A double dip of Met milestones: Francisco Lindor joins 30/30 club and Kodai Senga strikes out 200th batter in doubleheader split with Marlins
Francisco Lindor of the Mets reacts after his fourth-inning home run against the Marlins in the second game of a doubleheader at Citi Field on Wednesday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
It was a day and night of milestones as the Mets split a doubleheader with the Marlins at Citi Field on Wednesday.
The Mets won the opener, 11-2, behind two-run home runs from Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor and Mark Vientos.
Lindor hit two more home runs in the Mets’ 4-2 loss in the nightcap, with the second his 30th of the season. Lindor pumped his right fist after hitting No. 30, a solo shot in the fourth inning.
Lindor became the fourth Met to join the “30-30 club” (home runs and stolen bases). He has 30 stolen bases. The feat was previously accomplished by David Wright (2007), Howard Johnson (1987, 1989, 1991) and Darryl Strawberry (1987).
“I don’t play for numbers, but it’s really hard not to play for numbers in New York,” Lindor said. “Numbers come up a lot here. But it means a lot.”
Lindor, who also has 33 doubles, drove in six runs in the doubleheader and has 96 RBIs with four games left.
Kodai Senga, in his last start of his rookie season, picked up his 200th strikeout when he fanned Jake Burger on a nasty, bounced ghost fork to end the third inning (once catcher Omar Narvaez picked up the ball and threw Burger out at first).
Senga joined Dwight Gooden (276 in 1984) as the only Mets rookies to reach 200 strikeouts.
“Toward the end of the season, it’s a number that I was hoping to get to,” Senga said through an interpreter. “Now that I’ve achieved it, it’s a sigh of relief.”
Senga, who allowed two solo home runs in five innings and received a no-decision, struck out eight. Senga’s first Mets season ended with a 12-7 record, a 2.98 ERA, and 202 strikeouts in 166 1⁄3 innings.
The Marlins snapped a 2-2 tie in the ninth inning, with the go-ahead run scoring when Brett Baty booted a based-loaded grounder for an error. Miami moved into a tie with the Cubs for the final NL wild card spot.
Joey Lucchesi was the winning pitcher in Game 1, one day after he was slightly injured when a car hit the Uber that Lucchesi and his parents and brother were riding in on Tuesday night just outside Citi Field.
Lucchesi, who was charged with two runs in six-plus innings, said his back was “a little sore” after his Uber was hit by a car that he said was being chased by police on Roosevelt Ave.
“The guy collided with our car,” Lucchesi said. “Totally messed up the Uber’s left side. I was on the right side, thankfully. But it wasn’t too drastic of a crash.”
Still, Lucchesi said the Uber wasn’t drivable after the accident. So teammate Tylor Megill, who happened to be leaving the stadium, gave Lucchesi and his family a ride to their hotel.
Lucchesi improved to 4-0 with a 2.89 ERA. Alonso went 4-for-4; his home run was his 46th. Alonso nearly hit No. 47 in the eighth inning of Game 2, but his drive hit off the very top of the leftfield wall and went for a double.
Game 1 was a makeup of Tuesday’s postponement because of unplayable field conditions at Citi Field.
Marte done
Starling Marte, who has been out since Aug. 6 with a groin strain, has given up his quest to play again this season, manager Buck Showalter said.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
