The Mets may have found their good luck charm.
Ever since Grimace – the 53-year-old McDonald’s character – threw the first pitch before the Mets’ 10-4 win at Citi Field over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, the team has been on a winning streak.
Following Wednesday’s game, the Mets defeated the Marlins again on Thursday then swept the San Diego Padres in their three-game weekend series.
“There’s nothing a little McDonald’s can’t fix — even the New York Mets,” the crew joked on “SportsCenter” on Monday morning. “They go from major disappointment to maybe the hottest team in baseball and all it took was Grimace.”
Grimace took the mound with the Mets at 28-37 in the National League East on Wednesday to celebrate his June 12 birthday while repping the team’s City Connect hat.
The rotund anthropomorphized taste bud also posed with Mr. and Mrs. Met on the field after receiving his own honorary jersey.
While his pitch didn’t make it close to home plate, fans cut him some slack not only because it marked his birthday — and the Mets’ domination of the Marlins likely helped.
The Mets’ offense exploded with fourteen hits, including homers from Harrison Bader, Starling Marte and Francisco Lindor. Tyrone Taylor also tallied four hits, securing the win.
“Creating momentum on offense is big for us. I think we did a good job of answering back,” Bader said after the win. “Just a good night for us.”
McDonald’s and the Mets both had fun with the Grimace Effect on social media Monday.
The fast food chain posted a photo of Grimace in a Mets hat with the caption “mee watching gamee 6 tonighttr @Mets” and the Mets postedGrimaceGrimace of video of the mascot holding a paper sign that read “I’m still watching. 5-0!”
Grimace is seemingly the motivation the Mets’ offense needed.
The momentum continued — a 3-2 win over Miami to take the series and then a 2-1 win to open a three-game set with the Padres on Friday, followed by 5-1 and 11-6 wins at Citi Field.
Francisco Lindor socked a leadoff homer and Pete Alonso added a three-run bomb to open Sunday’s game against the Padres with a four-run first inning, helping the Mets sweep the Padres for the first time in 18 years.
J.D. Martinez was also a crucial part of the Mets’ surging offense. The right fielder went 2-for-3 with an RBI double and two walks in the series finale.
The 5-0 run marks the second stretch of four-plus wins for the team this season, with the Amazins’ entering Monday’s game against the Rangers at 33-37, just 1.5 games behind the Padres and Nationals for the third and final NL Wild Card spot.
Across their last 15 games, the Mets are batting .284 with 20 home runs, 81 RBIs and an .840 OPS.
The team begins its series against the Rangers on Monday night at Global Life Field, looking to keep The Grimace Era going.
