In fact, it has become a common denominator and essential for the Mets during the postseason. There was some drama in the 9th inning.
magic homer. A legendary moment.
But in a 7-2 victory over the Phillies in Game 3 of the NLDS, the Mets needed a different type of clutch hitting to make up for their two early home runs.
Starling Marte, Jose Iglesias and Francisco Lindor, who hit the final five points on Tuesday, all connected on hits with two outs. After the Phillies won the shutout by two runs, what was once a sure-fire goal turned into a difference-making score. Eighth.
“Two-out hits are huge in the postseason,” Lindor said.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Marte realized he didn't want to chase the ball against Orion Kerkeling.
The Mets had the bases loaded with no outs, but Kirkeling induced a fielder's choice ground out and fly out after the Phillies pulled starting pitcher Aaron Nola.
Marte connected with an outside sweeper and redirected the ball to the middle for two points, extending the Mets' lead to four points.
In the next round, Iglesias faced a similar situation.
Once again, the bases were loaded with two outs.
An infield hit and two walks prompted Phillies manager Rob Thomson to bring in Jose Luis.
But Iglesias continued his recent performance, hitting in five of the Mets' six postseason games and ending the regular season with a career-best 22-game hitting streak, including a two-run homer over center and a 6-0 lead. And so.
This was the Mets' fourth bases-loaded hit this postseason.
Then, in the 8th inning, Lindor hit a double over the first base line that drove in J.D. Martinez with two outs, giving the Phillies a cushion over the Mets who had narrowed the lead.
“They're getting good at-bats against them,” Thomson said of the Mets' at-bats against the bullpen. “To tell you the truth, I don't think we're executing the pitch.”
The Mets got home runs from Pete Alonso and Jesse Winker against Nola, electrifying the Citi Field crowd.
They wouldn't be in this position in the first place if Alonso hadn't hit that home run in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series.
But they added another run on Marte's two-out single in the bottom of the crucial ninth inning last week.
The fifth run in Game 1 of this series also all came with two outs.
And on Tuesday, similar success brought the Mets to the brink of winning the National League Championship.
“When you put the ball in play, good things happen, and you see that in Marte and you see that in me,” Iglesias said.
