Francisco Lindor's late heroics lift Mets over Rockies in series opener
The Mets win in Colorado thanks to a big-time moment from their injured shortstop. Plus, notes on Lindor's toughness, a big moment for Brett Baty and another good Kodai Senga start...
What’s up with the Mets? ⚾
The Mets got back to winning ways quickly by beating the Rockies 4-2 to take the opening game of the series at Coors Field (box)
Out of the lineup again with a fractured pinky toe, SS Francisco Lindor entered the game as a pinch-hitter with the game tied, and hit a two-run double in the ninth to lift his team to victory
RHP Kodai Senga allowed one earned run on five hits and two walks with six strikeouts on a career-high 109 pitches across six innings, lowing his ERA to 1.59 in the process
RHP Edwin Díaz authored a 1-2-3 inning in the ninth to pick up his 14th save of the season and help secure the win
1B Pete Alonso stayed hot, driving in New York’s first two runs of the game with an RBI double in the seventh. He finished 1-for-3 with one run scored, two RBIs and two walks
RF Juan Soto recorded his first three-hit game as a Met, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a walk
The Mets went 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position, leaving a whopping 12 runners stranded on base
By beating the Rockies on Friday night, the Mets became the first National League team to reach 40 wins in 2025
Injury Updates 🏥
LHP Sean Manaea (right oblique strain) allowed four runs - three earned - on four hits with no walks and two strikeouts in 1.2 innings in his first rehab start at High-A Brooklyn on Friday
SS Francisco Lindor (fractured pinky toe) did come off the bench in Friday’s win - driving in the winning runs - and he could be okay to return to the lineup on Saturday
Play of the Game ⭐️
The game was tied and in the balance when Francisco Lindor was called off the bench in the top of the ninth.
The shortstop had been out of the lineup for a second consecutive game due to a fractured pinky toe. But, with the offense again struggling, especially with runners in scoring position, Lindor was called upon to deliver a spark.
And, boy, did he do exactly that.
With runners at the corners and two outs, Lindor took on the role of Captain Clutch to blast a double down the right field line, scoring both runners and giving the Mets a lead they never gave up.
This was a game the Mets could have thrown away due to their inability to once again cash in with RISP. However, Lindor had other ideas and, even with a fractured toe, he was able to come through in the clutch and deliver for his team in the biggest moment once again.
Who’s Hot? 🔥
1B Pete Alonso has 14 RBIs in his last six games, and is hitting .321/.403/.736/.1.139 over his last 15 games
RF Juan Soto is hitting .318/.531/.773 with seven hits, eight runs scored, three homers, five RBIs and nine walks in his last seven games
SS Francisco Lindor is hitting .400/.483/.920 with 10 hits, 10 runs scored, four home runs, seven RBIs and three walks over his last seven games
Over his last seven games, DH Starling Marte is hitting .350/.409/.700 with seven hits, eight runs scored, two homers, two RBIs and two walks
Who’s Cold? 🥶
RHP Huascar Brazobán has now given up a run in four of his last six appearances
The New York Mets rank 27th in MLB with a .216 batting average with runners in scoring position, and 21st in OPS (.702)
Over his last 15 games, C Francisco Alvarez is hitting .212/.297/.242/.540 with 10 strikeouts
Over his last 15 games, CF Tyrone Taylor is hitting .195/.313/.220/.532 with one extra-base hit and nine strikeouts
Down on the Farm 🌾
RHP Brandon Sproat (No. 2 prospect, Triple-A): 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
OF Drew Gilbert (No. 10 prospect, Triple-A): 2-for-6, 1 R, 4 RBI, 1 HR
3B Luke Ritter (Triple-A): 4-for-4, 5 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 2B
RHP Max Kranick (Triple-A): 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
BOX SCORES
Low-A STL | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR
Today’s Game 🗓️
Match-up: Mets (40-24) at Rockies (12-51)
Where: Coors Field - Denver, CO
Starters: RHP Clay Holmes (6-3, 3.07 ERA) vs. LHP Carson Palmquist (0-4, 8.50 ERA)
When: 9:40 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
Notes on Lindor’s heart, Baty’s bounce-back and another strong start for Senga… ✍️
The Mets didn’t exactly make it easy for themselves on Friday night at Coors Field.
Although the Rockies have been better as of late - they were riding a three-game winning streak entering Friday - they are still a very bad baseball team.
However, due to New York’s inability to cash in with runners in scoring position - yet again - the opening game of this series was a little too close for comfort. And, thanks to a big defensive play and a clutch hit from a certain star shortstop, the Mets were able to avoid an ugly loss and quickly get back to winning ways.
And, on that note, let’s dive into some quick hits from Friday’s game, starting with the obvious…
Tough Lindor really is the heart and soul of this team
With Juan Soto now on the team, Francisco Lindor has to share top billing as one of the faces of the franchise.
However, what can’t be disputed is the fact that Lindor very much remains the beating heart and soul of the New York Mets.
And, whenever he’s needed, hurt or otherwise, he always finds a way to come through and deliver when his team needs him the most.
Nursing a fractured pinkie toe, Lindor was out of the starting lineup for the second straight game. And, in his absence, the Mets struggled to land the knockout blow against the Rockies, despite loading the bases with a boatload of traffic all night long.
All in all, the Mets went 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position, leaving a staggering 12 runners stranded on base. As a result, the game was tied and still there for the taking heading into the ninth inning.
Needing something to get his offense going, manager Carlos Mendoza brought Lindor off the bench to come to the plate with two runners on and two outs.
The end result? Lindor did what he’s done throughout his time in Queens - come up with the clutch hit when it is needed most. He sent a double down the right field line, scoring both Juan Soto and Pete Alonso to give the Mets the go-ahead runs they so desperately needed.
As it turned out, they proved to be the winning runs and the Mets escaped the series opener with a much-needed win in the wake of what happened in LA the day before.
And, once again, the Mets were thanking their lucky stars that Lindor is their guy. The captain of this team - in all but name at this point - has made a habit of showing up in big situations and leading by example. He’s a special player, and he’s also as tough as they come.
This isn’t exactly the first time Lindor has helped to save his team’s bacon when not playing at full strength. He delivered a game-winning hit when dealing with the flu last year, while he also came up with heroics while battling a crippling back injury in the latter stages of 2024 too.
In short, Lindor is exactly the kind of superstar any team would want. He’s an elite producer offensively and defensively, but he also has no ego and puts the team first at all times. Lindor has shown time and time again he’s willing to put his body on the line for this organization and do what is required to help his team win baseball games.
With a fractured toe, Lindor decided to play through the pain and come up with the big hit when it was needed the most, again underlining just how important he is to this franchise.
Turning the page
Brett Baty didn’t exactly have a lot of time to dwell on his crucial, boneheaded mistake in the series finale loss to the Dodgers on Thursday. He was right back in action on Friday night.
However, such a notable error that led to a big loss can sit with any player, especially one as young as Baty who has already endured so many low points in the majors. It was the kind of play that could have resulted in a loss of confidence.
Instead, Baty went right back to work and, when presented with a big-time moment on Friday, responded emphatically. In the eighth inning, with the bases loaded and no outs, Ryan McMahon stepped to the plate and sent a liner towards third base. Baty showed lightning-quick reactions to not only catch the liner, but also to apply the tag on Jordan Beck before he could get back to third.
It was one hell of an unassisted double play by Baty, and one that changed the entire tenor of the game. Were it not for that defensive clutch-ness, then the Rockies may have blown the game wide open. And, given how the Mets were struggling to get runners home, that may have been enough for Colorado to win the game. But, because of Baty’s ability to quickly flush a bad day and get back to making big-time, game-changing plays, the Mets were able to go into the ninth still tied, setting the stage for Lindor to do what he does best.
Baty showed tremendous maturity to ensure a bad day didn’t turn into a couple of bad days, and he deserves a huge amount of credit for quickly bouncing back and atoning for his error on Thursday.
Stacking ‘em up
Kodai Senga returning to ace-like status was always going to be one of the biggest X-Factors for the Mets in 2025. And so far, so good for both Senga and New York.
The righty has been pitching at an elite level all season long, and he’s been able to stack up strong start upon strong start.
He was locked in against the Rockies in his Coors Field debut, allowing just one earned run on five hits and two walks with one strikeout. His only black mark was giving up a home run to Mickey Moniak. Senga ran into some more trouble in the third, allowing a double and a walk. He also gave up a leadoff triple to Ryan Ritter in the fifth, but relied on some solid defense to get out of the jam each and every time.
Senga ended up throwing a career-high 109 pitches, and it wasn’t always pretty at times. He needed his defense to bail him out on more than a few occasions.
However, what has been most impressive about Senga so far this year is his ability to grind out starts when he’s not at his best. He’s been able to strap on his big boy pants and work through tough outings time and time again, and he’s found a way to answer every question thrown his way.
Being able to tough out starts is something that will become even more important down the stretch and in the postseason, when the quality of opposition will get even tougher. Plus, by that point, Senga should be even better than he is now given that he’s still working his way back from an injury-ravaged 2024 season.
Not only does he possess ace-like quality, but Senga has shown the kind of resiliency and toughness this season that every elite starter needs in order to be truly great. Both of those qualities were on display on Friday night against the Rockies, where Senga once again was able to do whatever it took to get the job done and give his team a chance to win the game.
Around the League 🚩
LHP Tarik Skubal was money on the mound once again, allowing just one earned run on eight hits with no walks and six strikeouts over 7.2 innings as the Tigers beat the Cubs, 3-1
INF Manny Machado hit a clutch home run in the eighth inning to help the Padres beat the red-hot Brewers, 2-0
INF Jazz Chisholm Jr. finished with a home run and four RBIs to help lead the Yankees to a 9-6 win over the Red Sox in the Bronx
Despite the loss to the Yanks, there was some joy for Boston with INF Marcelo Mayer blasting his first career MLB home run
RHP Sonny Gray pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings to help the Cardinals shutout the Dodgers, 5-0
C Kyle Teel had an MLB debut to remember, reaching base three times with two walks and a single as the White Sox beat the Royals, 7-2
How does a team teach and/or instill "clutch"? Its a serious question since there is a void of "coming through" with big hits. Does Cohen hire a Zen master to relax these guys at the plate? They most definitely have skill.
Kodak IS the ace of the Mets staff without question. Hes great.