Francisco Lindor Arrived Sunday Night

Bill Menzel/ Latino Sports

Flushing, NY: Franaciso Lindor with his three home runs and five RBI against the Yankees Sunday evening at Citi Field had his long awaited welcome as a New York Met. He also sparked a bench and bullpen clearing situation of both teams in the seventh inning after Giancarlo Stanton hit a game-tying home run.

And the near brawl came after Lindor and the Mets were accusing the Yankees of whistling from their dugout to signal about pitches.

Lindor, though, had the last laugh in the eighth inning when he hit the go ahead home run that gave the Mets a 7-6 win. For the first time in eight years the Mets got a series win over the Yankees.

There was a buzz at Citi Field this weekend, Lindor and his home runs created a playoff atmosphere for two teams that played three meaningful baseball games. The Yankees fell one game out of the AL wild card, trailing Toronto and Boston.

The Mets, once on the trail of the first place Braves in the NL East ,are keeping pace for a NL wild card and are three games off the pace with 20 games remaining.

But Lindor with those home runs and accusations about the Yankees has finally been accepted by Mets fans who have booed him constantly with a season that has not lived up to expectations.

“I don’t have the accent yet,” Lindor said when asked about finally getting the New York welcome and a curtain call after his third home run. “When I came out of the dugout, I noticed it was something special for sure. After being booed for a very long time it felt good That moment you do it for the fans and for the organization”

“What an amazing weekend,”: he said. Lindor, a switch hitter, became the 12th Met to hit home runs from both sides of the plate. From the right side he went deep to center off a Wandy Peralta changeup in the sixth inning and he is second Mets shortstop to hit three home runs in a game.

With meaningful games in September, the Lindor home runs, and a near brawl, the Subway Series has a new buzz. After last year when fans were not allowed to see the cross-town rivals at the ballpark because of the pandemic, Citi Field had a playoff atmosphere.

The Mets took four of six games from the Yankees this year. Lindor, a career .306 hitter against the Yankees, has six home runs in his last 10 games and 16 RBI in his last 14.. Indeed, this is the type of hitter the Mets and their fans expected when he signed a 10-year and record $340 million contract as a shortstop.

“This is the Francisco we all expect,” said manager Luis Rojas.’This is the Francisco that Mets fans are going to get for years.”

Lindor said the Incident with Stanton had nothing to do with animosity against the Yankees, and there has never been any dissension with the Yankees in the past when he played against them in the American League with the Cleveland Indians.

“I can’t accuse them of whistling for the signs because I’m not 100%,” Lindor said about the Yankees.”But I know what I heard and I felt there was something out of the ordinary going on.”

But the ordinary was how Lindor hit those home runs. It is something that was long awaited at Citi Field and more importantly helped the Mets get a win with their slim playoff hopes on the line..

‘I don’t think Mets fans forget things,” he said. “But it definitely probably helped them to start to believe in me a little bit more.”

And believe they will more, if Francisco Lindor continues to produce at the plate as he did Sunday night. He can spark a team, and as was often the case this year fans took exception to his contract and inability to get the timely and big hit.

Three home runs, creating a renewed buzz against the Yankees,and Francisco Lindor finally became a New York baseball sensation.

Rich Mancuso: Twitter @Ring786 Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso