The Mets cruised to a 10-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the home opener at Citi Field on Friday afternoon.
[Ads /]
Francisco Lindor homered from both sides of the plate to back another stingy start from newcomer Chris Bassitt.
Starling Marte launched a three-run shot in his first home game with the Mets, and Robinson Canó connected for the first time since September 2020 after serving his second suspension for performance-enhancing drugs last season. The Mets homered four times in their home opener for the first time.
Pete Alonso lofted a pair of early sacrifice flies for New York (6-2), which has the most wins in the majors. Travis Jankowski, subbing in center field after two Mets outfielders went on the COVID-19 injured list, had three hits.
Acquired from Oakland in a trade last month, Bassitt (2-0) allowed one run and two hits in six innings. He received a warm ovation from the sellout crowd of 43,820 as he walked off the mound at the end of his Citi Field debut.
The All-Star right-hander struck out six and walked two. He fanned eight over six innings of three-hit ball last Saturday in his initial outing for the Mets, a 5-0 win at Washington.
New York has won 11 in a row against the Diamondbacks at Citi Field, outscoring Arizona 68-21.
Daulton Varsho socked his first homer of the season off Bassitt in the sixth.
Batting left-handed, Lindor chased Zach Davies (0-1) with a two-run drive into the second deck in right field that made it 5-0 in the fifth. The $341 million shortstop followed Marte's three-run homer in the eighth with a shot to left off reliever Caleb Smith.
It was Lindor's 14th career multi-homer game and the fourth time the switch-hitter has gone deep from both sides of the plate.
Lindor also walked twice, stole a base and scored three times. It was an auspicious start to 2022 at Citi Field after he was often booed last year during a miserable first season with the Mets.
Marte, who signed a $78 million, four-year contract as a free agent in November, also stole a base and scored three times. He finished with three hits.
Bassitt and three Mets relievers limited the Diamondbacks to three hits in the team's 11th consecutive home victory over Arizona since the start of 2018.
New York starters are 6-0 this season, and the Mets improved to 40-21 in home openers - including 10-4 at Citi Field.
Before the game, Mets outfielders Brandon Nimmo and Mark Canha were placed on the injured list Friday after a New York coach tested positive for COVID-19.
Mets manager Buck Showalter, without identifying the coach, confirmed that a member of his staff tested positive for the coronavirus and was absent Friday.
ALSO READ | Jackie Robinson Day: MLB celebrates trailblazing star 75 years after debut
Jackie Robinson Day celebrated in Times Square
The team did not say whether Nimmo and Canha tested positive. Showalter would not say whether either player is vaccinated against COVID-19, but did acknowledge the rules for returning to the roster under baseball's new labor agreement are different for players who are vaccinated versus those who aren't.
Sports anchor Sam Ryan has more on the Mets' home opener:
Hope abounds as Mets host Diamondbacks in home opener
[Ads /]
Prior to the game, the Mets unveiled a statue honoring "The Franchise" Tom Seaver outside Citi Field.
With thousands of fans gathered around, cell phones held high and craning their necks to see, the late Hall of Famer's wife and two daughters were front and center for the festivities.
Following an introduction from longtime Mets radio announcer Howie Rose and speeches by owner Steve Cohen and former slugger Mike Piazza, the blue curtain was pulled away to reveal a striking monument that stands 10 feet tall and 13 1/2 feet long. It depicts Seaver in the middle of his classic drop-and-drive delivery, baseball in his right hand.
[Ads /]
"Hello, Tom," said his emotional widow Nancy, choking back tears. "It's so nice to have you here where you belong."
The sculpture by William Behrends - who also designed and created statues of Willie Mays in San Francisco and Tony Gwynn in San Diego - weighs 3,200 pounds (2,000 pounds of bronze and 1,200 pounds of structural stainless steel). The granite pitcher's mound came in nine pieces that weighed 33,600 pounds and added about 3 feet in height.
"Tom Seaver is our royalty," Piazza said.
Full video of statue unveiling:
Mets unveil Tom Seaver statue before home opener
Information from the Associated Press
----------
* More Queens news
* Send us a news tip
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Follow us on YouTube
Submit a News Tip