Lindor breaks out to give Mets first series win

CINCINNATI -- Mets co-hitting coach Jeremy Barnes let out a mirthful chuckle Sunday morning when asked about Francisco Lindor. Barnes, of course, understood the line of questioning. Lindor had been slumping as deeply as any hitter in Major League Baseball, falling ever further into a season-opening abyss. His batting average was ugly, despite some hard-hit balls. Lindor’s approach, in his coach’s estimation, was mostly fine. Even for a player prone to such issues, it wasn’t easy to say why this was happening.

“He’s human,” Barnes said. “That would be my answer.”

A night earlier, Lindor grasped for answers when asked about the slump, calling it “a tough start” that wasn’t affecting his confidence at the plate. He projected a lack of concern. Even so, until he began hitting -- until Lindor had a breakout game like the one he put together Sunday -- the questions would continue to come.

A sun-splashed afternoon at Great American Ball Park changed everything. In a 3-1 Mets win over the Reds, Lindor collected two hits, including a solo homer off Andrew Abbott and a double to set up New York’s first run. Over the course of the day, Lindor snapped an 0-for-24 streak, raised his OPS by nearly 200 points, doubled his RBI total and tripled his number of runs scored.

One game may not outweigh more than a week’s worth of poor results, but this early in the season, it sure can even out the scale.

“It feels really good to be able to contribute to the team,” Lindor said. “Nothing else matters but winning.”

Facing a left-handed starter for the second time this season, Lindor -- a switch-hitter who has always been slightly more productive from the right side of the plate -- ripped a double down the left-field line against Abbott in the first. He hit into a double play an inning later, but on a sharply hit, 103 mph grounder that further encouraged manager Carlos Mendoza. Two innings after that, Lindor sent his first homer of the season into the left-field seats.

His output backed another solid outing from Sean Manaea, who delivered five innings of one-run ball, and held up thanks to a quartet of relievers that recorded the final 12 outs without allowing a hit.

“It’s always good to see people get results,” Mendoza said. “Obviously Lindor … he got off to a rough start, but this is the same guy. It’s the same smile before the game. That’s what makes him a special player.”

For whatever reason, Lindor has been susceptible to these sorts of slumps. In his first full season with Cleveland in 2016, Lindor endured an 0-for-27 stretch -- to this day, still the worst of his career. He had an 0-for-25 run during his first year with the Mets in 2021, then 0-for-20 and 0-for-18 skids the following season. Last year, Lindor fell into an 0-for-10 rut during his most difficult stretch.

But a history of 0-fors doesn’t make them any easier to endure. Late Saturday night, as teammate Edwin Díaz settled into his hotel room, he sent Lindor a text encouraging him to stay calm.

“I don’t know why I was thinking of him,” Díaz said. “I just texted him. And today, he had a great game, so I’m pretty happy for him.”

Other friends, including longtime mentors Sandy Alomar Jr. and Carlos Beltrán, reached out in recent days to offer support. Lindor appreciated each and every gesture. Before Sunday’s series finale against the Reds, he was in a lighthearted mood, chatting up reporters and team employees and even singing to himself in the clubhouse. Lindor joked about how emotional he became while watching “This Is Us” with his wife. He laughed about his love for the movie “Shrek.”

If he was stewing over his start to the season, Lindor did not provide much evidence to that end.

Whether his cheerfulness off the field helped spark his renaissance on it is impossible to know. Whether the texts and phone calls played a role isn’t obvious. Having that type of support system, however, tends not to hurt. And while it’s far too soon to say that Lindor is fully back, it’s possible the worst part of his season is already behind him.

“I am Francisco Lindor. I’m me every single day,” he said. “Whether I’m doing good or bad, it is my job, it is my duty as a leader to be the same person day in and day out, on and off the field. I take a lot of pride in that.”