Francisco Lindor‘s hitless weekend will be the story coming out of Houston this Saturday as the Mets fall to the Astros 2-1 in a one-hit effort. This caps off the season opening series as the Mets escape with one win and two losses.
“The team often goes the way leadoff hitter Francisco Lindor goes, and the shortstop is often prone to slow starts,” New York Daily News’ Abbey Mastracco writes. “He’s hitless in 11 at-bats so far with three strikeouts, reaching base once when he was hit by a pitch.”
The New York Post’s Mike Puma was also concerned with the lack of production from the leadoff man, writing “Lindor, who finished 0-for-11 in the series, left the tying run stranded at second base in the eighth inning as part of a frustrating performance for the Mets.”
Puma didn’t stop there as he continued the criticism of a Mets lineup that the reporter believes can do better.
“A lineup built to torment opponents isn’t there yet,” Puma petitions. “Juan Soto showed up for the Mets’ opening series of the season, but he didn’t receive much help.”
Soto’s Blast Seals The Deal In Mets First Win Of Season
The $765 million-dollar-man homered in just his seventh at bat with his new team. Juan Soto’s 390 foot bomb in the third inning plated the last run the Mets would score in their 3-1 victory over the Astros Friday night.
ESPN’s Jorge Castillo recounts the second deck shot calling it “another example of Soto’s otherworldly ability to hit baseballs.”
“It was a two-strike offering meant to put away a hitter,” ESPN’s reporter continued. “It was a pitch that a small fraction of players, even at the highest level, can barrel. Soto, it turns out, resides in that small fraction.”
In the post game presser with Mets manager Carlos Mendoza the Soto praise continued.
“Pretty incredible,” said the Mets skipper. “Not easy to do. We’re talking about a pitch that’s out of the strike zone. Up and in. I think it’s a cutter, 96 [mph], and he’s able to hit it on a line like that. Amazing.”
Mets beat writer Anthony DiComo was equally impressed with the 26 year old phenom who is in the first season of a 15 year contract with the team.
“Why should he stress? He’s done this sort of thing enough times with enough teams to assume success will come,” wrote DiComo on mlb.com. “His peers are Hall of Famers. With Friday’s stat line in the books, Soto is one game shy of matching Mel Ott for the fifth-most contests with a homer and a walk before a player’s 27th birthday.”
Soto’s Opening Day Blunder
In the teams opening day bout with Houston, Soto found himself at the plate with a chance to win the game.
“It almost felt scripted,” wrote the New York Daily News’ Abbey Mastracco. “Making his long-awaited Mets debut, Soto, the superstar slugger who chose the Mets over the Yankees as a free agent in December, was up to bat with a chance to be a hero.”
But after going up 3-0 in the count, Soto allowed Astros closer Josh Hader to work the count full. Eventually, it was an 86 mph slider that got Soto swinging and handed the Mets an opening day loss.
“I was expecting to be up in that moment, in that situation,” Soto said in his post game presser. “[Hader] let that ball go on the last pitch and he got me. It was a pretty good pitch, down and away. It happens.”
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