LOS ANGELES — From his perch within the on-deck circle at Dodger Stadium, Mark Vientos appeared throughout the sector, the place opposing supervisor Dave Roberts was calling for an intentional stroll of Francisco Lindor. Vientos adjusted his sun shades and gave a slight elevate of his eyebrow, a delicate nod of his head. Then he put his helmet on, grabbed his bat and strode to the plate.
“For positive,” Vientos stated, “I took it private.”
The grand slam that adopted not solely powered the Mets to a 7-3 win over the Dodgers in Nationwide League Championship Collection Sport 2 on Monday, night the sequence at one recreation apiece, but it surely additionally additional cemented Vientos’ place as one of many high October performers in franchise historical past. With 11 RBIs already this postseason, Vientos has matched Daniel Murphy’s complete from his historic playoff run in 2015. He’s one shy of the Mets report of 12, which Curtis Granderson (2015) and John Olerud (1999) share.
And he’s doing it in his first postseason at age 24, throughout a yr during which he didn’t even make the Mets’ Opening Day roster.
“He’s simply bought that South Florida grit,” teammate J.D. Martinez stated. “He’s bought somewhat edge to him. He is aware of hit. He’s not terrified of the second, and that’s the place that is available in. You’ve bought to play with somewhat little bit of that canine in you.”
Repeatedly this month, Vientos has performed in exactly that method. After Lindor led off NLCS Sport 2 with a homer to snap the Dodgers’ record-tying 33-inning scoreless streak, the Mets rallied within the second inning on a success, a stroll and a Tyrone Taylor RBI double. Two batters later, Roberts elected to stroll Lindor to load the bases with two outs.
“We had a possibility to attenuate harm,” Roberts stated, referencing the truth that pitcher Landon Knack managed to leap forward within the depend. “You’ve bought Vientos 1-2, after which he will get it to 3-2 and you then make a mistake along with your heater. And that was an enormous hit, clearly.”
On the ninth pitch of the at-bat, Vientos caught simply sufficient of a 95.1 mph fastball to blast it a Statcast-projected 391 ft over the fence in right-center. It was the Mets’ second grand slam this month, and it got here lower than per week after Lindor’s NLDS Sport 4 shot, making them one in every of 13 groups to hit a number of slams in a postseason. It was additionally simply the fourth postseason grand slam this century to happen instantly after an intentional stroll. The others had been Howie Kendrick for the Nationals vs. the Dodgers in 2019 NLDS Sport 5 (Juan Soto IBB), Miguel Montero for the Cubs vs. the Dodgers in 2016 NLCS Sport 1 (Chris Coghlan IBB) and Paul Goldschmidt for the D-backs vs. the Brewers in 2011 NLDS Sport 3 (Montero IBB).
“I exploit it as motivation,” Vientos stated. “I’m like, ‘All proper, you need me up, I’m going to point out you. No matter.’”
Two innings later, Vientos singled to finish his sixth multihit effort in 9 playoff video games. His 14 hits general are tied for ninth in Mets historical past in a single postseason.
That is hardly the arc many envisioned as Vientos spent a lot of three seasons making an attempt and failing to determine himself on the Main League degree. But since arising for good in late Might, he’s managed not solely to remain right here, however to start ascending into stardom.
“I imply, I need to be up there throughout that at-bat for positive,” Vientos stated. “I would like them to stroll Lindor in that scenario. Put me up there. And at that time it was simply, let me simplify the sport, simply get one run in, get a stroll — no matter I can do so as to add one other run to the rating. Fortunately, I hit a bomb.”
The Mets didn’t precisely cruise from there; the victory nonetheless required five-plus efficient innings from beginning pitcher Sean Manaea, in addition to escape acts from relievers Phil Maton within the sixth inning, Ryne Stanek within the seventh and Edwin Díaz in each the eighth and ninth. However Vientos’ slam gave the Mets sufficient cushion that even Los Angeles’ most promising rallies by no means fairly ratcheted the strain in Chavez Ravine as much as most ranges.
It additionally added to the legend of a participant whom teammates nicknamed “Swaggy V” for relatively apparent causes. Very similar to Lindor, Vientos considers style a passion. He loves shiny equipment and flashy footwear. At residence in New York, he has round a dozen pairs stacked in entrance of his locker.
Those that know Vientos effectively, nevertheless, perceive the nickname is about extra than simply his style sense. It’s an perspective that Vientos embodies.
“There’s one factor that Mark doesn’t lack, and that’s confidence,” Lindor stated. “However as a participant, he believes in himself. He doesn’t again down from any challenges that get thrown his approach. I’m comfortable for him. He’s grown up. If he stays the course, he’s going to be a extremely, actually good participant.”