LINDOR TAKES THE FALL! Mets’ Star Shortstop Shoulders the Blame for Costly Errors in Crushing Loss to Marlins
After a disappointing loss to the Miami Marlins on Tuesday, the New York Mets are sitting on a 2-3 start to the season. The offense was quiet, but it was a pair of uncharacteristic errors that allowed the Marlins to take and keep the lead in the fourth inning.
Following the game, shortstop Francisco Lindor was quick to shoulder the blame for the team. His second error of the game on a routine ground ball allowed Otto Lopez to reach first to lead off the fourth inning. Lopez would later score alongside Jonah Bride on a Graham Pauley double, putting the Marlins up for good. The Marlins won the game by a score of 4-2 while recording just three hits.
“I felt we played a clean game except two pitches,” Lindor said to reporters.
“My two ground balls. I take a lot of pride in it and it doesn’t feel good.”
Last season, Lindor had just 12 errors all year and boasted a .979 fielding percentage at shortstop. The four-time Gold Glove Award winner has been known throughout his career as a strong defensive player, so two errors in the same game have been a rare occurrence.
The errors overshadowed a solid first start of the season for pitcher Kodai Senga. After missing most of last season with injuries, Senga showed some jitters early on allowing an Xavier Edwards double and Kyle Stowers home run two batters into the game. Senga settled down afterwards, allowing just one more hit and racking up eight strikeouts through 5.0 innings.
Senga was critical of his own performance and defended Lindor when speaking to reporters after the game.
“Since the day I signed with this team, Lindor has always been there,” Senga said through an interpreter. “He’s always supported me, always gave me words of encouragement and he’s always been there, not just me but the whole team. When he makes a mistake, I need to be there to pick him up. It was my fault to make his errors be highlighted because of my poor performance.”
It wasn’t just Lindor’s errors that cost the Mets the game. The offense was asleep again, scoring three or fewer runs for the fourth time in five games to start the year. As a team, the Mets mustered just five hits, two of which were by Brandon Nimmo. New York’s pitching was stellar once again and have allowed four or fewer runs in every game. Reliever Max Kranick came in and pitched three perfect innings and has sat down the first eleven batters he’s faced in his Mets’ career.
It’s still early, but the Mets need to capitalize on games against weaker opponents like the Marlins. They’ll get a shot to win the series on Wednesday before heading home for their home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, April, 4th.
