Aug 15, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets celebrate a walk off single by shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) to defeat Washington Nationals in the ninth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Tom Horak-Imagn Images
There is something to be said for playing in New York and finding success when expectations are high, particularly when it comes to a Mets team in which legitimate contention has always been sparse.
The 2026 edition could not hack it. David Stearns’ attempt to play Frankenstein backfired, gutting his roster’s core in the winter only to bring in injury-prone veterans playing out of position. The new names who managed to stay healthy couldn’t figure it out until it was too late, either.
Yet, after a fire sale at the trade deadline that saw the third-worst team in the National League was disbanded, the Mets are playing their best baseball yet, winning seven of their last 10 games entering Sunday’s series finale against the Washington Nationals.
“We’re playing free and easy,” starting pitcher Sean Manaea said after New York’s comeback win on Saturday. “We’re trying to make the most out of [this season], with young guys stepping in and playing well… It’s been a lot of fun to be a part of.”
The Mets scored twice in the ninth inning to overturn a 4-3 deficit, overcoming a late baserunning blunder by Francisco Lindor in which he was caught stealing in the eighth inning. The star shortstop recorded the game-winning knock in the bottom of the ninth to drive in Christian Pache after a single by Jorge Polanco set the table and a double by Francisco Alvarez tied it.
The duo had gone 0-for-6 with four strikeouts before that rally.
“Lindor came up to me and owned his baserunning mistake, but didn’t let it affect his game-winning at-bat,” interim manager Andy Green said. “We also had [Polanco and Alvarez] with tough days at the bottom of our lineup who got big hits in the ninth inning.”
Rookie Carson Benge continues to show his defensive acumen with yet another outfield assist after gunning down Andrew Pickney at the plate from right field to keep the Mets’ deficit at one in the seventh inning.
“We’re having fun and looking forward to coming to the field each day,” Benge said.
Such a feeling was non-existent throughout the first-half doldrums that saw the Mets become one of Major League Baseball’s biggest disappointments. But the weight of expectations are off their shoulders, and they are finally showing what Stearns had always hoped was there.
Now they have to find a way to bottle this up and save it for next season.
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