Francisco Lindor Lifts Mets To Win With Walk-Off Hit In Extra Innings
NEW YORK -- Francisco Lindor gave the Mets their first walk-off victory of the season with a game-winning single in extra innings during Game 1 of a double header with the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday. But It's safe to say that this 5-4 win didn't come easy against a red-hot Giants team.
The Mets were given a new lease on life after Pete Alonso was somehow able to keep his toe on the bag following a wide throw to first base by Lindor in the top of the 10th. The runner was initially ruled safe, which would've scored the go-ahead run for the Giants, but upon further review, the umpiring crew reversed the ruling. This got the Mets out of the inning and kept the game tied.
And Lindor made up for his off-line throw in the bottom half with his walk-off single. The shortstop had the hits that tied and won it for the Mets. Overall, he was 2-for-5 with two RBIs on the day. After a down year in his first season as a Met, Lindor looks like he's on a redemption tour so far, slashing .289/.438/.605 with a 1.043 OPS, three homers and nine RBIs in 12 games.
The Mets' bullpen struggled through the first 10 games of the season with a 4.06 ERA, but Joely Rodriguez, Seth Lugo, Edwin Diaz and Adam Ottavino tossed four scoreless innings in relief.
Trailing 4-1 against the Giants in the bottom of the fifth, the Mets' bats came to life against starter Alex Cobb after winning a challenge call at first base, which ruled Travis Jankowski safe on a fielder's choice.
From there, James McCann, who came into the day struggling (2-for-20 on the season), stroked a double down the third base line to setup second-and-third with one out. And on the next pitch, Jeff McNeil drove in both runners with a double down the first base line to pull the Mets within a run. This saw Cobb exit with a right groin injury.
As a result, Giants manager Gabe Kapler turned to right-handed reliever Dominic Leone. And although Starling Marte was robbed of a game-tying hit by Brandon Belt, Francisco Lindor would not be denied. Lindor took a cutter that was down-and-away from Leone and lined a two-out RBI double down the right field line to knot things up at 4-4.
While second-year sensation Tylor Megill entered the day without allowing a run across 10.1 innings, the righty did not have his best stuff in this outing.
Megill's fastball velocity was down on a cold and windy day at Citi Field, sitting between 94-95 mph and topping out at 96.5 mph. In his first start at home of the season, Megill went six innings on 86 pitches, allowing four runs on seven hits, including a home run, while striking out four batters and walking two.
However, despite surrendering four runs on six hits in his first three innings, Megill settled in to toss three shutout innings to finish his start and keep the Mets in the game.
The Giants got two runs on a Joc Pederson solo home run, and three straight hits in the top of the second off Megill.
In the top of the third inning, two hits and a wild pitch setup second-and-third with one out. Megill struck out Pederson and was one strike away from escaping the jam unscathed. However, Brandon Crawford lined a two-run single up the middle to extend the Giants' lead to 4-1.
The Mets' bats were initially quiet, beyond Starling Marte, who produced a run of his own in the bottom of the first. A single, stolen base (third of season) and wild throw allowed him to advance to third. Marte then scored on a wild pitch that trickled a few feet away from home plate.
The Mets are now 8-3 on the season and will go for the sweep in the nightcap of the double header. Max Scherzer will oppose Giants righty Logan Webb.
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