Francisco Lindor happy to contribute to Mets' rubber match victory over Reds: 'Nothing else matters but winning'
When the Mets started their season 2-6, including 1-5 in their first six home games, many people pointed to the catalysts in the lineup who weren't producing, with shortstop Francisco Lindor among those players.
But after having just one hit in his first 32-at-bats of the season, Lindor had two hits -- including his first home run of the season -- in the Mets' 3-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.
And it seems perfectly fitting that Lindor having a nice day at the plate would result in the Mets winning their first series of the season.
"It feels good, it feels really good, to be able to contribute to the team," Lindor said after the game. "Nothing else matters but winning. Whenever you can do something to help the team win, it just feels really good."
While many fans only looked at Lindor's results at the plate over the first eight games of the season, his manager, teammates, and everyone else in the clubhouse continued to see the same Lindor behind closed doors that they've always seen -- an emotional leader, no matter the results at the plate.
"Like I’ve been saying, at some point he’s going to get going.," manager Carlos Mendoza said. "Today, that double, and the at-bat with the bases loaded, he smoked it right at the shortstop, and then obviously the good swing for the homer. He’s a good hitter, a special player, so it’s good to see him getting some results today.
"The energy that he brings in that dugout, especially when he’s 0-for, he’s just a ‘pick me up’ type [of player], and the energy that he brings this team is just off the charts, and that’s good to see."
The hope now is that Lindor can ride the positive momentum he picked up on Sunday into Monday, as the Mets started a four-game series on the road against the division-rival Atlanta Braves.
"I hope so," Lindor answered when asked if his two-hit day will carry over into the next series. "We never know what’s going to happen tomorrow, but I feel good right now. We’ll see what happens tomorrow. I’ve got to stay locked in and continue to grind. My teammates have been amazing to me. People have texted me, pushing me. … Teammates and coaches, those guys have helped me a lot.
"It’s an uphill fight," he added, "and we’ve just got to keep climbing."
