Late-inning heroics are nothing new to Francisco Lindor.
Last October, the shortstop demolished a 99 mph fastball from Carlos Estevez and delivered a go-ahead grand slam in the sixth inning of Game 4 of the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies. The monumental swat secured the New York Mets’ first series clincher at Citi Field in the ballpark’s 15-year history and sent the club to their first National League Championship Series since 2015.
Just last month, the 31-year-old led off the bottom of the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals with the game knotted up at four. Facing reliever Ryan Fernandez, Lindor drilled the righty’s 1-1 cutter into the second deck in right field for a no-doubt, walk-off blast. The long ball marked his 250th career home run.
So it came as no surprise that magic struck yet again when Lindor led off the bottom of the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday afternoon. The switch-hitter, batting left, shattered the two-run tie with a 391-foot moonshot into the home bullpen off Cubs’ reliever Porter Hodge. The go-ahead homer sparked a four-run surge – punctuated by Brandon Nimmo’s two-run shot – that propelled the Mets to a 6-2 victory at Citi Field.
At this point, Lindor’s clutch home runs feel like a formality. It was what happened afterward that stuck out.
Lindor, typically known for his level-headed composure in big moments, embraced the occasion and let his emotions show. He flipped his bat and admired the ball as it soared out of the park, then gestured to the crowd as he trotted to first base. He shared an explosive high-five with first base coach Antoan Richardson and let out a thunderous roar as he rounded the bag.
Speaking with reporters after the game, Lindor explained that he was excited to provide for his team after their comeback fell short against Chicago the night prior. But deeper than that, he was overcome with emotion after coming through on Mother’s Day.
“I wasn’t trying to hit a home run there,” said Lindor. “I was just trying to have a quality at-bat and let the big boys do what they do best, and then the emotions just came out. I definitely had my mom, my sisters, and my wife, who was in the stands, in my mind.”
Lindor, a father of three with a newborn, tossed his bright pink torpedo bat and rounded the bases with a custom, pink-and-gold colorway of his signature New Balance Lindor 2 cleats. He savored his Mother’s Day mash with his wife, Katia Lindor, who cheered him on from the Citi Field seats.
The celebration comes just a few weeks after Lindor hit two homers in a 5-4 win over the Phillies on April 21. Asked if the moment brought him back to his postseason smash, the family man told reporters that while he cherishes all his home runs, “I need my wife and kids to be here. If they were here, maybe it would’ve felt a little more like that [Game 4 Grand Slam]. I miss them.”
Lindor is off to one of the hottest starts to his career, hitting .301 with an .877 OPS (150 OPS+), nine homers, and a National League-leading 49 hits through New York’s first 41 games. His early success has been a driving force behind one of the best teams in baseball. At 26-15, the Mets sit atop the NL East with a top-five record in the majors.
