NEW YORK — Francisco Lindor likes to lead through his actions. With experience, the New York Mets’ star shortstop has also realized the need to do more speaking up, leading him to call the players-only team meeting a few weeks ago.
But while the Mets insist tangible benefits came out of that conversation, that the meeting helped air things out and establish better processes, Lindor, along with everyone else, knows what matters most is what comes next.
Lately, Lindor, J.D. Martinez and the Mets (for the most part, at least) have backed it up. After beating the San Diego Padres, 5-1, Saturday to take the first two games of a three-game set, New York remains just 32-37. This, after the Mets won or split each of their past five series (they had lost or split their previous six series). They’ve made progress. They’re not quite there. Without Martinez and Lindor, they wouldn’t be anywhere.
With a runner on first base and two outs in the fourth inning and no score, Lindor made a dazzling defensive play.
On a ball hit up the middle by Donovan Solano, Lindor scooped it up on the run, cleanly exchanged to his bare hand then made a backhand flip to get the force at second base. Afterward, still bouncing from the momentum of the play, he turned to face the crowd sitting beyond the outfield wall in right field and yelled over and over.
