April 8, 2021 | 5: 11pm | Updated April 8, 2021 | 6: 05pm
Jeff McNeil knew it was gone.
The Mets’ second baseman launched a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth inning that tied the score 2-2 against the Marlins on Thursday, and the 29-year-old celebrated with an epic bat flip.
“It’s definitely one of my biggest minutes as a Met right there,” he said. “Just to listen to the audience again was pretty incredible. They were getting me fired that whole at-bat. … I was pretty pumped up.
“As soon as it left the bat, I knew it. To hear the crowd erupt was pretty incredible.”
Not only did it keep the Amazins out of their third loss in four games to start the season — they are. 500 after walking off on Michael Conforto’s bases-loaded hit-by-pitch that scored Luis Guillorme — but it had been the perfect way for McNeil to break from an early season slump.
The dinger marked McNeil’s first hit of the season, finishing a 0-for-10 start to the season.