Francisco Lindor hit a grand slam and the New York Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 on Wednesday night to advance to the National Championship Series.
Lindor capped an erratic sixth inning from reliever Jeff Hoffman by slamming Carlos Estevez’s fourth pitch over the right-center field fence.
The Mets won this series 3-1 and now they await the winner of the series between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Padres lead 2-1.
“This is the kind of thing I dreamed of,” said outfielder Brandon Nimmo in an interview broadcast on the giant screen. We’ve been waiting for this for a long time. We wanted it so much for our fans. »
It was the Mets’ first such celebration in the Mets’ 16-year history at Citi Field, which opened in 2009.
“Let’s keep the momentum going!” Mets player Pete Alonso told the cheering fans in the stands when he emerged from the locker room for an on-field interview. I am so proud of this group. We have overcome so many challenges. »
Lindor, Mark Vientos and Pete Alonso all three put two balls to safety for the New Yorkers, who reached the National Championship Series for the first time since 2015.
The Phillies, who had the second-best record in Major League Baseball this season, were looking to reach the final four for a third straight season.
“We have a very good group. We got beat in a short series,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said simply.
David Peterson (1-0) got the win after pitching two and a third innings in relief. He only allowed two hits. Mets starter Jose Quintana allowed one run, two hits and two walks in five innings on the mound.
After retiring two batters in the fifth inning, Hoffman (0-1) ran into trouble in the sixth. He was removed from the game after giving up three runs, a hit and a walk.
“It’s a question of execution, perhaps also of familiarity with our guys,” Thomson analyzed when asked about the setbacks of his succession in this series. I don’t know. But it should work both ways. »
The visitors took the lead in the fourth inning, with Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos on the trail. Alec Bohm hit a weak grounder to Vientos, but the third baseman juggled the ball to allow Harper to score.
The Mets, however, responded two innings later. JD Martinez reached on a single and advanced 90 feet after a bad throw from Hoffman. Starling Marte drew a walk and also earned a walk following another bad pitch from Hoffman. Tyrone Taylor filled the lanes using a free pass.
Hoffman got the first takedown by forcing Francisco Alvarez to hit an option. Estevez had the tough job of limiting the damage for the Phillies, but Lindor got the better of him before the right-handed reliever ended the sixth inning.
Mets shortstop Edwin Diaz struggled in the ninth inning after walking the first two batters, but he closed the books to record his first save in the series.
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