece of the Mets’ revival that saw them reach last year’s NL Championship Series.
Lindor took a cutter that bounced and a fastball for a strike, then feasted on the 1-1 pitch for his first walk-off homer with the Mets, the third of his major league career and first since 2018 with Cleveland.
“That’s why he’s an elite player and a special player, because the moment is never too big for him,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He knows what’s at stake and he lives for those moments and he came through again today. Special player, special person.”
Lindor became the 254th player with 250 homers and just the fifth to hit that amount primarily as a shortstop. He was the first to reach the mark with a walk-off.
“There’s a lot that defines him, not only moments like this,” Mendoza said. “As soon as he gets to the ballpark, he’s impacting people in a positive way, just his presence, his interactions, the way he pushes people, the way he encourages people — and not only players, but coaches, support staff, everyone in this building. His presence, you could feel it every time he’s around.”
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New York built a formidable top of the order, signing outfielder Juan Soto to a record $765 million, 15-year contract and then keeping first baseman Pete Alonso with a $54 million, two-year deal. The Mets lead the NL East ar 13-7 and are 7-1 at Citi Field.
“That’s as tough a one-two-three as you’re going to see just about anywhere in the league,” Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas said after allowing a tying RBI single in the fifth to Soto, who had been in a 3-for-31 slide.
Acquired from Cleveland in January 2021 in the Mets’ first big move after Steve Cohen bought the team, Lindor helped build a winning culture in a team that hasn’t won the World Series since 1986.
“He obviously has a lot of leadership in him and he takes on that role really well,” Mets pitcher David Peterson said. “Doesn’t hurt being the best shortstop in the game.”
A four-time All-Star, Lindor hit .273 with 33 homers and 91 RBIs last year, a fan favorite who sparks sing-alongs at Citi Field since adopting The Temptations’ “My Girl” as his walk-up song last May.
Lindor ended the Mets other other walk-off win this season with a sacrifice fly against Toronto on April 5.
“I’m not a big fan of teammates that just talk the talk and they don’t do what they’re supposed to do,” he said. “So I take it very personal. I take it very — too hard. If I talk, I mean it. I’m just not just going to talk just for the sake of it.”
Asked what went through his mind as he circled the bases, Lindor recalled looking ahead to Saturday and a forecast of balmy conditions.
“We won. We get to go home,” he said. “I’m done with this cold weather.”
Cardinals vs. Mets Highlights | MLB on FOX
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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