Riding a four-game losing streak and coming off a disheartening loss in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader just hours before, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza made a surprise change for the nightcap.
Francisco Lindor was taken out of the leadoff spot in favor of Brandon Nimmo. Lindor, who was hit second, had led off for the Mets since last May (191 starts) and excelled, but the second-year skipper swapped the two veterans, and it paid off. With the game scoreless in the second, the bottom of the Mets lineup loaded the bases with two outs for Nimmo.
Nimmo jumped on the first pitch from flamethrowing phenom Jacob Misiorowski and deposited it over the right field wall to put the Mets up 4-0 after the grand slam.
"Big momentum shift, especially against him. He’s done really well since he’s been in the big leagues. Nice to get a lead there," Nimmo said of the home run after the game. "It was a cool moment. You could feel the crowd getting behind us and anticipating a blow right here. Going up there, not trying to do too much. When it went out, it was definitely cool. The crowd went wild. The energy was palpable in the stadium."
Lindor followed with a solo shot to make Mendoza look like a genius.
"It’s baseball," Mendoza said of the results with a smile. "I’m gonna make a lot of decisions when I’m making out a lineup, when I’m making a pitching change. They’re gonna work and they’re not gonna work and when they don’t work, it’s on me and when they work, it’s on the player. It’s as simple as that."
Nimmo and Lindor combined to pick up five hits and score all seven of the Mets' runs in their eventual win. But the lineup change and productive game — whether a direct result of the swap or not — could not have happened without both players accepting it.
"Look, you’re talking about two really good players. For me, as a manager, to make those types of decisions, it’s a lot easier when they’re all in," Mendoza explained. "When you get superstars that are willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win a baseball game, as a manager, that’s all you need. It’s a privilege for me and I’m glad that they went out there and they executed and we got good results there."
"I’ve told Mendy I don’t care where I hit," Nimmo said. "Francisco had a great game as well. Whatever helps us win, that’s what I’m down for."
"Whatever it takes to win. Nimmo came out today, set the tone, hit a grand slam. He did fantastic today," Lindor said. "Whatever it takes to win. I don’t have to hit in one place, I’ll hit wherever the team thinks is the best thing."
Mendoza didn't commit to this lineup for the series finale on Thursday but said he will continue to be flexible when they are looking for ways to win games.
And a win on Thursday would mean the Mets' first series win since June 10-12 against the Nationals. The Mets are pleased with the results of Wednesday night's game, especially after how they let the lead slip in Game 1 earlier in the day and their overall lack of wins lately. It's something the team believes they can build on and shows that they are better than this current stretch may indicate.
"We’re a good team. There’s good hitters here," Lindor said of his team's resilience. "Everyone is playing for each other. Everyone is striving to be better. This is a tough stretch. We gotta go out there and take it. And for everybody here to go out in the second game and have a sense of urgency of winning, it’s good."
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