Lindor's homer lifts Mets after dugout exchange with McNeil

NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor hit a tying, two-run homer in the seventh inning after an apparently heated exchange with teammate Jeff McNeil in the dugout tunnel, and the New York Mets rallied to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4 Friday night.

New York walked off with a victory when designated runner Pete Alonso scored on pinch-hitter Patrick Mazeika's fielder's choice.

A day after snapping an 0-for-26 slide with a ninth-inning single in St. Louis, Lindor produced his biggest moment since signing a $341 million, 10-year deal with the Mets. He tied the game by hitting a 2-2 changeup from left-hander Caleb Smith.

The blast came a half-inning after shortstop Lindor and second baseman McNeil combined to misplay a popup. After the top of the seventh, Mets players rushed into the tunnel adjacent to their dugout to address some sort of commotion.

Lindor acknowledged after the game that he and McNeil were having a disagreement — he claimed the pair saw a rat in the tunnel, and he was objecting to McNeil's suggestion that it was a raccoon.

After rounding the bases on his homer, Lindor exchanged fist bumps with Tomas Nido, who drew a walk to start the inning, and Michael Conforto, who was waiting in the on-deck circle. Conforto was among the first who flew toward the tunnel during the exchange.

Shortly after Lindor’s second homer as a Met, billionaire owner Steve Cohen tweeted: “That was BIG”.

Mazeika softly hit a 2-2 pitch from Stefan Crichton (0-1) to the first base-side of the mound to score Alonso, who dived head-first across the plate.

Before his homer, Lindor heard boos when he flied out in the fifth with a runner on first. Lindor went 2 for 5 and produced his second multi-hit game as a Met. His other was April 14 against Philadelphia.

Aaron Loup (1-0) tossed a...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Lindor-s-homer-lifts-Mets-after-dugout-exchange-16161460.php