NEW YORK — The amazin’ ride continues for the New York Mets.
Francisco Lindor hit the go-ahead grand slam in the sixth inning Wednesday for the Mets, who beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 to win their National League Division Series three games to one.
The Mets, who were 11 games under .500 in early June, didn’t clinch the NL’s sixth seed until splitting a makeup doubleheader with the Atlanta Braves on Sept. 30 — the day after the regular season ended. New York will face either the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres in the NL Championship Series beginning Sunday on the road in a best-of-seven series.
The season-ending loss represents the latest October disappointment for the NL East-winning Phillies, who reached the World Series as the No. 6 seed in 2022 but lost in the NLCS last year before being eliminated in their first playoff series this year.
Lindor’s grand slam came after five frustrating innings for the Mets, who left the bases loaded in the first and second against left-hander Ranger Suarez and also failed to score against Suarez and right-hander Jeff Hoffman (1-2) after putting two on with none out in the fifth.
The Mets again loaded the bases with none out in the sixth against Hoffman, who exited after getting Francisco Alvarez’s grounder forced J.D. Martinez at home. But Lindor homered beyond the right-center field fence on the fourth pitch from closer Carlos Estevez for the second postseason grand slam in team history.
Starling Marte, on third base, did a joyful jig/dance as he jogged toward home. Lindor showed no emotion rounding the bases as the crowd of 44,103 roared and shook Citi Field.
It was just the latest dramatic moment in a potentially franchise-altering nine-day stretch for the Mets. Lindor hit the go-ahead two-run ninth-inning homer in the 8-7 win over the Braves that clinched a playoff berth in the doubleheader opener on Sept. 30.
Three days later, New York was two outs away from being eliminated by the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 of an NL wild-card series when Pete Alonso hit the go-ahead three-run homer in a 4-2 win.
David Peterson (1-0), the Mets’ third pitcher on Wednesday, earned the win with 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Edwin Diaz notched the save by working around a pair of walks in the ninth.
New York starter Jose Quintana gave up an unearned run over five-plus innings, allowing two hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
The Phillies scored their lone run in the fourth, when Bryce Harper raced home from third on a fielding error by third baseman Mark Vientos.
Suarez tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings despite allowing five hits and four walks. He struck out eight.
–Jerry Beach, Field Level Media