Francisco Lindor best embodies the Mets’ success at home this season.
The Mets shortstop, struggling on the road, has been Superman at Citi Field.
Monday night he continued saving Metropolis, with two home runs in a 5-4 victory over the Phillies that extended their winning streak to five games.
Lindor’s three-run blast in the seventh gave the Mets their final runs. He also homered leading off for a second straight day. All five of Lindor’s homers this season have been hit at home.
“The crowd has helped a lot to that,” Lindor said.
Lindor’s outburst cued a nice Mets start to their first real measuring stick series of the season — a rematch of last year’s NLDS (won by the Mets in four games).
The Mets (16-7) have won 10 of 11 games at Citi Field to start the season. Lindor owns a .467 OPS on the road, but at home that number stands at 1.248.
“This is a guy that when you look at the numbers at the end of the year they are going to be there,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Don’t be surprised when we hit the road here if he continues to do what Francisco Lindor does. He’s a good player. He is just hot right now. He happens to be playing at home.”
Lindor jumped on a 2-2 knuckle-curve from Aaron Nola leading off and smashed it into the right field seats. Lindor joined Curtis Granderson (2017) and Kaz Matsui (2004) as the only Mets players with leadoff homers on consecutive days.
“I give credit to everybody because I watched everyone and I just try to pass the baton,” Lindor said. “Like I have been saying all along, I have one of the best hitters in the game [Juan Soto] behind me, so just let them do their job. I just try to focus on my process and pass it to them.”
Jesse Winker homered in the second to give the Mets a 2-0 lead. It was the first homer this season for Winker, who entered the game with an anemic .581 OPS.
Tylor Megill lowered his ERA to 1.09 on a night he pitched 5 ¹/₃ scoreless innings and matched a career high with 10 strikeouts. The right-hander allowed only one hit and walked four.
The Phillies had their best opportunity against Megill in the third, when they loaded the bases on a bloop single and two walks, all with two outs. But Megill rallied to strike out Kyle Schwarber.
Soto rounded the bases in the third inning for an apparent three-run homer. But a replay review determined Soto’s shot to right field hooked foul just before the pole. Soto was then retired and the Mets went scoreless in the frame as Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo struck out.
Reed Garrett struck out J.T. Realmuto to end the sixth with the tying runs on base. Garrett entered after Megill had retired Schwarber, following a leadoff walk to Bryce Harper.
In the seventh, Luisangel Acuña singled and Brett Baty walked, ending Nola’s outing. José Ruiz got Tyrone Taylor to hit into a fielder’s choice. Taylor’s hustle to ensure he didn’t get doubled up at first base to end the inning was noted by Lindor and Mendoza.
“My at-bat doesn’t really come without Tyrone running the bases as hard as he could,” Lindor said. “You try to beat it out.”
Lindor followed by launching a 95 mph fastball over the center field fence, giving the Mets a 5-0 lead.
“He’s not missing pitches — he’s laying off some tough ones,” Mendoza said. “Right now he is taking those and when he’s getting pitches in the strike zone he’s not missing.”
Max Kranick returned to the mound for the ninth — his third inning of work — but allowed three straight hits before Edwin Díaz was summoned for the save. Díaz surrendered a homer to Bryson Stott before striking out Trea Turner and Harper to end it.
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