The New York Mets held on to win thanks to right fielder Starling Marte gunning down two Chicago Cubs baserunners at home plate in extra innings on Thursday.
It may have been Francisco Lindor who walked things off for the New York Mets on Thursday, but it was Starling Marte who got the job done in the field.
The Mets were tied 5-5 with the Chicago Cubs after nine innings, sending the series finale to extras. Christopher Morel put Chicago in position to take a lead in the top of the 10th, stealing third with one down.
Patrick Wisdom flied out to Marte in right, seemingly giving Morel a chance to score on a sacrifice fly.
Marte got a running start, though, and delivered a missile to catcher Omar Narváez. Morel didn’t even have a chance to slide, instead getting tagged out a full stride before he got to home plate.
While the Mets didn’t take advantage in the bottom of the 10th, Marte again kept them alive in the 11th.
A leadoff double from Nick Madrigal put the Cubs on top 6-5, and he tried scoring from second a few plays later. Mike Tauchman’s grounder through the right side went straight to Marte, whose throw once again hit Narváez in the chest.
Narváez missed the tag, but Madrigal missed home plate. On his second attempt to score, Madrigal got shut down by Narvaez.
It was Marte’s second outfield assist of the day, both of which came in extra innings. According to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, that had only been achieved six times in the last 50 seasons prior to Thursday.
Before Marte, the most recent players with multiple outfield assists at home plate in extra innings were Ian Happ in 2023 and Brenard Gilkey in 1992. No one else has done it since at least 1981.
And if it weren’t for a missed call by the second base umpire, the 35-year-old former All-Star would have had another outfield assist in the sixth inning as well.
2 outfield assists in extra innings, last 50 seasons:
Today Starling Marte *
7/4/2023 Ian Happ *
6/4/2006 Endy Chavez
8/25/1992 Bernard Gilkey *
6/18/1991 Dave Martinez
4/11/1986 Enos Cabell
5/30/1981 Jack Clark*= both to home plate https://t.co/jUZxIm1iL6
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) May 2, 2024
Marte may have had an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth, but he came up empty in his other four at-bats. That meant it was up to someone else to lift New York to victory at the plate, and Lindor filled that role perfectly.
Despite not starting the contest – flu-like symptoms knocked him out of Wednesday night’s game against the Cubs – Lindor came in as a pinch-hitter Thursday and went 2-for-3 with two doubles and four RBI. His two-RBI double in the bottom of the 11th gave the Mets the 7-6 win, getting them back over .500 in the process.
