Francisco Lindor delivered a dominant performance with two home runs and a triple, driving in six runs to lead the New York Mets to a 14-3 victory over the National League East-leading Atlanta Braves on July 27, 2026, at Citi Field.
The Mets erupted for 11 runs in the seventh and eighth innings against Braves reliever Connor Thomas, securing back-to-back wins over the division leaders despite their 45-62 overall record.
Rookie left-hander Zac Thornton earned his second career win, allowing three runs on six hits with five strikeouts and one walk over 6.1 innings.
Thornton surrendered an RBI single to Ozzie Albies in the first inning and a two-run homer to Albies in the fourth, but retired eight of his final nine batters, lowering his ERA to 2.45 through five big-league starts.
New York took an early lead with Lindor's RBI triple in the first inning and a two-run homer off Atlanta starter Martín Pérez in the third.
Marcus Semien and Tyrone Taylor added home runs in the sixth and seventh innings.
Lindor Reflects on Season Struggles
Lindor's recent surge follows a challenging season marked by a fractured hamate bone during spring training and a strained left calf that sidelined him for two months.
After a multi-error performance against Philadelphia earlier in July, Lindor acknowledged the difficulty of his comeback. "It's been a real challenge, for sure," he said.
"I'm looking forward to continuing this journey.
It's been a high mountain that's in front of me, but at the end of the day, I will climb it."
Addressing his defensive issues—six errors in 41 appearances—Lindor emphasized personal accountability. "I just got to get better," he said.
"When it comes to mental mistakes, yeah, that was a mental mistake. I got a little fast."
Mets manager Andy Green stressed the need for defensive improvement after the team committed 69 errors, second-most in MLB.
"We got to get on the field and got to get to work," Green said. "Guys we believe in...
are really good defenders. Just got to pull that out of them."
Green also provided updates on injured players.
Pitcher Clay Holmes threw a 45-pitch live session after a fibula fracture, and outfielder Luis Robert Jr. completed rehab games with Triple-A Syracuse.
Regarding Robert's return, Green noted the team will manage playing time for rookies like A. J.
Ewing and Carson Benge. "Taking a day off a week as we get into the dog days...
isn't going to hurt them," he said.
Former Mets star Darryl Strawberry called for veteran leadership from Lindor and Juan Soto following the departures of Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz, and Jeff McNeil.
"Their veteran players need to be leaders," Strawberry said. "You've got to get tired of losing."
The Mets face Atlanta again at Citi Field, with Christian Scott starting against Chris Sale.
