Mets Magic Continues, Francisco Lindor Grand Slam Knocks Out Phillies In NLDS

The New York Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 in Game 4 of the NLDS Wednesday, wiping out the NL East division winners to take the series in four games and advance to the NLCS.

Some have chalked it up to the Grimace effect. Some believe that Jose Iglesias’ music career was the spark. Some call it “devil magic.” In all likelihood, it’s simply a team finding the right energy at the perfect time. Heading into the penultimate round of the playoffs, it feels like the Mets can beat anyone.

After two weeks of putting down favored teams with long rallies and base-to-base hitting, the Mets knocked out the Phillies with one mighty swing. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth inning, shortstop Francisco Lindor sent a fastball from reliever Jeff Hoffman sailing over the right-center field wall for a go-ahead grand slam. 

As Lindor was walking up to the plate for his decisive at-bat, Mets fans greeted him warmly with a raucous round of MVP chants. In their hearts, there has been no one better this season. As he trotted around the bases, head down and focused, the crowd’s reaction was indecipherable and deafening — pandemonium. Fulfilling the dream of every baseball fan, the star player delivered again in the most important moment of the season.

“Nobody has us anywhere close to this moment,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said after the game. “And for us to be celebrating here at home in front of our fan base, for Lindor to come through in that way, what a story. I keep saying it.”

That’s been the key to the Mets’ torrid stretch since the end of September. From a wild win over the Braves to clinch a playoff spot to a miraculous Wild Card victory over the Brewers to a commanding series win over the Phillies, New York has benefitted from at least one dramatic and heroic moment from nearly every player on the roster.

It’s impossible to forget that this team started in the gutter. They started the season 0-5 and were 11 games under .500 by the end of May. Their meteoric rise from there is well-documented, but the most recent stretch has been other-worldly. Since Sept. 30, the Mets have played in eight massively important games and won six of them. They won five of them coming from behind. Any one of those wins would define a normal team’s season. It has all happened in less than two weeks.

Lindor, the NL MVP in many fans’ hearts, was the one who started it all when he hit an out-of-nowhere homer against the Braves, putting the Mets back ahead 8-7 to earn a spot in the dance. He ended it in the NLDS, sticking the dagger in another bitter NL East rival. The Mets squandered two bases-loaded opportunities earlier in Game 4 and seemed to be deflating somewhat, but Lindor got it all back at once.

“I felt like I got a good one early and I missed it,” Lindor said after the game. “I was just trying to do what the other boys did, which is get on base.”

Lindor wasn’t alone Wednesday. He hasn’t been alone in a month. The Mets have won big game after big game with each and every hand on deck. Mark Vientos, the rookie who wasn’t even on the roster to start the season, is currently batting .429 with two home runs and seven RBIs in the playoffs. 

Pete Alonso, the once-hapless slugger, was the one who brought the Mets back from the dead against Milwaukee, hitting a three-run home run in the ninth to put New York ahead for good. He hit two more home runs against Philadelphia and is back as a force in the lineup. Further down, it would be quicker to name the players who haven’t had at least one big moment since the end of September. The entire lineup hit a groove at the same time.

Once a major concern, the Mets’ starting rotation also performed at an elite level in the NLDS. Sean Manaea’s seven-inning gem in Game 3 was the highlight, but Luis Severino and Jose Quintana competed well in Games 2 and 4 as well. Injured ace Kodai Senga provided a highly promising cameo in Game 1, and David Peterson stepped up in long relief to contribute to two of the team’s three series wins. 

With the Dodgers and Padres heading into Game 5 of their NLDS matchup Friday, the Mets will have the advantage of rest over an opponent for the first time since this postseason tale began. The NLCS begins on Sunday, giving the Mets three full days off. This could do wonders for a flagging bullpen, one that has had to battle through countless close games in recent weeks.

Regardless of whether the Padres or Dodgers move on to the NLCS, it is likely that the Mets will be underdogs again. The Dodgers have a different level of star power with Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman in the lineup. The Padres are nearly as hot as New York, electrified by incredible play from Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill. 

For the Mets to this point, however, the caliber of the opponent has only mattered to an extent. They’ve faced great pitching and battled. They’ve taken advantage of leaky bullpens. They’ve thrown great pitches to beat great hitters. They’ve played their game. If that’s devil magic, then this team has been a nightmare. For the city of New York, it’s an immense vibe, a cultural moment already being marked as historic. But the story isn’t over yet.