In the top of the seventh inning on Saturday, with the Mets holding a one-run lead, Francisco Lindor took a pitch with a full count and appeared to drop his bat over his shoulder before the ball reached him.
It was a slider from Giants relief pitcher Randy Rodriguez, the fourth pitch Lindor saw that at-bat. Lindor lowered his hands and watched the ball cross home plate while an NBC Sports anchor announced, “It just seemed like Lindor was drinking,” he suggested.
The Mets’ 7-2 loss at Citi Field on Saturday was highlighted by a bullpen collapse in extra innings and another failed save by Edwin Diaz in the ninth inning, but while the moments didn’t affect the outcome, it was still a strange sight for Lindor, who, like most of the Mets’ lineup, is struggling to start the 2024 season.
After Lindor struck out, Pete Alonso flied out to end the inning.
Lindor hit a leadoff double in the first inning on Saturday and finished with one hit and one walk in four at-bats.
In the ninth inning, with the Mets looking for a walk-off win after Diaz failed to get the save, Lindor got a grounder into a potential double play, putting the Mets in a two-out, first-and-third situation, but they ultimately couldn’t capitalize.
However, Lindor is only batting .208 with a .643 OPS in 2024, and those numbers have dipped after a poor April performance.
After Lindor’s wife, Katia Leggero Lindor, received a terrifying threat via Instagram message and shared it on social media as Lindor’s 2024 season hit an early nadir, Mets owner Steve Cohen suggested fans give the Mets shortstop a standing ovation at the end of the road, a similar approach to what Phillies fans did with Trea Turner last year.
That’s exactly what happened on April 12, as Lindor finished the month with a batting average of .273.
“I definitely didn’t expect it, but it definitely feels good,” Lindor said after a thunderous night. “It’s good to be home and feel the love of the fans. It just fills my heart when I’m playing well and when I’m playing badly.”
Lindor struggled again in Opening Day in May, but has recently been on a string of strong performances, getting a hit in six of the Mets’ last eight games, including four multi-hit games, and raising his batting average back above .200.
But the Mets have lost 10 of their last 12 games, are nine games below .500 and are already 15.5 games behind Philadelphia for the NL East lead.
