Winker Lifts Mets in Critical Series Win over O's

 For years Jesse Winker has seen what it's like at Citi Field from the third base dugout. 

Since 2019 Winker has donned the uniforms of the Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners and Washington Nationals, and each time he made a visit to Flushing, he would ball out. Cracking home runs and base hits at will against the New York Mets. He owned a .283 lifetime batting average against New York. 

However on Wednesday, Winker finally gots Mets fans cheering for him. 

In the bottom of the ninth inning of Wednesday series finale with the Balitmore Orioles, Winker crushed an opposite field home run to left-center to lift New York to a thrilling 4-3 victory, all while injecting renewed life back into the Amazin's. 

Jesse Winker celebrates his walk-off homer. Getty Images.

 

 For a better part of the last month the enthusiasm that engulfed this Mets franchise had virtually disappeared. Grimace? Jose Iglesis' OMG song? Virtually nonexistent since the calendar turned to August. Entering play on Wednesday the Mets were 8-10 in the month of August, and had watched their standing in the wild card slip away. New York was 2.5 out of the last wild card slot with Atlanta the closest competition. 

So when Winker lifted that pitch from Seranthony Dominguez into the left-center field stands, the emotion boiled over. Winker had his first Mets home run, his first significant contribution since joining the team on July 30.  

The OMG song started to rock again. Citi Field was on it's feet. Winker screamed back at the dugout as he flung his helmet into the ground and proceeded to jog around the bases before greeting his teammates at home plate! 

 

"It's good to be on this side," Winker said afterwards. 

A moment like this is why the Mets went and got him. They saw the energy he brought to Citi Field as an opponent, and knew he would be a smash hit if he came here as a Met and gave the team some success. Now he finally has. 

And at a great time too. The Mets needed this series win over the Orioles. Especially with a huge road trip out west to San Diego and Arizona on the horizon for the next seven days. If the Mets can catch fire on this roadtrip, they might have Winker to thank for it.