Carlos Mendoza contemplated the situation.
He reasoned that substituting Tyron Taylor for Jesse Turnooker in the eighth inning would switch a left-to-left matchup to a right-to-side matchup, to which the Blue Jays responded appropriately.
However, Mendoza noticed that left-handed hitters Juan Soto and Brandon Nimmo both had solid at-bats against Brendon early in the inning.
He observed the signals produce triples and doubles in the early stages of the game.
Now he was faced with a crucial signal delivered to the Mets during a significant postseason campaign the previous year. Turnooker answered the challenge with a triple that brought in two runs, putting the Mets in a position to secure a dramatic 3-2 walk-off victory in just one frame.
“It’s a tough call,” Mendoza remarked afterward. “I’m pleased he came through.”
Winker, who inked a one-year deal for 2025, started slowly on Saturday with a batting average of 0.154 and none in his initial five games.
Yet, he hit a double down the right field line in the second inning and made a trip around third in the fourth after the ball unexpectedly bounced past George Springer and into the wall.
Following both hits, the Mets were unable to bring him home.
In the eighth inning, Francisco Lindor connected with pitches that Springer mishandled near the wall following a single, a walk, and a base hit by Soto.
What was his main goal? “I’ll take third,” he stated, although joy lingered as a lasting feeling.
“Just before stepping into the circle on the deck [Mendoza] said, ‘This is your at-bat.’ The signal indicated. It’s a privilege to play for him. I’m very thankful.”
The signal isn’t typically noted for his quickness. The twin triples during the playoffs last year stand as the singular exception throughout the Mets’ journey.
As he embraced his daughter, Len, in front of the Mets backdrop post-game, he queried if she believed her father was quick – to which she nodded.
“Len’s dad was unaware he was speedy,” Turner joked, “and I don’t believe he was.”
Nonetheless, as the Mets’ offense struggled for the majority of the contest against Chris Bassitt, they required a moment of clutch performance on base in the second game of the weekend series, showcasing both signal speed and an essential hit.
