MLB's Latino of the Night: Francisco Lindor's best game of the season lifts Mets over Giants

SEATTLE - After losing two of three-game series against the San Francisco Giants, Francisco Lindor's bat was the difference for the Mets on April 24, lifting New York to a 8-2 win on the West Coast.

The Puerto Rican shortstop had a complicated first two games in the series, going 0-for-7 and just one walk, but things changed quickly for the four-time All-Star who delivered his best game of the season.

Lindor finished the game 4-for-5, his most hits in a single game this season, and added two runs, four RBI and two homers to close out an almost perfect night. He only had one game with multiple homers in all of last season (Sept 27 vs Miami).

"I thought the way he controlled the strike zone, especially for the second homer, that 2-2 breaking ball that he took, I think it's a good sign when he is not chasing. He can drag the ball to any part of the field with authority," said Mets managers Carlos Mendoza.

Despite receiving MVP votes in each of the last two seasons, the three-time Silver Slugger has had a difficult start to 2024 with the Mets. He is batting a career-low .206 and his offensive contributions have been meager compared to his numbers in 2023, when he finished with 150+ hits, 30+ homers and 30+ stolen bases.

"I feel like we're not close to where we want to be and where we should be," Lindor said. "It's going to continue to grow and get better."

Coming off their road trip to San Francisco, the Mets will have a three-game homestand against the St. Louis Cardinals, who sit at the bottom of the NL Central. Throughout his 10-year MLB career, Lindor hasn't had trouble when it comes to homers. He has connected at least two against 27 of the 30 MLB franchises, with the Cardinals being one of the teams he's yet to add to the list.