Getty Image
After getting steamrolled by the Los Angeles Dodgers by a score of 9-0 in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, the New York Mets bounced back in Game 2 to beat the #1 seed Dodgers, leveling the series at one game a piece.
A huge chunk of the Mets’ runs in their 7-3 win came in the top of the second inning when breakout star third baseman Mark Vientos connected on a grand slam, which was made possible by Dodgers’ manager David Roberts’ decision to intentionally walk Francisco Lindor, who bats before Vientos.
After crushing what ultimately proved to be the decisive play of the game (the Mets won by four innings), Mets fans on social media noticed that Vientos look visibly surprised and slightly annoyed that the Dodgers had decided to walker Lindor.
Following the game, Vientos was asked about the moment and confirmed he channeled his inner Michael Jordan by “taking it personally.”
Omg that little “Wait, they’re really walking him to pitch to me? Alright, if that’s what you want…” people’s eyebrow from Mark Vientos before that grand slam. I am dead and buried pic.twitter.com/FGzfhxoeLD
— Mike Janela (@MikeJanela) October 14, 2024
“I took it personal,” Vientos said of the batter before him, MVP candidate shortstop Francisco Lindor, being intentionally walked to load the bases for him in the top of the second inning. “I want to be up there during that at-bat, for sure. I want them to walk Lindor in that situation and put me up there.
“I feel like it’s just the praise for Francisco,” Vientos continued. “You’ve got Francisco ahead of me, and he hit a home run earlier in the game. So they would rather take a chance on me than him. But I use it as motivation. I’m like, all right, you want me up, I’m going to show you, whatever.”
“They’d rather take a chance on me than [Lindor], but I use it as motivation. I’m like ‘alright, you want me up? I’m gonna show you. Whatever'”
– Mark Vientos pic.twitter.com/baShG8hWM6
— SNY (@SNYtv) October 15, 2024
In his first-ever postseason appearance, Vientos now has a slash line of .378 BA/.410 OPS/.676 SLG slash line with three home runs and fourteen hits, including the grand slam against the Dodgers and a game-tying 9th inning two-run home run against the Phillies in the NLDS (the Mets lost that game so that homer has been largely forgotten).
Speaking to the media after the game, the 24-year-old said he’s making a point of soaking up knowledge from the veterans around him like Lindor and J.D. Martinez.
“I’ve been a sponge around all these guys. Lot of great players I’m surrounded by. I’m very fortunate. I ask a lot of questions, especially in times like this, because I haven’t been in the postseason. I ask them, ‘Hey, how do I go about this?’” Vientos said
“J.D. [Martinez] has won a World Series, and he brings the guys together, and he tells us just to keep our emotions even-keeled, especially when the opponent goes up and we’re down, or vice versa. Because the team that keeps their emotions like that are the ones that come out on top.”
With the Game 2 NLCS win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Mets now hold home-field advantage in what amounts to a best-of-five series that will decide the National League pennant winner. The NLCS will resume with Game 3 at Citi Field in Queens, New York, on Wednesday, October 16.