Francisco Lindor spoke lately about including prescription glasses to his recreation in an try to see the ball higher, as an alternative of counting on contacts.
On Saturday, the slumping shortstop was principally helpless in a key seventh inning at-bat in opposition to San Francisco’s Randy Rodriguez.
With pinch-runner Tyrone Taylor on second base and one out and the Mets up by a run, Lindor appeared to surrender on a 3-2 pitch that ended up proper down the center for a referred to as strike three.
The shortcoming so as to add on runs proved pricey, as Edwin Diaz blew one other save within the ninth and the Mets went on to lose, 7-2, in 10 innings.
However greater than something was the odd-looking method Lindor took to the ultimate pitch, which he didn’t seem ready to swing at, regardless of the rely.
“He hadn’t thrown a strike [in the at-bat],’’ Lindor stated. “I made each pitch a strike [by swinging outside the zone] and was serving to him out. My greatest guess was to take a pitch. It simply so occurred that was the one strike the entire at-bat.”
Lindor’s downside stemmed from his incapability to select up the spin on Rodriguez’s pitches.
Lindor famous that he swung at a 1-0 slider within the filth and after Rodriguez fell behind 3-1, Lindor provided at one other slider out of the strike zone.
Every of the primary 5 pitches of the at-bat landed exterior the strike zone and with Lindor not choosing up the spin of the breaking ball, he opted for a distinct method.
“Not one of the pitches have been strikes,’’ Lindor stated of the pitches previous to the ultimate slider with a full rely. “I took that pitch and I’ve bought to stay with it.”
Lindor additionally grounded right into a pressure out within the backside of the ninth and was unable to give you Pete Alonso’s errant throw to second within the prime of the tenth as the sport unravelled.
It was one other tough day in a season crammed with them for Lindor, who stated earlier he’d had problem with the contacts he wears all through the season — a season during which he’s put up the worst offensive numbers of his profession.
Lindor attributed the difficulty to his eyes drying up when it’s windy and he thought he was seeing higher on days when he wore non-prescription tinted glasses over the contacts.
“So I figured I’d be higher with the [prescription] glasses,’’ Lindor stated. “We’ll see if it helps.”
However Lindor stated the eyewear is just not the rationale for his tough first two months of the season.
“That’s not an excuse,’’ Lindor stated. “I really feel like I’m in the identical boat I used to be final yr: I simply haven’t had a scorching begin with the bat most years.”
Lindor’s OPS is simply .648. Final June 4, Lindor’s OPS dropped to .688 earlier than he rebounded with an OPS of .881 the remainder of the season.
Over the course of his profession, Lindor, 30, has hit higher within the second half of the season.
He’s relying on the same turnaround this season.
“I want I may begin higher, however I haven’t accomplished it,’’ Lindor stated. “It’s been powerful. Yearly, I feel it’s gonna be totally different, however then it’s an uphill battle once more.”
He has hit right into a little bit of dangerous luck, in line with some metrics, however the outcomes present Lindor has been a below-average participant by any customary, not to mention one within the early phases of a $341 million contract.
“Hopefully this works,’’ Lindor stated of the brand new specs. “We’ll see the way it goes.”
