NEW YORK -- When Francisco Lindor finally dumped an RBI single into left field in the third inning Wednesday, snapping a career-worst 0-for-31 skid at the plate, a nearly sold-out Citi Field crowd rose to offer him a standing ovation. Had anyone in the ballpark not been privy to the depth of Lindor’s slump, it would have been difficult for them to remain unaware in that moment.
“I knew something was up,” starting pitcher Sean Manaea said. “I didn’t know a streak like that was going on.”
Now, Lindor’s streak is in the past. So is Pete Alonso’s 0-for-13 skid, which ended when he blasted a three-run homer into the second deck in left.
The result was exactly what tends to happen when New York’s superstars hit with authority: the Mets beat the Angels, 6-3, to complete a three-game series sweep and their fourth consecutive victory.
“Today,” Alonso said, “was great.”
Although the Mets played well throughout a six-game homestand that saw them sell out four games and draw more than a quarter-million fans in total, their initial successes came without much help from Lindor and Alonso. Both have been prone to streakiness throughout their careers -- particularly Lindor, who has had seven hitless skids of at least 20 at-bats. This is largely due to Lindor’s aggressiveness, manager Carlos Mendoza said, calling it a positive trait that can sometimes work against him.
“When you’re good, you’re good,” was how Lindor put it. “When you suck, you suck.”
Unlike during some of his other recent hitless streaks, however, Lindor had been giving the Mets competitive at-bats in recent days -- working counts, hitting the ball hard, even contributing an RBI fielder’s choice on Monday. So as he approached the plate with two men on base in the third inning Wednesday, he did not feel far from contributing.
When Angels lefty Jake Eder left a slider on the inner half of the plate, Lindor caught just enough of the pitch to loop it into left for his go-ahead, slump-busting single. Fans throughout the stadium rose at that point to give Lindor an ovation.
“They’ve been supporting me all along,” Lindor said. “I feel the love. It’s definitely special for sure. It makes you want to continue to go even harder. This city, this market makes you bring the best of yourself every single day. And you can’t take that for granted.”
Two batters later, the lovefest continued when Alonso broke the game open with a 439-foot three-run homer. Although Alonso’s 0-for-13 slump paled in comparison to Lindor’s skid, it was part of a longer 2-for-34 slump for the first baseman.
“Hitting a big homer there with guys on base is obviously enjoyable and fun,” Alonso said.
While this wasn’t exactly an offensive catharsis for the Mets, it did take pressure off Manaea and closer Edwin Díaz, the latter of whom recorded the final four outs for the save. More than that, it could signal the start of something better. Later in the game, Lindor added a second RBI single, while Alonso hit an opposite-field single that he called just as important for his swing as his homer.
That those two needed to be better was no secret. Earlier this homestand, the Mets found themselves relying mostly on Brett Baty, Francisco Alvarez and other bottom-of-the-order hitters to produce. They were getting essentially nothing from Lindor and Alonso, who had contributed one RBI over a seven-game stretch from July 12-22.
Both spent time this week taking early batting practice on the field. Both searched for fixes in the cage. Even Mendoza contributed, encouraging Alonso to get his foot down earlier when swinging the bat.
“It takes a village,” Mendoza said.
The Mets will head out west now for a difficult six-game stretch against the contending Giants and Padres. To navigate it, they will need Lindor and Alonso at their best, along with continued contributions from Juan Soto and Brandon Nimmo.
Through 103 games, the Mets possess, statistically, a league-average offense. It will be up to their top-of-the-order hitters to turn it into something more.
“We’re going to need those guys,” Mendoza said. “We know that they’re going through it. But they’re too good, man. They’re too good of hitters. They’re too good of players. And I’m glad that they were able to come through for us today.”