(2024) NLDS Game #4- Francisco Lindor's Grand Slam Clinches NLDS Victory

 Wednesday October 9th, 2024: The Mets came into this late afternoon game with a chance to celebrate their first post season series win ever at Citi Field. They were leading the Philadelphia Phillies two games to one in the best of five NLDS. A loss meant going back to Philadelphia having to face Zack Wheeler again. 

Trivia: Flashback to the 1986 NLCS when a Game Six loss at Houston would have meant facing Mike Scott who had them shut down in two games of that NLCS. Those Mets won Game Six no Scott & so would these Mets, no Wheeler.

A full house of 44,103 excited fans jammed Citi Field on a 66-degree 5:09 afternoon start. Former Mets Daniel Murphy & Bartolo Colon were on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, then Lissa deGuzman sang the National Anthem and we were ready for baseball.

Carlos Mendoza sent Jose Quintana to the mound. Quintana had pitched six shutout innings in the NLDS Game #3 series clinching win over the Brewers. In his last five starts since September 7th, he has been outstanding, allowing two earned runs in 31 overall innings.

The Phillies with their backs up against the wall in a do or die situation sent Ranger Suarez to the
mound. Saurez started the year at 10-1 with a 2.64 ERA. But the was 2-7 with a 5.32 ERA the rest of the way & hadn't pitched since September 27th.

In the bottom of the 1st, the Mets loaded the bases with one out but couldn't score. In the bottom of the 2nd, they loaded the bases with two outs but couldn't score. 

In the bottom of the 5th, they put two on with one out & couldn't score again. Phillies starter, Ranger Suarez threw a lot of pitches, put a lot of people on base with five hits & four walks but had the Mets over anxiously chasing his curve ball they couldn't hit. He didn't give up any runs & struck out eight in 4.1 innings.

Jose Quintana started the 1st inning striking out Kyle Schwaber & ended it striking out Bryce Harper. Quintana issued walks in the 2nd inning & 4th innings. He held the Phillies hitless until Nick Castellanos doubled in that 4th inning, putting two men in scoring position with one out. 

Alec Bohm then hit a bouncer to short that Mark Vientos couldn't handle, Bryce Harper came in to score what was to be the only Phillies run of the game. JT Realmuto & Bryson Scott both hit fly ball outs to end the inning. Over the last two games of the NLDS the Phillies scored three runs over 18 innings.

In the top of the 5th, Quintana added two more strike outs, getting Brandon Marsh, then ending
the inning striking out Trea Turner. Quintana's night was over, he was another Mets starter putting in a fine posts season performance. In five innings he gave up one run (unearned) on two hits, walked two & struck out six.

Jose Quintana Stats: In his last six starts, Quintana has allowed just three runs, two earned in 35 innings of work, with 34 strike outs.

In the top of the 6th, Harper led off with a double off the right field wall, Reed Garrett came on in relief of Quintana & struck out Castellanos for the first out. He then walked Alec Bohm putting two on. Garrett then struck out Realmuto & Bryson Scott bounced out to Pete Alonso at first base the end the inning.

As the Mets seemed overanxious in the early innings, there was also a sense that with one a run deficit it was just a matter of time until they struck.

With the Phillies Jeff Hoffman on the mound, J.D. Martinez led off with a base hit. Hoffman then got rattled, he threw a wild pitch advancing Martinez. He then hit Starling Marte with a pitch & threw another wild pitch advancing the runners to second & third. 

The Citi Field crowd came alive, Tyrone Tyler then walked loading the bases. Phillies manager Rob Thomson brought in Carlos Estevez to face Francisco Lindor. 

Grand Slam HR: Lindor the team's MVP throughout the season, was in the biggest spot of his Mets career. 

On September 30th, after Edwin Diaz blew an 8th inning lead in Atlanta, Lindor hit a 9th inning, three run HR leading to the win that clinched a playoff berth. 

Nine days later, on this night he delivered with the biggest hit of his Mets career, blasting a grand slam HR to right field, putting the Mets up 4-1. It was all they would need to win the game & clinch the series. Lindor calmly dropped the bat & ran the bases quietly, like a real pro like he's been there before, doing exactly what he was supposed to do.

It was bedlam at Citi Field & there was joy everywhere in Met-land.

Quotes- Howie Rose on Mets Radio: "He may have just outdone himself- They were famished for the big hit all night & Francisco Lindor just provided a feast."

Trivia: Lindor became the first short stop in MLB history & the fifth player overall to hit a grand slam HR which led to his team to clinching a post season series. He is also the second Mets player in franchise history, along with Edgardo Alfonzo (1999) to hit a grand slam HR in the post season. Robin Ventura hit a grand slam that was ruled a single in the 1999 NLCS. 

Lindor's HR was the second Mets go ahead HR with the team behind after the 6th inning this post season. Pete Alonso provided the NLWC series three-run HR in Game #3 that clinched that series win.

It was his second career post season HR as he hit one with Cleveland in 2019. He has seven regular season grand slams as well.

Quotes- Francisco Lindor: "I'm celebrating inside, but at the end of the day the job is not finished. It feels amazing to be able to move forward."

The Mets got 2.1 scoreless innings in another fine relief outing from David Peterson. He gave up two hits with a strike out & was the eventual winning pitcher of record. 

David Peterson Stats: Peterson is one of the longest tenured Mets. In the 2024 post season Peterson has pitched 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing four hits with three strike outs & three walks. He is 1-0 with a save.

Quotes- David Peterson: "Being in the organization my entire time, having come up through the system having them give me the chance, getting to this point & being able to claim one of these rounds being in home ballpark in front of our fans & watch them go nuts, just to hear the cheers running down was unbelievable."

In the 9th inning, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza went with his regular closer Edwin Diaz.

Diaz started out with his usual drama, throwing nine straight balls walking JT Realmuto & Bryson Scott. As the Mets fanbase held their breath, Diaz settled in after a visit from pitching coach Jermey Hefner. 

Cody Clemens struck out. Brandon Marsh flew out to Harrison Bader in centerfield & Diaz ended the game striking out Kyle Schwarber. The Mets won the NLDS three games to two & advanced to the NLCS for the first time since 2016.

The Mets celebrated in the clubhouse with champagne, as Jose Iglesias' (aka Candelita) song OMG, which became the Mets rally cry for the season playing loudly.

Quotes- Manager Carlos Mendoza: "This is unbelievable, humbling. But I'm looking around this is like a dream come true. You got to the credit to the players, the coaches the whole organization. It wasn't easy, a lot of adversity, ups & downs & we never gave up, I knew I had really good players, I knew we had really good people here that was best for this organization, here we are man. I'm just proud of the whole group."

Quotes-Longest tenured Met- Brandon Nimmo: "The amount of hard work that goes into getting to this spot, you see everybody celebrating here but you don't get to see all the years of hard work that have gone into this... There's been ownership change, front office change, manager change, players in & out, I'm really the only one still left. This has been a long time coming & we wanted it so bad for our fan base..... If you wrote this up, what we've done in the past ten days, I don't think you'd believe it. This couldn't be close to real life but it is."