Francisco Lindor slammed a two-run homer in the seventh inning, breaking the tie and helping the New York Mets secure their fifth consecutive win by defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-4 on Friday night.
Lindor’s second homer of the season soared 396 feet into right field off Daniel Hudson (1-1), giving the Mets a 6-4 lead in the seventh inning, right after the Dodgers had erased an early four-run deficit.
“It was a significant moment for him to step up in that situation after we lost the lead,” manager Carlos Mendoza remarked. “I’ve been saying it. He’s a talented player, and it was just a matter of time before he found his rhythm. Here he is, having a great night and delivering when we needed it.”
DJ Stewart also homered and drove in three runs, while Starling Marte contributed a two-run single in the eighth inning. The Mets have bounced back impressively after losing their first five games, now winning 11 of their last 14 matches.
“Figgy hitting a bomb, DJ hitting a bomb, as everybody contributed,” stated starter Sean Manea, who allowed two runs in five innings.
Although Chris Taylor ended his 0-for-31 slump with a two-run single, and Shohei Ohtani added an RBI, the Dodgers faced their sixth loss in eight games. Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched for six innings, giving up three earned runs, seven hits, and a walk while striking out nine.
“I think I had both some positives and negatives with my fastball today,” Yamamoto commented through a translator. “I did have some encouraging moments in today’s game.”
Ohtani’s run from second base in the fourth inning put Los Angeles on the scoreboard, and Taylor’s RBI single in the fifth narrowed the gap to 4-2.
Taylor broke his slump with a sharp bases-loaded single in the sixth inning, tying the game at 4.
The Mets secured two runs in the second inning and two more in the third, marking a change after Yamamoto’s past struggles in the first inning. Yamamoto had previously allowed seven of the eight earned runs in his first four starts during the first inning.
Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez left the game after jamming his left thumb in the second inning while trying to keep his balance following a poor throw by catcher Will Smith.
