Starling Marte’s 10th-inning walk-off single gives Mets win over Nationals, lead over Braves in Wild Card standings

No Francisco Lindor? No problem.

For one game, at least.

Starling Marte’s 10th-inning walk-off single fueled the playoff-hopeful Mets’ 2-1 victory over the Nationals on Monday to kick off their final homestand of the season.

The win, coupled with the Braves’ 9-0 loss to the Dodgers on Monday, moved the Mets ahead of Atlanta by a game for the third and final National League Wild Card spot.

“It feels good,” Marte said through a team interpreter. “It means a lot, because every single game, it’s important to us.”

Marte’s heroics capped a come-from-behind victory in which multiple Mets stepped up in the absence of Lindor, who was out with an injured back.

Jose Iglesias — who filled in for Lindor at shortstop and as the Mets’ leadoff hitter — struck a two-out RBI infield single that bounded off of reliever Derek Law and tied the game, 1-1, in the eighth inning.

Luisangel Acuna, a 22-year-old rookie playing in his third MLB game, entered as a defensive replacement at shortstop in the ninth inning and made four putouts, including for the final two outs in the 10th with a runner on third.

They helped set up Marte, who didn’t play Sunday and began Monday on the bench after being hit by a pitch in the forearm on Saturday.

“Not having Lindor in the lineup, guys are gonna have to continue to step up, and this is a perfect example,” manager Carlos Mendoza said.

“Marte got drilled the other day, and he was pretty sore. Watching him go through the pregame routine, he was like, ‘I’m gonna be a player for you.’ I said, ‘Be ready.’”

Marte, who said he initially feared his arm was broken, failed to drive in Tyrone Taylor from third base with one out in the eighth inning, before Iglesias picked him up.

But Marte came through in the 10th, delivering a clutch moment for a 35-year-old veteran who has missed significant time with injuries in recent seasons, including this year with a right knee bone bruise.

“Huge for him and for the team,” Mendoza said. “He’s been through a lot. What happened to him last year. What happened to him this year, when he goes on the IL and he misses two months. And then now, where he’s not playing every day.

“He wants to be out there every day, but I just appreciate his professionalism and the understanding of, ‘Yes, you’re trying to take care of me.’ … When he’s not in the lineup, he’s finding a way to stay ready.”

Lindor, the Mets’ OPS and RBI leader, has been dealing with soreness and tightness in his lower back, causing him to leave Friday and Sunday’s games in Philadelphia early and to miss Saturday’s altogether.

An MRI came back clean Monday, and Lindor said he plans to return during the regular season — and possibly this week.

Without Lindor in the lineup, Nationals starter Jake Irvin began the game with three perfect innings and held the Mets scoreless through seven.

Taylor recorded the only extra-base hit against the right-hander with a double to lead off the eighth, and Irvin retired one more batter before departing.

“It was a great win,” Iglesias said. “We were facing good pitching. We never gave up.”

Keeping the Mets in the game was another stellar start by Sean Manaea, who fired seven innings of one-run ball, striking out six. His lone blemish came on José Tena’s fourth-inning RBI single, which accounted for the game’s first run.

It was Manaea’s seventh consecutive start of at least 6.2 innings, and the sixth time in the last 10 starts that the left-hander went seven innings. He boasts a 2.49 ERA over his last 10 starts.

The Mets have won Manaea’s last seven starts.

“It’s great,” Manaea said. “I’ve always dreamt of being in a position like this, and helping this team win is huge. Just soaking up every moment.”

Monday also marked the latest Citi Field return of Grimace, the purple McDonald’s mascot whose viral ceremonial first pitch on June 12 coincided with the start of a Mets seven-game winning streak.

Clearly, there’s still some Grimace magic in the Flushing air.

Originally Published: September 16, 2024 at 9:54 p.m.