Star shortstop Francisco Lindor helped the New York Mets avoid dubious history Wednesday while sparking a come-from-behind win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
With the Mets trailing 1-0 and only three outs from being no-hit, Lindor stepped to the plate to start the ninth. After falling behind in the count 0-2, he turned on a four-seam fastball, smashing a home run over the right-field wall to tie the game, abruptly ending Blue Jays starter Bowden Francis‘ bid for the record books.
Lindor’s heroics led to an offensive breakout for the Mets, who scored six runs in the ninth, holding on for a 6-2 victory. Meanwhile, the day was over for Francis after giving up the long ball, coming up just short of recording the second no-no in Blue Jays’ history.
The homer was Lindor’s only hit of the game, but the 10-year-veteran has been the catalyst for New York’s transformation from punchline to playoff contender.
Since the All-Star break, Lindor has recorded 63 hits, 32 RBI, 14 home runs, 12 doubles and a triple over 51 games. Meanwhile, the Mets are 31-20 over that stretch and, following Wednesday’s victory, are winners of 11 of their last 13 games.
Entering Wednesday night’s action, the Mets are tied with the Atlanta Braves (78-66) for second in the National League East, trailing the Philadelphia Phillies (87-58) by 8.0 games. Similarly, they’re four games ahead of the Chicago Cubs (75-70) for the final NL wild-card spot and are just 2.5 games behind the San Diego Padres for the top spot.
