The Mets’ series finale win over the Oakland Athletics had a handful of twists and turns. And I’m not talking about the karaoke session that happened in the booth. However, this was just another opportunity for Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso to show how valuable they are to New York.
Manager Buck Showalter’s squad jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the second inning. The Amazins lost and regained a lead in this contest a total of four times before securing a sweep with a 10-inning victory. Before it got to that point, though, the centerpieces of New York’s offense had to get them to that point.
Oakland tied things up in the fifth inning with a run. That didn’t last long because Lindor did this during the top of the sixth:
He’s him. #Mets #LGM pic.twitter.com/XcqdZrTigA
— Matt Musico (@mmusico8) April 16, 2023
That blast was Lindor’s 50th since joining the Mets in 2021. According to Mathew Brownstein of Metsmerized Online, this was the 22nd time he’s either tied the game or given them a lead.
For those not wanting to do the math at home, that’s a 44% clip.
Despite the Mets’ shortstop doing what he does best, New York was still on the verge of dropping the finale. Alonso stepped into the batter’s box in the ninth inning with his squad down one. By the time he was done, it was a brand-new ballgame:
Sign this man to a lifetime contract, immediately!! #Mets #LGM pic.twitter.com/GU2vIk4K5j
— Matt Musico (@mmusico8) April 16, 2023
This was Alonso’s eighth home run of the year, which currently leads baseball. It was also his 154th career dinger, which moved him into a fifth-place tie with Dave Kingman on the Mets’ all-time list. Sunday’s homer was the 58th time an Alonso blast either tied or gave New York a lead, according to Brownstein. That’s just a shade under 38%.
It’s hard to envision where the Mets’ offense would be right now without Alonso mashing the way he is. While they’re stealing a bunch of bases, the Polar Bear has hit nearly half of the team’s home runs. He’s very much the centerpiece of the offense.
But as we saw in Milwaukee during New York’s walk-off loss, both Lindor and Alonso are the engines that make the lineup go. When they’re in a groove, good things happen for the Mets.
Keep both of these dudes healthy and in the lineup as much as possible, please.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
