NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor hit a grand slam within the sixth inning, his newest clutch swing in a unprecedented season filled with them, and the New York Mets reached the Nationwide League Championship Sequence with a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.

Edwin Díaz struck out Kyle Schwarber with two runners aboard to finish it as New York completed off the rival Phillies in Sport 4 of their best-of-five Division Sequence, profitable 3-1 to wrap up a postseason collection at dwelling for the primary time in 24 years.

Instantly to observe in a raucous clubhouse, the Mets’ first champagne-soaked clinching celebration in Citi Subject’s 16-season historical past.

After three days of relaxation, New York will open the best-of-seven NLCS on Sunday on the San Diego Padres or Los Angeles Dodgers. San Diego held a 2-1 lead of their NLDS heading into Sport 4 on Wednesday night time.

For the NL East champion Phillies, who received 95 video games and completed six forward of the wild-card Mets throughout the common season, it was a bitter exit early within the playoffs and a disappointing step backward after they superior to the 2022 World Sequence after which misplaced Video games 6 and seven of the 2023 NLCS at dwelling to Arizona.

After falling quick once more in October, Bryce Harper and the Phillies are nonetheless on the lookout for the franchise’s third championship.

Maybe overanxious on the plate with a lot on the desk, the Mets left the bases loaded within the first and second and stranded eight runners general by way of the primary 5 innings.

They put three runners on once more within the sixth, this time with no one out, earlier than No. 9 batter Francisco Alvarez grounded right into a power on the plate in opposition to All-Star reliever Jeff Hoffman.

With the season on the road, Phillies supervisor Rob Thomson then summoned nearer Carlos Estévez to face Lindor, who drove a 2-1 fastball clocked at 99 mph into Philadelphia’s bullpen in right-center, giving New York a 4-1 lead and sending the sold-out crowd of 44,103 right into a delirious, bouncing, throbbing frenzy.

Together with his first homer of those playoffs, Lindor joined Shane Victorino and Corridor of Fame slugger Jim Thome as the one main leaguers with two postseason grand slams. The star shortstop additionally linked for Cleveland at Yankee Stadium in Sport 2 of a 2017 AL Division Sequence.

Edgardo Alfonzo hit the one different postseason slam in Mets historical past, throughout a 1999 Division Sequence at Arizona.

That left followers once more chanting “MVP! MVP!” as Lindor disappeared into the dugout and once more when he took his place on protection within the seventh.

Sport 3 on Tuesday was Lindor’s first alternative to play at Citi Subject since Sept. 8, after he missed time down the stretch with a again harm.

However few gamers, if any, have been as helpful to their workforce this 12 months as Lindor, who has offered a exceptional string of massive hits and demanding contributions because the Mets rallied from a 24-35 begin to their first NLCS since dropping the 2015 World Sequence to Kansas Metropolis.

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