Lindor’s Walk-Off Homer Propels Mets Past Cardinals in Thrilling Finish

QUEENS, New York — Francisco Lindor delivered a dramatic walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, leading the New York Mets to a hard-fought 5-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night at Citi Field.

The winning homer marked Lindor’s 250th career home run and was his first walk-off as a Met. With the game tied at 4, Lindor crushed a cutter from reliever Ryan Fernandez into the right field second deck, thrilling a packed crowd of 39,627.

“I just wanted to put a good swing on it,” Lindor said. “This is a special moment for me and my family.”

The Cardinals initially took the lead in the second inning when Brendan Donovan singled, followed by consecutive base hits from Thomas Saggese and Pedro Pagés, securing a 1-0 advantage. They extended their lead to 2-0 in the fourth, with a crucial misplay by the Mets aiding their efforts.

However, the Mets responded in the fifth inning. Brett Baty led off with a double, and after a Juan Soto single to bring Baty home, the Mets tied the game at 1. In the sixth, Mark Vientos hit a solo home run to even the score at 3 following a two-run rally by the Cardinals earlier in the inning.

“We showed a lot of fight tonight,” Vientos said. “We kept battling and did what we needed to do.”

In the eighth, Luis Torrens put the Mets ahead momentarily with an RBI double, but the Cardinals pulled even again when Donovan belted a solo shot off Mets reliever Huascar Brazobán.

Mets starter David Peterson struggled, allowing three runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings but striking out nine batters without a walk. Peterson noted, “Things didn’t go my way, but the team picked me up.”

Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas surrendered two runs in 4 2/3 innings, with his ERA dropping slightly to 7.64 after an inconsistent outing.

The win marks a significant moment for the Mets (13-7), who are continuing their pursuit of a playoffs berth early in the season. The series against St. Louis is set to continue Saturday, with a pitching matchup featuring Kodai Senga for the Mets and Matthew Liberatore for the Cardinals.

The excitement of the game was palpable, as fans witnessed a back-and-forth contest, highlighting the skills and determination of both teams. A highlight was Lindor’s powerful shot that secured the Mets’ victory, capping off an exciting evening at Citi Field.