NEW YORK — Francisco Lindor had been sick for days. However, things took a turn for the worse on Wednesday night when Lindor was asked to leave the game.
“I almost threw up at shortstop,” Lindor said. “Or I’ll play shortstop and play No. 2.”
Feeling miserable, Lindor returned home to find his wife, Katia, preparing a care package for him. Katya placed water, anti-nausea medication, Tylenol, Pedialyte and an empty bag next to her bed, just in case. He could hardly sleep and still felt sick when he woke up. But once he arrived at Citi Field and was given an IV, Lindor began begging manager Carlos Mendoza to put him in the lineup.
“I knew it was going to happen,” Mendoza said.
Although the manager relented to some extent, Lindor started Thursday’s series finale against the Cubs on the bench and was expected to play at some point during the game. As Mendoza told him, “I’m going to give you a break for the first four or five innings because I know you’re going to be big.”
And so did Lindor. Twice. A pinch-hit two-run double in the sixth inning brought the Mets within range, and a walk-off two-run double in the 11th inning gave them a 7-6 victory over the Cubs.
“It’s amazing,” teammate Starling Marte said through an interpreter. “It’s very unpleasant when you have a player like that battling an illness. For him to come out and get those two big hits in that game at the moment we needed him was really special. was.”
Marte literally played a supporting role, joining Ian Happ and Bernard Gilkey as the third players in the past 50 years to have multiple runners out at home in overtime. His first throw was a 96.8 mph rope from right field, cutting off Christopher Morrell, who was trying to score on a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning. The second came in the 11th inning, a 92.7 mph throw that kept the Mets’ lead to just one run.
In the bottom of the 11th inning, with an automatic runner on first base, the Mets took advantage of an opportunity when relief pitcher Daniel Palencia hit Harrison Bader with a pitch to put him on base for a potential win. Following a six-pitch at-bat against Palencia, Lindor hit his final ball into the left field corner, leaving both runners on.
This gave Danny Young, the last remaining pitcher in New York’s bullpen, his first career major league win. This also further accelerated the development of Lindor, who had a season-high four RBIs despite coming off the bench.
“I was a role player today,” Lindor said. “That’s what it comes down to. I had to be ready whenever my name was called.”
