Guardians fans had high hopes for Francisco Lindor’s return to Progressive Field, but unfortunately, the Mets shortstop didn’t deliver at the plate. With a batting average of only .193, Lindor’s hitless performance in four at-bats was particularly disappointing. The Mets as a whole struggled offensively and made costly mistakes in the field and on the bases, resulting in their eighth loss in 11 games.
Even though Lindor didn’t have a great night, he received a mixed reaction from the Cleveland crowd. Having spent his first six seasons in the majors with the Guardians, Lindor heard mostly cheers but also a few boos when he stepped up to the plate in the first inning. Batting in the leadoff spot for the third consecutive game, Lindor struck out, grounded out, flied out, and grounded out again.
On the pitching side, Tylor Megill returned from the injured list but had a shaky start. He allowed three runs, two of which were earned, on four hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. The Guardians took advantage of Megill’s struggles in the first inning, scoring two runs, one of which was unearned due to an error by Brandon Nimmo in left field. David Fry’s two-run single put the Guardians on the scoreboard first.
The Mets also had a disastrous second inning on the bases. Both J.D. Martinez and Starling Marte were thrown out after Marte hit a comebacker. Martinez got caught in a rundown between second and third, while Marte was caught retreating to first while attempting to advance to second. These baserunning blunders further added to the Mets’ woes.
Despite their offensive struggles, the Mets managed to score a run in the third inning when Tomas Nido hit a homer off Ben Lively. Nido’s home run, his second of the season, traveled an impressive 405 feet into the left-field seats. However, the Guardians responded in the fourth inning, extending their lead to 3-1 with Kyle Manzardo’s RBI double after Fry walked and stole second base.
Megill showed resilience, striking out Josh Naylor and retiring Brayan Rocchio to strand the runner in the fourth inning. The game took an eventful turn in the sixth inning when Marte was ejected for arguing a strike-three call by plate umpire Manny Gonzalez. Tyrone Taylor, who replaced Marte, walked with two outs to load the bases, but Brett Baty struck out for the third time in the game, leaving the Mets unable to capitalize on the scoring opportunity.
Overall, it was a disappointing night for Francisco Lindor and the Mets. Their offensive struggles, defensive miscues, and baserunning blunders contributed to their loss against the Guardians. Despite some individual highlights, such as Nido’s home run and Megill’s ability to bounce back from a rough start, the team will need to regroup and improve in various areas to turn their fortunes around.
