Mets headed to the NLCS, waiting for either the Dodgers or the Padres
The Mets have now proven they are built for October
What’s Up with the Mets? 🚩
The Mets won Game 4 of the NLDS and punched their ticket to the NLCS with a 4-1 win over the Phillies (box)
Francisco Lindor came through for the Mets again, this time with a sixth inning grand slam to put the Mets on top to stay (watch)
Jose Quintana was brilliant again, this time allowing just one hit and one unearned run over 5+ IP with six strikeouts
Reed Garrett and David Peterson were spotless in relief of Quintana, and Edwin Díaz earned the save and closed the door on the Phillies season
Mark Vientos recorded his fourth consecutive multi-hit game, tying him with Daniel Murphy (2015) and Todd Zeile (2000) for the longest such streak in franchise history during the Postseason
The Mets are 13-9 all-time in playoff clinching games, and are 57-42 (.576) all-time in Postseason play, the third-best winning percentage in major league history behind Miami (24-16, .600) and the Yankees (246-179, .579)
Moment of the Game ⭐
There’s nothing else to consider but Francisco Lindor’s sixth inning grand slam off of Carlos Estevez to drive home the 2024 National League Division Series for the Mets.
After the Mets loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth, Francisco Álvarez grounded out but the lineup flipped over for Lindor, who delivered another monumental home run in his Mets career, the second clutch go-ahead home run to put the Mets ahead for good in the last ten days.
Who’s Hot 🔥
Mark Vientos has a hit in six of the Mets first seven playoff games in 2024. He has a four-game hitting streak, during which he has recorded four multi-hit games and has hit .563/.611/1.063 with nine hits, two doubles, two home runs, five RBI and three runs scored
David Peterson has made five relief appearances in the playoffs, during which he has allowed only six hits and one run with three walks and five strikeouts. He did not allow a run in his three relief appearances in the NLDS, a span of 6.1 IP
In two starts in the playoffs, Jose Quintana has allowed just one unearned run on six hits with three walks and 11 strikeouts over 11 IP
Did You Know?! 🤔
The Mets clinched their first playoff series at home since the 2000 NLCS against the Cardinals
Jose Quintana has not allowed an earned run in each of his last three playoff starts, dating back to October 7, 2022. That is tied for the second-longest such streak in postseason history
Francisco Lindor hit the second grand slam in Mets postseason history, the last coming from Edgardo Alfonzo in Game 1 of the 1999 NLDS against the Diamondbacks
Injury Updates 🏥
Jeff McNeil (fractured wrist) is expected to play in the Arizona Fall League this weekend. He is on the 15-day injured list and could be activated for the NLCS
The Mets are off until Sunday, at which point they will begin the 2024 National League Championship Series either at Petco Park in San Diego or Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
Game 4 symbolized the Mets season from start to finish… ✍️
Playoff spot? Check.
Brewers? Check.
Phillies? Check.
And now, we wait for either the Dodgers or the Padres. The Mets won’t know if they’ll be heading for San Diego or Los Angeles until around 11 PM ET on Friday.
But while we wait, lets stop to appreciate and celebrate the 2024 New York Mets once again.
Game 4 of the National League Division Series was the book definition of what this club has been this season in a nutshell.
A struggle early, followed by a surge in the middle, and sealing the deal in the end.
It wasn’t pretty for the Mets in this one for sure. They had Phillies starter Ranger Suárez pinned on the ropes multiple times early in this game, but Suárez came up with a magic curveball six times over the first two innings to strikeout the Mets in bases loaded situations to keep the Mets off the board.
And it just seemed like this series was destined to go back to Philadelphia with old friend Zack Wheeler breathing down their neck.
The Mets couldn’t even put the ball in play with runners in scoring position. And when they did, it was soft contact and the Phillies were able to strand the Mets time and time again.
They stranded 10 Mets on-base and kept the Mets at 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position on the night.
But one of those three hits was magical.
Just when it looked like it was going to happen again after the Mets loaded the bases with nobody out against Jeff Hoffman in the sixth, Francisco Lindor came up with one big swing which pivoted the Mets trajectory again in this season with a grand slam, putting the Mets on top 4-1 in this game and basically sending the Mets to the NLCS for the first time in nine years.
It was Lindor’s biggest hit in his Mets career, again.
It was the second time in a span of nine days Lindor demonstrated his worthiness for the league’s MVP, putting the Mets on his back and carrying them to the next stage of this wonderful baseball season for this franchise.
In any other season, he would’ve been the runaway candidate for the award. But we know, in everyone’s heart, Lindor is not just the MVP in this league and to this team, but is the lifeblood of this franchise right now.
He’s the straw that stirs the drink, the very essence of what the New York Mets are right now, and what they could very well be in the years to come.
His $341 million, lifelong contract seems like a bargain right now.
But Lindor isn’t the only hero of this game and this series. There are so many plot lines that need deserving attention.
There’s Mark Vientos’ rise to stardom. There’s David Peterson’s stabilizing presence in the bullpen. There’s José Quintana and his steadiness in the Mets rotation. There’s Sean Manaea’s ace-like rise over the last few months as well.
There’s José Iglesias performance and cultural influence which has unquestionably transformed the character and personality of this club.
There’s Carlos Mendoza’s calm and steadiness as well as his ability to keep this clubhouse together even when the team was sitting at 22-33 when play began on May 30.
There’s David Stearns, the architect of this roster and front office and his pressing of all the right buttons on this roster.
And of course, there’s Steve Cohen who has injected his soul and lifelong fandom along with his financial might into this organization to not only transform the roster, but the organizational philosophy and operation of the entire franchise, giving them the ability to modernize their work, processes, and thinking into a leading-edge professional sports organization.
Stuff we don’t see has unquestionably impacted the trajectory of this organization, and Mr. Cohen is the primary force behind all of that.
There’s also this unrivaled determination with everyone on this roster to prove all of the nay-sayers wrong and everyone who doubted their ability to even contend in 2024.
There’s no quit in these Mets, even when it seems as though they’ve finally reached the edge of this season’s cliff.
The 2015 team was as good of a Mets team as there has been since 1986. But this one isn’t only just as good, they have an IT factor even that 2015 didn’t have. Could it be enough to get the Mets to the promised land for the first time in 38 years?
They’ve been the best team in baseball since May 30 on top of all of that too. And that’s not a small sample to discount anymore, especially after their performance over the last week and a half. They’ve proven they’re built for October in a big way.
They’re now one step closer to putting 38 years of storied failure in the rearview mirror.
The Championship Chase 🏆
Giancarlo Stanton broke a 2-2 tie with a long home run as the Yankees beat the Royals 3-2 at Kaufman Stadium, putting them one win away from the ALCS
The Dodgers were without Freddie Freeman or a starting pitcher, but they managed to shutout the Padres 8-0 to send their NLDS back to Dodger Stadium on Friday
The Tigers shut the Guardians out again, this time with a 3-0 gem in a bullpen game to put them on the cusp of their first ALCS since 2014
Before Alvarez batted with the bases loaded, I thought the move was to go to Winkler. But as it has been said, alls well that ends well!!
You made the same mistake last night…Alvarez didn’t strike out…he grounded into a fielder’s choice. JD Martinez was out at home, Alvarez was on first, still bases loaded.