Mets’ Mark Vientos Felt Slighted by Dodgers’ Intentional Walk Before Grand Slam

Kristen Wong | Oct 14, 2024

Screengrab on Twitter/ @MLBONFOX

The New York Mets quickly bounced back from their Game 1 beatdown at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 7-3 win in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series on Monday afternoon.

The Mets jumped out to a 6-0 lead early in the game, in part thanks to Mark Vientos’s grand slam in the second inning. Before the grand slam, the Dodgers had chosen to intentionally walk Francisco Lindor with men on second and third and two outs to face Vientos, but it didn’t exactly work out in their favor.

Facing righty Landon Knack, Vientos proceeded to hit a line drive over Dodger Stadium’s right-center-field fence for a grand slam.

Vientos was asked about the memorable moment in a postgame interview with Tom Verducci and said he took the intentional walk “personal.”

“To be honest, I took it personal,” Vientos said. “I was like, ‘Ok, I mean, you want me up to the plate? I’m going to try to drive in a run.’ I was trying to simplify the game. I wasn’t trying to do too much. But I did take it personal that they walked Lindor to load the bases for me.”

"To be honest with you, I took it personal."

Mark Vientos talks with Tom Verducci about the grand slam after the Mets 7-3 win to even up the series pic.twitter.com/KeJ7QLov7h

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 14, 2024

At 24 years and 308 days old, Vientos is the youngest player to hit a grand slam in LCS history. Vientos now has six multi-hit games, which is tied for the most in a single postseason in Mets history with Todd Zeile in 2000 and John Olerud in 1999, per MLB’s Sarah Langs.

Despite a nervy ending to the game, the Mets ultimately forced a split at Dodgers Stadium. Game 3 will take place at Citi Field on Wednesday.

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