Francisco Lindor hits grand slam to send New York Mets to NLCS for first time since 2015
New York Mets owner Steve Cohen celebrates with shortstop Francisco Lindor after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in game four of the NLDS.
By Jamie Barton, CNN
(CNN) — Francisco Lindor wrote another chapter in the New York Mets’ remarkable season on Wednesday night, hitting a go-ahead grand slam to clinch the National League Division Series (NLDS) with a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4.
The victory sends the Mets through to the National League Championship Series (NLCS) for the first time in nine years, and is the first time the franchise has clinched a playoff series at Citi Field, the stadium having opened in 2009.
With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the sixth, Lindor sent Carlos Estévez’s fastball over the wall in right-center field to give the Mets a 4-1 lead and spark delirium in the stands.
“Just in awe,” teammate Pete Alonso said, according to MLB.com, of arguably the greatest moment Citi Field has ever seen. “That was the swing of a lifetime.”
“I’m blessed that my daughters and my wife are here and they get to watch daddy do something special,” Lindor told Fox Sports.
Lindor’s year has mirrored that of his franchise. Booed by his own fans at the start of the season, the Puerto Rican called a players-only meeting in late May after a 10-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers meant New York was 11 games under .500.
Since then, the Mets have gone 72-42 and Lindor has staked an NL MVP claim. The shortstop was the hero on the final day of the regular season, his go-ahead two-run home run in the ninth inning against the Atlanta Braves sending the Mets through to the postseason.
For much of Wednesday night, it looked like it was going to be a game of missed opportunities for New York. Having left the bases loaded in the first and second innings, the Mets found themselves down 1-0 in the fourth when Mark Vientos bobbled a ground ball from Alec Bohm and Bryce Harper came home to score.
But Lindor came up clutch once again to bring home all four of the Mets’ runs with one swing of the bat, before Edwin Diaz closed out the win in the ninth.
“I want to win it all, and ours will be a team that will forever be remembered,” said Lindor after the game, per MLB.com. “This will be a team that comes every 10 years and eats for free everywhere they go. And I want to do that. I want to do that. But the job is not done.”
The Mets will now travel to either Los Angeles or San Diego to begin the best-of-seven NLCS on Sunday.
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