NEW YORK — Carlos Mendoza believed that Mark Vientos was going to win the game for the Mets after one pitch.
In a tie game in the 10th inning with a runner on second base, Vientos took an inside cutter from Reds reliever Justin Wilson. To the Mets’ manager, there was a certain comfort in the approach.
“There was no panic. There was no rush. It was just with ease,” Mendoza said.
Seven pitches later, including four foul balls to stay in the at-bat, Vientos turned on a 97-mph fastball and sent it 400 feet, clearing the left-field wall to lift the Mets to a 6-4 extra-inning win over the Reds in front of 25,335 fans on Friday night at Citi Field.
“I was ready to swing at the first pitch and I saw it pretty good,” Vientos said. “I kind felt the same way, I was like, OK, I see him well. I think Mendy said it perfectly, I saw him good and then my game plan was just to put barrel to ball.”
With his second career walk-off home run, leading the Mets to their eighth straight win, the legend of Vientos continued to grow. It was Vientos’ second home run of the night after he opened with a two-run blast in the first inning.