The New York Mets got an immediate boost from superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor on Monday, and then they got a late one.
As the first batter of the game, Lindor hit a deep solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Dustin May. Then, he laced an RBI single off closer Tanner Scott in the 10th inning, giving the Mets a 4-2 lead that they would eventually turn into a 4-3 win.
Lindor still couldn’t help but marvel, though, at the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani. The slugging designated hitter pumped a solo home run of his own in the seventh inning as the Dodgers were attempting a comeback, which left the bat at 113.9 miles per hour.
After the game, Lindor seemed to admit he couldn’t match Ohtani’s incredible power. But all that matters, he noted, was the fact that they both went over the fence.
“I hit it with everything I had,” Lindor said (per SNY). “Not as far as Ohtani. Ohtani’s was probably 40 feet further than mine. But they count the same.”
According to Statcast, Lindor’s blast traveled 417 feet; Ohtani’s 424. So the supposed 40-foot difference wasn’t nearly as bad as Lindor thought it was.
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With the Chicago Cubs idle on Monday, the Mets claimed a half-game lead for the best record in the National League at 38-22. Lindor, in his bid to make a long-awaited first All-Star appearance as a Met, has an .857 OPS and a team-high 14 home runs.
Meanwhile, the Mets hope to get the best of Ohtani and the Dodgers if they have a rematch in the playoffs this time around. LA took them down, four games to two, to secure their spot in the 2024 World Series.
The more nights Lindor can have like Monday, the better New York’s odds will be.
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