'Swaggy V,' Mets answer in grand fashion to knot NLCS

LOS ANGELES -- From his perch in the on-deck circle at Dodger Stadium, Mark Vientos looked across the field, where opposing manager Dave Roberts was calling for an intentional walk of Francisco Lindor. Vientos adjusted his sunglasses and gave a slight raise of his eyebrow, a subtle nod of his head. Then he put his helmet on, grabbed his bat and strode to the plate.

“For sure,” Vientos said, “I took it personal.”

The grand slam that followed not only powered the Mets to a 7-3 win over the Dodgers in National League Championship Series Game 2 on Monday, evening the series at one game apiece, but it also further cemented Vientos’ place as one of the top October performers in franchise history. With 11 RBIs already this postseason, Vientos has matched Daniel Murphy’s total from his historic playoff run in 2015. He’s one shy of the Mets record of 12, which Curtis Granderson (2015) and John Olerud (1999) share.

And he is doing it in his first postseason at age 24, during a year in which he didn’t even make the Mets’ Opening Day roster.

“He’s just got that South Florida grit,” teammate J.D. Martinez said. “He’s got a little edge to him. He knows how to hit. He’s not scared of the moment, and that’s where that comes in. You’ve got to play with a little bit of that dog in you.”

Time and again this month, Vientos has played in precisely that manner. After Lindor led off NLCS Game 2 with a homer to snap the Dodgers’ record-tying 33-inning scoreless streak, the Mets rallied in the second inning on a hit, a walk and a Tyrone Taylor RBI double. Two batters later, Roberts elected to walk Lindor to load the bases with two outs.

“We had an opportunity to minimize damage,” Roberts said, referencing the fact that pitcher Landon Knack managed to jump ahead in the count. “You’ve got Vientos 1-2, and then he gets it to 3-2 and then you make a mistake with your heater. And that was a big hit, clearly.”

On the ninth pitch of the at-bat, Vientos caught just enough of a 95.1 mph fastball to blast it a Statcast-projected 391 feet over the fence in right-center. It was the Mets’ second grand slam this month, and it came less than a week after Lindor’s NLDS Game 4 shot, making them one of 13 teams to hit multiple slams in a postseason. It was also just the fourth postseason grand slam this century to occur immediately after an intentional walk. The others were Howie Kendrick for the Nationals vs. the Dodgers in 2019 NLDS Game 5 (Juan Soto IBB), Miguel Montero for the Cubs vs. the Dodgers in 2016 NLCS Game 1 (Chris Coghlan IBB) and Paul Goldschmidt for the D-backs vs. the Brewers in 2011 NLDS Game 3 (Montero IBB).

“I use it as motivation,” Vientos said. “I’m like, ‘All right, you want me up, I’m going to show you. Whatever.’”

Two innings later, Vientos singled to complete his sixth multihit effort in nine playoff games. His 14 hits overall are tied for ninth in Mets history in a single postseason.

This is hardly the arc many envisioned as Vientos spent much of three seasons trying and failing to establish himself at the Major League level. Yet since coming up for good in late May, he’s managed not only to stay here, but to begin ascending into stardom.

“I mean, I want to be up there during that at-bat for sure,” Vientos said. “I want them to walk Lindor in that situation. Put me up there. And at that point it was just, let me simplify the game, just get one run in, get a walk -- whatever I can do to add another run to the score. Luckily, I hit a bomb.”

The Mets did not exactly cruise from there; the victory still required five-plus effective innings from starting pitcher Sean Manaea, as well as escape acts from relievers Phil Maton in the sixth inning, Ryne Stanek in the seventh and Edwin Díaz in both the eighth and ninth. But Vientos’ slam gave the Mets enough cushion that even Los Angeles’ most promising rallies never quite ratcheted the pressure in Chavez Ravine up to maximum levels.

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It also added to the legend of a player whom teammates nicknamed “Swaggy V” for rather obvious reasons. Much like Lindor, Vientos considers fashion a hobby. He loves bright accessories and flashy shoes. At home in New York, he has around a dozen pairs stacked in front of his locker.

Those who know Vientos well, however, understand the nickname is about more than just his fashion sense. It’s an attitude that Vientos embodies.

“There’s one thing that Mark doesn’t lack, and that’s confidence,” Lindor said. “But as a player, he believes in himself. He doesn’t back down from any challenges that get thrown his way. I’m happy for him. He’s grown up. If he stays the course, he’s going to be a really, really good player.”