J.D. Martinez makes 321st career HR his first walk-off shot

NEW YORK -- Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez was often teased by family and friends that he never hit a walk-off homer during his 14 years in the big leagues. That all changed Thursday night at Citi Field.

The Mets’ bats were ice cold until they rallied in the late innings, culminating with Martinez belting the first walk-off home run of his career for a 3-2 win over the Marlins.

The Mets were down, 2-1, when they scored the winning run off closer Tanner Scott in the ninth inning. Francisco Lindor led off with a walk. Two batters later, Martinez came to the plate and Lindor stole second base. On a 3-1 pitch, Martinez hit the ball over the right-center-field fence to win the game. Martinez had hit 320 career homers without a walk-off shot before Thursday.

“I couldn’t believe it when I was just told [about what Martinez accomplished],” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I’ve seen this guy play for so many years and have a successful career. He is a pretty good hitter. When Martinez told me that, I was like, ‘No way.’”

Scott said he made serious mistakes before allowing the Martinez dinger.

“I shouldn't have walked Lindor to start it off and then made probably three up and away pitches too much to J.D.,” Scott said. “And he almost got me the other day, and then of course I threw a slider that he got to, and that's his honey hole and just missed location. I shouldn't have fallen behind.”

Martinez's 320 career homers before his first career regular-season walk-off home run are the third most in history, behind only Mark Teixeira (408) and José Bautista (336), according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Bautista’s first walk-off homer also came with the Mets in 2018.

“It was definitely cool. I’ve hit a lot of late-inning home runs and [had] big hits, but never a walk-off home run,” Martinez said.

Martinez wasn’t sure if the ball was out of the park. Many times this year he has seen balls go as far as the warning track at Citi Field.

“I said, ‘If that doesn’t go, what does?’” he said.

After ending the game with the monster shot, Martinez heard from the same family and friends. Guess what? He was teased once again.

“I heard from everybody. My friends are already on me. [They said], 'It’s only taken him [14] years.' It’s funny,” Martinez said.

At first, it didn’t seem like there would be a game-winning hit for New York on this night. Marlins rookie Roddery Muñoz stifled the Mets over six scoreless innings and didn’t allow his first hit of the game until Harrison Bader laced a high fastball into right-center field for a one-out single in the sixth. Bader then made a steal attempt and was thrown out by catcher Christian Bethancourt.

“The life on the fastball and the movement,” Mendoza said of Muñoz. “He was throwing that cutter, and then the sinker into righties, the four-seam. That's what made him effective. We couldn't hit many balls hard. He was on today. We chased a few pitches out of the strike zone, but I think the way he used the fastball today on both sides of the plate with movement made it tough.”

After Muñoz left the game with a 2-0 lead, the Mets showed some signs of life in the seventh against right-hander Anthony Bender, who had a tough time throwing strikes. The Mets loaded the bases with no outs on two walks sandwiched around a double by Martinez, but Bender induced Starling Marte to hit into a double play that cut Miami’s lead to 2-1. With Martinez at third base representing the tying run, the Marlins turned to Calvin Faucher, who got Mark Vientos to ground out to end the threat.

“It’s a one-run game,” Martinez said. “It was still a great inning. We scored a run. We are within striking distance. We are changing the tone. We are one run away. Let’s keep it up.”

The Mets were able to get that one run and one more, thanks to the game-winner from Martinez. Where does the home run rank in his career? It’s right up there.

“It’s one of the bigger ones in my career, I would say, because I’ve never done it before. It’s fun,” Martinez said. “I think the playoff ones and stuff like that are just a little bit more because there’s so much meaning behind it, but anytime you hit a walk-off home run, it’s big.”