Francisco Lindor’s second-half surge added another element on Saturday: a hit that produced a walkoff celebration.
This one occurred at second base after Lindor smashed a ninth-inning RBI single that gave the Mets a 5-4 victory over the Nationals at Citi Field.
Lindor, who over his previous 24 games entering play owned a .990 OPS, delivered the decisive hit in a two-run ninth.
Brett Baty walked to lead the comeback against Yovanny Cruz before Jorge Polanco (who had heard plenty of boos throughout the afternoon after striking out twice) stroked a single. Francisco Alvarez’s RBI double tied it 4-4.
Sean Manaea was victimized by one pitch, a sweeper that Brady House hit off the left-field foul pole in the sixth for three runs, to snap his streak of four straight quality starts. Overall, the left-hander allowed four earned runs on six hits and two walks over 6 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts.
Jared Young’s two-run double in the first inning got the Mets started after Brad Lord walked the bases loaded to start his afternoon. A.J. Ewing, Francisco Lindor and Carson Benge drew the walks before Young delivered, with his latest clutch hit.
He began the day with an .889 OPS over his previous 30 games, giving the Mets stability at first base. Young was 15-for-36 (.326) with runners in scoring position entering the day.
Andres Chaparro homered leading off the fourth to slice the Mets’ lead to 2-1. Manaea worked ahead 0-2 in the count before throwing a four-seamer that Chaparro crushed beyond the left-field fence.
Manaea plunked Andrew Pinckney in the sixth and walked Chaparro before House lofted a sweeper to left field that hit the foul pole for a three-run homer that gave the Nationals a 4-2 lead.
It marked the first time in five starts that Manaea surrendered multiple homers in a game.
Benge homered leading off the bottom of the inning against lefty reliever Tom Cosgrove.
Benge’s arm helped save the Mets a run in the seventh: his strong throw to the plate easily nailed Pinckney attempting to score from third on Dylan Crews’ fly ball to right. The assist was Benge’s sixth this season.
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The Mets got runners to second and third in the eighth before Marcus Semien was retired for the final out. Lindor was thrown out attempting to reach second on a pitch in the dirt in the inning after reaching base with a leadoff single.
