NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor hit a grand slam, his, in the sixth inning latest clutch swing in a picture-perfect season full of them, and the New York Mets advanced to the National League Championship Series with a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.

Edwin Díaz struck out Kyle Schwarber with two runners on board, ending the game as New York ran out finished off the rival Phillies in the fourth game of their best-of-five division series with a 3-1 victory, ending a postseason series at home for the first time in 24 years.

“I want to win everything. And our team will be remembered forever,” Lindor said, speaking in the interview room with one of his young daughters drinking from a Gatorade bottle on his lap.

“This will be a team that comes every ten years and eats for free everywhere they go. And that’s what I want to do. I want to do that. But the work is not done yet.”

With tears in his eyes, outfielder Brandon Nimmo hugged Lindor as the Mets took the field in excitement after the finale.

Then, in a noisy locker room, they enjoyed the team’s first champagne-soaked victory celebration in Citi Field’s 16-year history. The last time the Mets won a playoff series in their own stadium was the 2000 NLCS at Shea Stadium.

“This is the kind of thing I dreamed of,” Nimmo said in a clubhouse interview shown on the giant video board at center. “This has been a long time coming. We really wanted it for our fan base.”

After a third bubbly win in ten days and some rest, New York opens the best-of-seven NLCS on Sunday at the San Diego Padres or Los Angeles Dodgers. These teams are 2-0 heading into Friday’s deciding Game 5 of their NLDS in Los Angeles.

“Let’s keep this thing going!” Mets slugger Pete Alonso he told the cheering fans still in the stands as he emerged from the clubhouse party for an on-field interview with large goggles protecting his eyes. “So proud of this group. We’ve overcome so much.”

New York is seeking its third World Series title and first since 1986.

“I want to shatter the negative perception of Met fans, and we are well on our way to accomplishing that,” said owner Steve Cohen.

It was a bitter exit early in the playoffs and a disappointing regression after they advanced to the 2022 World Series for the NL East champion Phillies, who won 95 games in the regular season and finished six ahead of the wild-card Mets Games 6 and 7 of the 2023 NLCS at home against Arizona.

After falling short again in October, Bryce Harper and the Phillies are still searching for the franchise’s third championship.

“We have a really great group. We were beaten in a short series,” said manager Rob Thomson.

Perhaps the Mets were overconfident with so much on the table when they left the bases loaded in the first and second against Ranger Suárez, leaving a total of eight runners stranded in the first five innings.

They put three runners on again in the sixth, this time with no one out, before No. 9 batter Francisco Alvarez came to the plate against All-Star reliever Jeff Hoffman, who had warmed up three times before coming in.

With the season on the line, Thomson then called on closer Carlos Estévez to face Lindor, who drove a 2-1, 99 mph fastball into Philadelphia’s bullpen in right-center, New York up 4-1 took the lead and the sellout team sent 44,103 spectators into a mad, bouncing, pounding frenzy.

“I knew right away,” Estévez said. “I knew I wanted to go a little higher on the pitch. Unfortunately it was more of a middle ground than an up and down, and as soon as he hit it I knew he hit it really well.”

With his first home run of these playoffs, Lindor joined Shane Victorino and Hall of Fame slugger Jim Thome as the only major league players with two postseason grand slams. The star shortstop also played for Cleveland at Yankee Stadium in Game 2 of the 2017 AL Division Series.

Edgardo Alfonzo hit the only other postseason slam in Mets history during a 1999 Division Series at Arizona. Robin Ventura’s Grand Slam single This year doesn’t count in the NLCS.

“We had runners on and we couldn’t come up with a big hit until finally who else? The MVP. I always say you could write a book. You could make a movie because this is it,” Mets rookie manager Carlos Mendoza said.

“And then Lindor will do it the whole time as the inning unfolds. There is no panic. The way he controls the emotions and hits the ball. It’s incredible.”

Fans chanted “MVP! MVP!” as Lindor disappeared into the dugout and again as he took his position on defense in the seventh.

Game 3 on Tuesday was Lindor’s first opportunity to play at Citi Field since Sept. 8 after he missed time with a back injury.

But few, if any, players were like that valuable to her team this year as Lindor, who delivered a remarkable string of big hits and key contributions as the Mets recovered from a 24-35 start to their first NLCS since a 2015 World Series loss to Kansas City.

His tying home run in the ninth inning on September 11 in Toronto ended Bowden Francis’ no-hit attempt and sparked a decisive Mets victory. His leadoff run in the ninth inning on September 30 in Atlanta secured him a spot in the playoffs.

“It’s getting better and better,” Cohen said. “He always comes through in this situation.”

Lindor also battled back from a 1-2 mark last week in Milwaukee, recording an eight-pitch walk against All-Star closer Devin Williams in the ninth to help set the stage Alonso’s go-ahead home run saved New York’s season in the decisive victory of the Wild Card Series.

“It was a tough fight. It was hard. But we’re still not where we want to be,” Lindor said. “That road was, yes, it was winding – but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Mets starter Jose Quintana did not allow an earned run in more than five innings of two-hit ball, and David Peterson pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings in the win.

Díaz walked his first two batters in the ninth, prompting groans in the stands, but retired the next three – two of them by strikeouts – for the first postseason save of his career.

Aside from a late comeback and Game 2 win at home, the Phillies closed out the entire series at the plate, scoring their only run on an error by third baseman Mark Vientos in the fourth.

Hoffman suffered his second loss, the latest flop from a Philadelphia bullpen that failed to deliver the entire series.

“Part of it is execution, part of it is maybe familiarity with our guys,” Thomson said. “I don’t know. It should work both ways though.”

NEXT

New York lost to the Padres 5-2 and 2-4 to the Dodgers this season.

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