Francisco Lindor says latest Mets loss doesn't fall on Edwin Diaz
The Mets were two outs away from snapping a four-game losing streak and Edwin Diaz recording a save after blowing his previous three chances.
However, it was not meant to be as Diaz allowed the Giants to tie the game, which led to them winning it in the 10th, 7-2.
But Francisco Lindor made it clear that the blame does not fall on Diaz for this loss.
“It’s not just him. This is not falling on him,” Lindor told reporters after the game. “It’s on every one of us. We gotta play the game better. It’s tough on the closer to come in and seems like it's a lose-lose for them. If they finish the game, ‘they better.’ If they don’t, it’s ‘how could they?’ Not just on him.”
The Mets' offense was non-existent on Saturday outside of solo home runs from Starling Marte and Brett Baty. The team managed just four hits in 10 innings and failed to capitalize on an opportunity in the bottom of the ninth when the Giants botched an inning-ending double play.
Lindor was the next batter up, and he grounded into a fielder’s choice, barely beating out a double play himself.
“I came up in the ninth with a chance to take the lead and couldn’t come through,” Lindor said. “The game is not lost in the last inning. It seems like every day we’re losing games in one inning. But we gotta look at the whole entire game. It’s a little unfair it could fall on the closer. I put myself there in the ninth and didn’t come through and I didn’t catch the ball.”
Lindor was referring to a play in the top of the 10th when Pete Alonso fielded a ground ball with runners on first and second and threw it to second base, but the throw was off-line and went off of Lindor’s glove.
A good throw could have been a double play. If Lindor caught the ball they could have gotten the out at second base. Instead it set up bases loaded with nobody out and the inning unraveled from there, with the Giants putting four more runs after that play to extend the lead to 7-2.
“It’s not just one specific guy,” Lindor reiterated. “Overall, I gotta do a better job. We all gotta do a better job.”
