Even if the Mets finally get a taste of victory in 2026, it’ll be mixed with a little defeat.
The Mets finally got back in the winning column Wednesday night, beating the Twins 3-2 to end their 12-game losing streak, the fourth-longest in franchise history. However, they may also have lost star shortstop Francisco Lindor to injury in the process.
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On the same day the Mets welcomed back Juan Soto from the injured list with a calf strain worth $765 million, the team saw Lindor leave the game in the fourth inning with a calf injury. It’s another tough break for the organization, but this time, it’s sandwiched between moments of optimism and happiness. Lindor will undergo an MRI on Thursday to confirm the injury and recovery timetable, but Mets manager Carlos Mendoza expects their captain to be sidelined for at least a few weeks.
“That’s what we’re dealing with right now,” Mendoza said after the game. “You know, can’t sit here and make excuses. It’s all part of the story. We lost Soto, we had a tough time. Now we could be losing another really good player and we have to figure it out. We have to find a way.”
They found a way Wednesday, even though at times it looked like that might not happen. The day began with Soto, who was activated from the injured list, speaking to reporters in the locker room about his desire to return to the field: “It’s always great to get back out there,” he said. “That’s what we do this for, you know, to be out there and share a good time with your teammates … playing the game you love.”
After the game started, starting pitcher Clay Holmes took just 10 pitches to knock the Twins out of order in the first inning. Bo Bichette then hit a double in the bottom of the first inning and Francisco Lindor scored on an infield single. The Mets were leading, and on a cold April night with rain expected, Citi Field was as noisy as you can imagine.
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But the rest of the night wasn’t easy. This is the Mets, so it won’t be easy.
Despite Clay Holmes keeping the Twins off the scoreboard, the Mets were unable to generate any sustained offense against first-time Major League Baseball (MLB) left-handed pitcher Connor Prielipp. Holmes once again was great for the Mets. It was the only bright spot in a disappointing start to the season. On the night, Holmes allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings while walking one and striking out three. This lowered his season ERA to 2.12, but he only managed two wins. Tonight was not one of those wins.
Early on, Prillip basically matched Holmes. The rookie struck out the team in the second and then put the Mets in order in the third. Prillip showed off his 96 mph fastball that stays well in the zone and his reliable changeup that stays low in the zone. He allowed two runs on four hits over four innings that night, but also struck out six, keeping the Twins in the game long enough for the offense to make a dent in Holmes.
Trevor Larnach drew a double down the first base line to start the fourth inning. Larnach scored after Josh Bell’s grounder loaded the bases, Victor Caratini threw a lineout to center field and Luis Robert’s pitch went well above the third base line.
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Still, the Mets responded. This night was going to be different. Lindor whipped a single off the glove of Royce Lewis into left field. He worked his way around the bases, contemplating two goals, but ultimately held on. On the next pitch, Francisco Alvarez hit a two-run homer to right-center and Lindor scored on a run from first base, giving the Mets a one-run lead. After sliding safely home, Lindor stayed on the dirt for a few seconds before slowly walking off the field. When the Mets returned to the field in the fifth inning, Lindor wasn’t there. Shortstop Bo Bichette and third baseman Brett Baty.
Calf tightness was the message to the press room.
“When he ran to third base, I knew right away that something was wrong there,” Mendoza said. “He wasn’t running like he normally does. I knew something was wrong because it wasn’t because he thought it was an easy game, you know, you could see his face right away heading to the dugout. I knew something was wrong.”
Lindor left the game after the final play and was not in the clubhouse, but his teammates can’t focus on losing another star just yet. There is a game to win. However, the situation did not improve after Lindor was forced to withdraw from the game.
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Byron Buxton tied the game with a huge solo home run in the sixth inning, his fifth of the season. The Mets then sent batters to bat in the bottom half of the sixth. They finished with two runs and a double, but they didn’t score as Mark Vientos sprinted past the obvious stop sign on Marcus Semien’s double and was easily thrown to the plate.
“He just went through the stop sign,” Mendoza said after the game. Ventos, for his part, offered no different perspective.
“I just followed my instincts,” he explained after the game. “When I saw the ball come off the wall, I thought, I’m going to score. [Tim Leiper] I was given a stop sign but I followed my gut and I went home. When asked to clarify, he repeated, “I saw the stop sign, but, like I said, I went with my gut.” “
Fortunately for Ventos. He’ll get another chance.
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In the top of the eighth inning, Mets reliever Brooks Raley allowed two runners with two outs, so Mendoza called on Luke Weaver to help his team out. Weaver walked the first batter he faced, loading the bases with two outs.
“No one can really replicate[the jog situation from the bullpen],” Weaver explained. “It just feels rushed. Everything is a little tight. It’s about letting the heart rate calm down and adapting as quickly as possible. I didn’t do it very early, but I don’t want to just be in the middle of the plate, right?”[fromthebullpen”Weaverexplained”ItjustfeelsrushedEverything’skindofheightenedalittlebitIt’saboutcalmingtheheartrateandgettingsettledinasquicklyaspossibleIdidn’tquitedothataswellearlybutthenI’malsonottryingtojustdownthemiddleoftheplateeitherright?”[从牛棚慢跑的情况，”韦弗解释道。“只是感觉很匆忙。一切都有点紧张。这是为了让心率平静下来并尽快适应。我没有很早就做到这一点，但我也不想只是在盘子的中间，对吧？”[fromthebullpen”Weaverexplained”ItjustfeelsrushedEverything’skindofheightenedalittlebitIt’saboutcalmingtheheartrateandgettingsettledinasquicklyaspossibleIdidn’tquitedothataswellearlybutthenI’malsonottryingtojustdownthemiddleoftheplateeitherright?”
So, with the bases loaded and another potential loss looming, fans at Citi Field tried to motivate the team with chants of “Let’s Go Mets.” It started weakly, but the crowd was on its feet when Weaver hit Luke Kischal twice. They need this. Weaver pitched the ball and drew an inning-ending foul on Alvarez in the first-base dugout.
Later in the inning, Soto hit an RBI single in the eighth but was later caught stealing. He finished the day 1-for-3 with a walk, but it looked like his chance to rally was over when he was picked up. However, back-to-back bases by Batey and Francisco Alvarez gave Vientos two outs and tied the game. He got stuck, but was able to hit a single to right field, allowing Beatty to score. It was Vientos’ only hit of the night, but it was an important one as he went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI and has now hit a safety in four of his past five games.
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“I’m glad he got the hit,” Mendoza joked when asked about the third-base run decision.
Despite the mounting pressure of a 12-game losing streak, the Mets coaching staff knows they still have a lot of work to do: “It feels like, let’s go win this game,” Weaver explained. “It’s really refreshing. And then for me, there’s no room for any celebration, because what if we’re celebrating something and I mess up? There’s no time for that. So I just make sure my celebration comes afterward.”
He did get his chance. Weaver gave up an infield single in the ninth but struck out all three other batters he faced. When he struck out Byron Buxton to end the game, he stood almost motionless on the mound, as if unsure of what was going to happen next. He lightly pounded his fist on his glove, looked up at the sky, and walked toward his teammates.
“It was a relief,” he explained after the game. “I don’t want to say it’s stressful, right? … I think we work so hard just to do the best we can. But a lot of times, the harder you work, the more failures you have.”
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Although Vientous claimed he didn’t score a try because there was any pressure on his team to win, their anxiety at not being able to achieve victory was palpable.
“It’s a crazy thing,” Holmes said after the game. “Things start to spin. There’s a lot going on… When you feel like you’re doing the right thing, you evaluate things, look around and people are doing what you’re supposed to do, and really want to do something. But you’re doing everything you’re supposed to do.”
“I think it’s just relaxing,” Weaver echoed. “Know what you’re good at, stay within yourself, and at the end of the day, stay hopeful and keep doing what you do.”
“You have to stay positive,” Mendoza affirmed. “You can’t come on the field and expect the worst, even if you’re going through a really tough time. You come on the field expecting good things to happen. No matter how difficult it is, how things are going, your mindset has to be to expect something good to happen to us, whether it happens or not. But those are the expectations here.”
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With such lofty expectations, it feels strange for a team to be so happy while improving its record to 8-16.
“Winning is fun, you know that?” Holmes said, followed by a loud “woohoo” from another corner of the clubhouse.
“It’s not very often when you have such a talented team that everything doesn’t really go the right way,” Weaver said. “It’s an impossible feat, but we made it possible. Ultimately, we’ll use this as a learning point and hopefully be a catalyst for the future.”
Unfortunately, even after the joy of breaking their losing streak, the Mets may be without their star shortstop for an extended period of time in the near future.
