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Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor had some extra motivation when he took the field against the Marlins on Friday night, knowing that his mother was in the stands to see him play in New York City for the first time ever.
Lindor’s mother, Maria, suffered a head injury in 2020 that has made flying difficult for her, so she had never gotten the chance to see her son play a home game with the Mets after he was traded to the NL East club in 2021. However, Lindor’s wife, Katia, surprised him on Friday night by bringing his mother to the stadium for the first time.
According to Newsday’s Laura Albanese, other members of the shortstop’s family from Puerto Rico were also at Citi Field on Friday.
With his mom in the crowd, Lindor put on a show. In his first at-bat of the evening in the bottom of the first inning, he crushed a three-run home run and was overcome with emotion, screaming as he rounded the bases before pointing to his family as he crossed home plate.
He finished the game with four RBI and two runs scored, in addition to making a handful of stellar defensive plays.
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After the game, Lindor said that he was very surprised to have his mother on hand for the game. He called her presence at the ballpark a win for not only him, but his entire family.
“My mom is the world to me,” Lindor said, per SNY. “All of a sudden, she disappeared after 2020. It’s been a tough, long journey for her. She’s a true warrior. To see her here, I’m just happy she’s better, thank God.
“Just to see her here in New York, it’s a dream. It’s a victory for my whole entire family.”
Behind Lindor’s efforts in the field and at the plate, the Mets went on to win 10–4, improving to 43–23 on the season.
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For more New York Mets coverage, go to Inside The Mets.
