Francisco Lindor came up empty in two pivotal moments, which ultimately led to the New York Mets dropping the middle game of their series against the Minnesota Twins 6-3 on Tuesday night at Target Field.
The star shortstop booted a third-inning grounder that would have gotten starting pitcher Tylor Megill out of the frame and preserved the Mets’ (11-6) 1-0 lead. Instead, Ty France’s grounder clanged off Lindor’s glove, allowing ex-Met Harrison Bader to score and tie the game.
Carlos Correa followed with a single to put Minnesota up 2-1.
In the top of the ninth with his team down three and the tying runs aboard, he struck out swinging on a 101 mph high fastball from Twins closer Jhoan Duran.
The red-hot Pete Alonso initially gave the Mets the lead with his fifth home run of the season, a solo shot, in the top of the first. Soto then tied the game with his second home run in as many days in the top of the fourth.
But the Twins struck back in the bottom of the fourth when Megill hit Trevor Larnach and gave up a double off the top of the wall — initially called a home run but changed upon review — to Ryan Jeffers. Bader, who had three hits on the day, lined an infield hit to a diving Mark Vientos, who had no play to make upon the highlight-reel-worthy stop.
Byron Buxton beat Luisangel Acuna’s throw home on a France grounder with one out in the fifth to make it a two-run game. Megill’s night was done after that frame, with only two of the four runs charged to his ledger on eight hits with three strikeouts and no walks.
Reliever Max Kranick, who had been brilliant to start the season, gave up his first two earned runs of the season — an Edouard Julien RBI single in the sixth followed by a Brooks Lee homer in the seventh to make it a 6-3 game.
Mark Vientos led off the ninth by reaching on a throwing error by shortstop Willi Castro. Luis Torrens and Jesse Winker then grounded into force outs before Acuna singled to bring Lindor, the tying run to the plate.
He worked the count to 3-1 before missing a splitter that just nicked the lower, inside portion of the zone and whiffing at Duran’s heater.
