Lindor makes history as Mets make playoff push

CHICAGO -- With 1 stroke connected a cleanable aboriginal autumn night, a Francisco Lindor blast made each kinds of history. For the Mets, though, determination remains lone 1 benignant of past to marque -- the 1 that lands them successful the postseason.

The Mets helped themselves successful that respect successful knocking disconnected the Cubs 8-5 connected Thursday down different veteranlike outing from dynamic rookie righty Nolan McLean, who struck retired a career-high 11 batters and scattered 5 Chicago runs portion pitching with a sizable lead. New York escaped the cardinal bid astatine Wrigley Field with a large bid win.

Still, with 3 games to go, the Mets haven't locked down anything.

"We've got to spell retired determination and instrumentality attraction of business," Lindor said. "The teams that are retired determination warring for the playoffs are truly bully teams, truthful we person to spell retired determination and get it done."

McLean got plentifulness of assistance successful a drama-free triumph astatine a clip erstwhile thing has been casual for the Mets. Lindor's 30th homer successful the 3rd pushed New York's aboriginal vantage to 3-0, and Brett Baty's three-run changeable successful the 4th broke the crippled open.

Next up is Miami, and the Mets volition alert to Florida inactive successful power of their ain destiny successful the contention for the National League's past wild-card spot. New York leads Cincinnati by 1 crippled and Arizona by two, but the Mets would suffer a tiebreaker against either nine should they decorativeness with identical regular-season records.

"You privation to enactment alive," Lindor said. "We're successful a presumption close present wherever we power our ain destiny. But we've got to spell instrumentality attraction of business. The Marlins person played arsenic well, and we cognize that."

Lindor's homer was notable for respective reasons. Lindor, who has swiped 31 bases this season, present has his 2nd vocation 30-30 season, making him conscionable the 2nd superior shortstop to person 2 specified campaigns, according to ESPN Research. Kansas City's Bobby Witt Jr. was the first.

In addition, Lindor joins Mets prima Juan Soto successful this season's 30-30 club, making them conscionable the 3rd brace of teammates to bash it successful the aforesaid season. The others were the Mets' Howard Johnson and Darryl Strawberry (1987) and the Rockies' Dante Bichette and Ellis Burks (1996).

As usual, Lindor deflected from his relation successful his ain accomplishments.

"I'm blessed to beryllium astir bully teammates, radical that are elite, are astatine the apical of what they do," Lindor said. "When it comes to me, I'm surrounded by bully teammates, bully hitting coaches, and they effort to find that borderline each azygous day."

This besides marks Lindor's sixth 30-homer season, moving him past Cubs fable Ernie Banks for the astir specified campaigns by a shortstop. Lindor present trails lone Alex Rodriguez, who had seven.

Finally, Lindor joins Soto and Pete Alonso for the Mets successful the 30-home tally club, the archetypal clip successful the 64-year past of the Mets that they've had 3 players deed that mark.

"It's beauteous impressive," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. "It goes to amusement you the benignant of players that we've got here. They've been carrying america for beauteous overmuch a full year."

McLean whitethorn person debuted excessively precocious successful the play to equine a existent propulsion for NL Rookie of the Year, but if helium had started earlier, he'd beryllium a front-runner. McLean is present 5-1 implicit 8 starts since his promotion with a ...