(2025) Francisco Lindor Hits a Walk Off HR

Friday April 19th: On a chilly Good Friday night game, 39,627 fans came to Citi Field to see the first place Mets host the St. Louis Cardinals. The Mets had won the series opener the previous night 4-1 led offensively by Mark Vientos first HR & RBIs from Bret Baty & Francisco Lindor, as all three players were starting to get hot.

Tonight's starters were the Mets David Peterson (1-1) who was posting a 2.70 ERA having 17 strike outs in 16.2 innings of work & the Cards Miles Mikolas (0-2) who entered with a 9.00 ERA.

In the top of the 2nd, Brendan Donovan collected his first hit of the night with a base hit. After Peterson struck out Jordan Walker, Thomas Saggese & Pedro Pages both singled bringing in Donovan with the first run of the game.

In the bottom of the 5th, Bret Baty doubled into right field. Next Tyrone Taylor drove a shot to
right center that got by both Cardinal outfielders, Baty scored & Taylor reached third with a triple. 

After Francisco Lindor lined out, the Citi Field fans gave the struggling Juan Soto a standing ovation for encouragement. Soto delivered lining a base hit to right field tying up the game at two. It was Soto's 8th RBI of the season breaking an 0-12 slump.

In the top of the 6th, the Cardinals answered back with a leadoff double from Wilson Contreras & Nolan Arenado's base hit. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza removed David Peterson, who went 5.1 innings giving up three runs on seven hits with a season high nine strike outs. 

In the bottom of the 6th, Kyle Leahy came on to pitch for St. Louis. Mark Vientos then hit his second HR in as many games, tying the game back up at three.

Max Kranick had come in for the Mets & continued his fine pitching, blanking the Cards to the 8th inning. Ryne Stanek retired the Cardinals in order keeping the score tied.

In the bottom of the 8th, Mark Vientos collected his second hit of the game with a base hit to left.
Luisangel Acuna came on to pinch run & stole second base. Brandon Nimmo bounced a ball to Nolan Arenado at third, Acuna over aggressively bolted for third base. Although he beat Arenado to the bag, his hand came off the base & he was tagged out. The Mets challenged but the call on the field stood.

With Nimmo on first, former Met Phil Maton attempted to pick off Nimmo, but the ball got away & Nimmo advanced into scoring position. Next Mets hot hitting catcher Luis Torrens doubled into left field scoring Nimmo putting the Mets ahead 4-3. 

Trivia: Torrens who was seeing action as the Mets main catcher since the Francisco Alvarez injury, had been making a name for himself as he collected his sixth double of the year & his sixth RBI.

The Mets went to the top of the 9th with lead, as Huascar Brazoban came to close it out. But the first batter Brendan Donovan homered to right field, hitting the screen on the foul pole tying up the game. Brazoban then struck out the next three batters Jordan Walker, Thomas Saggese & Pedro Pages.

In the bottom of the 9th, as the Citi Field crowd was singing Francisco Lindor's "My Girl" entrance song, Mets broadcaster Keith Hernandez said "the stage is set just cue the music".  

Francisco Lindor responded blasting a walk off HR to right field for the exciting Mets win.

Trivia: The walk off HR was the first for Francisco in a Mets uniform, he had two in Cleveland & has six career walk off hits. It also was a milestone 250th career HR, making him the only player in MLB history to have his 250th career HR be a walk off HR. It was his second HR & 8th RBI of the season.

Quotes- Francisco Lindor: "It felt fantastic because I knew we were going to win"