Francisco Lindor delivered a grand slam in the sixth inning, marking another clutch moment in his remarkable season, as the New York Mets secured their spot in the National League Championship Series with a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.
Edwin Díaz sealed the victory by striking out Kyle Schwarber with two runners on base, as the Mets concluded their best-of-five Division Series against their rivals with a 3-1 victory in Game 4. This marked the first time in 24 years that the Mets clinched a postseason series at home.
“We had to finish the job, and it wasn’t done yet,” Lindor said, reflecting on the moments leading up to his grand slam. “I’m fortunate to be the one who drove in the runs today.” His teammate José Quintana was equally impressed, calling Lindor “amazing” and deeming him the MVP.
The Mets celebrated their victory with their inaugural champagne-soaked celebration at Citi Field, which has been in existence for 16 seasons.
For the NL East champion Phillies, who won 95 games and finished six ahead of the wildcard Mets during the regular season, the early playoff exit was a bitter disappointment. This setback came after they advanced to the 2022 World Series and lost Games 6 and 7 of the 2023 NLCS at home to Arizona. With another October letdown, Bryce Harper and the Phillies continue their quest for the franchise’s third championship.
The Mets had opportunities early on, leaving the bases loaded in the first and second innings and stranding eight runners through the first five innings. In the sixth, they loaded the bases again with no outs, but Francisco Alvarez grounded into a force at the plate against All-Star reliever Jeff Hoffman.
With the season hanging in the balance, Phillies manager Rob Thomson brought in closer Carlos Estévez to face Lindor, who launched a 2-1 fastball clocked at 99 mph into Philadelphia’s bullpen in right-center. This sent the sold-out crowd of 44,103 into a frenzy of excitement.
