Francisco Lindor's mental mistakes proved costly as the New York Mets fell 2-1 to the St. Louis Cardinals in 11 innings. The star shortstop lost track of outs in the first inning and got picked off first base in the sixth, moments before Juan Soto's solo home run. These uncharacteristic errors contributed to the Mets' third loss in four games.

Lindor's defensive blunder in the first inning prevented a potential double play when he forgot the number of outs. In the sixth, he wandered too far off first base and was easily picked off by Matthew Liberatore. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza defended Lindor's aggressiveness on the pickoff play but acknowledged the defensive mistake was inexcusable. The team stranded 11 runners and went 1 for 29 with runners in scoring position during the three-game series.

The loss extends the Mets' offensive struggles, with the team scoring just 12 runs in their last five games after an 11-run opener against Pittsburgh. Despite the early-season slump, Lindor remains confident in the team's talent. "I still believe in what we have," he said. "We are a couple of pitches away from continuing to get the ball rolling on our side." The Mets will look to rebound in their next series as they attempt to find their offensive rhythm.