Trending Now - Lindor's Early Struggles and Errors Spark Concerns for Mets
WHO:
NY Post - Francisco Lindor, New York Mets shortstop
MLB.com - Carlos Mendoza, Mets manager
ESPN - Juan Soto, Mets player
ESPN - Freddy Peralta, Mets pitcher
MLB.com - Masyn Winn, Cardinals player
MLB.com - Nolan Gorman, Cardinals player
MLB.com - David Stearns, Mets president of baseball operations
WHAT:
MLB.com - The Mets went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position on March 31st, 2026, and have a batting average of .162 with runners in scoring position this season, ranking near the bottom of the Majors.
MLB.com - From the sixth inning on March 29th through the fifth inning on March 31st, the Mets sent 27 consecutive batters to the plate without recording a hit and went 17 straight innings without scoring a run.
MLB.com - The Mets scored only once over their final 22 innings in St. Louis.
ESPN - Lindor reached base in the sixth inning on a one-out error by third baseman Nolan Gorman but was picked off first base by St. Louis starter Matthew Liberatore.
MLB.com - The Mets went 1-for-29 with runners in scoring position during the three-game series against the Cardinals, including 0-for-11 in the finale on March 31st, 2026.
MLB.com - The Mets scored only 12 runs in their last five games after scoring 11 runs on Opening Day against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
MLB.com - Lindor stated, "I still believe in what we have. We have a good team. We are a couple of pitches away from continuing to get the ball rolling on our side."
NY Post - Lindor went 0-for-4 at the plate on March 31st, 2026.
MLB.com - Lindor made two significant mistakes during the game: forgetting the number of outs in the first inning and getting picked off first base in the sixth inning.
MLB.com - The Mets lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1 in 11 innings on March 31st, 2026.
ESPN - The Mets stranded 11 runners during the game.
MLB.com - The Mets went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position on March 31st, 2026.
MLB.com - The Mets have a batting average of .162 with runners in scoring position this season.
ESPN - Lindor stated, "I should have been better."
MLB.com - Lindor is batting .143 with a .712 OPS through six games in the 2026 season.
WHERE:
MLB.com - Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
WHEN:
MLB.com - The game took place on March 31st, 2026.
MLB.com - The Mets are 3-3 in the 2026 season after six games.
WHY:
MLB.com - Manager Carlos Mendoza stated, "We’ve just got to get back to what we do well, which is controlling the strike zone, getting good pitches to hit and doing damage."
MLB.com - Manager Carlos Mendoza noted that the Mets' hitters are "not getting it done" and emphasized the need to control the strike zone and get good pitches to hit.
MLB.com - Mendoza stated that Lindor's first-inning mistake was "inexcusable" and that it cost the team an extra inning.
ESPN - Lindor acknowledged that his mistakes likely cost Peralta extra pitches and potentially an extra inning of work.
HOW:
ESPN - Lindor failed to execute a potential double play in the first inning by forgetting how many outs there were, which led to a missed opportunity to end the inning.
MLB.com - Lindor failed to execute a double play by forgetting the number of outs, which led to a missed opportunity to end the inning.
ESPN - Lindor was picked off first base while attempting to steal, just before Soto hit a home run.
(UPDATED April 2, 2026 07:19 UTC)
The Mets are struggling at the plate, going zero for eleven with runners in scoring position on Tuesday, and their batting average in that situation this season is a dismal .162, placing them near the bottom of the league. From the sixth inning on Sunday through the fifth inning on Tuesday, they sent 27 consecutive batters to the plate without a hit and went 17 straight innings without scoring, managing just one run over their final 22 innings in St. Louis. Manager Carlos Mendoza emphasized the need to return to their strengths, focusing on controlling the strike zone and capitalizing on good pitches, while shortstop Francisco Lindor's misstep in the first inning by forgetting the number of outs contributed to their missed opportunities.
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(UPDATED April 2, 2026 05:30 UTC)
The Mets struggled significantly in their recent series against the Cardinals, going just one for twenty-nine with runners in scoring position, including an alarming zero for eleven in the final game on Tuesday. Over their last five games, the team managed to score only twelve runs, a stark contrast to their eleven runs on Opening Day against the Pirates. Despite these challenges, shortstop Francisco Lindor expressed confidence in the team's potential, stating they are just a couple of pitches away from turning things around, while manager Carlos Mendoza highlighted the need for hitters to better control the strike zone.
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(UPDATED April 2, 2026 03:51 UTC)
The New York Mets faced a tough loss against the St. Louis Cardinals, falling 2-1 in 11 innings on Tuesday, with Francisco Lindor struggling at the plate, going 0-for-4 and making two costly mistakes during the game. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza called Lindor's first-inning blunder "inexcusable," noting it likely cost the team an extra inning, while Lindor himself admitted that his errors may have affected pitcher Freddy Peralta's performance. With the Mets now sitting at a 3-3 record for the season, Lindor's batting average has dropped to .143, and the team has struggled significantly with runners in scoring position, going 0-for-11 in that category during the game.