On a cold and windy day at Citi Field, Luis Robert Jr. sent New York Mets fans home happy, hitting a walk-off three-run home run on Saturday’s 4-2 opening series clinching win against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the bottom of the 11th inning, finally ending a 3-hour, 22-minute game.
Mets’ Hidden ‘Advantage’ Comes to Light with Luis Robert Jr.’s Walk-Off
With one swing in the 11th inning, Robert sent a ball deep into left-center field — and Mets fans into a frenzy.
Facing Pirates left-hander Hunter Barco, Robert jumped on a slider and drove it out for the walk-off, capping a game that had just been scoreless entering extra innings.
But the real story started one batter before.
New Mets first baseman Jorge Polanco worked a six-pitch walk — his third of the game — forcing Barco to show more of his arsenal before Robert ever stepped in the box. That, Robert said, made all the difference.
“It gives me an advantage because I’m able to see all the pitches that pitcher has,” Robert said. “I also know that pitcher is working really hard to try to get him out, and he’s starting to exert more energy.”
WELCOME TO THE NEW YORK METS, LUIS!!! pic.twitter.com/kSJOou0hhu
— New York Mets (@Mets) March 28, 2026
Grinding It Out
Before that third walk, Robert even joked with Polanco in the dugout, asking how many walks he planned to draw this season. Through just two games, Polanco already has five — an early trend that, while unsustainable, shows his ability to grind out at-bats.
For Robert, acquired in a trade with the Chicago White Sox over the winter, it ties into a bigger focus this season.
“The one thing that great players have is knowing how to select the proper pitches to swing at,” he said. “For me to be able to go back to being the player that I was and the player that I know I’m capable of being is going to be a big part of my game.”
On this night, that approach showed up at the perfect time — turning one swing into a moment the Mets won’t soon forget.
“I faced him a lot in spring [training], and I was getting real tired of facing him,” said David Peterson, who started the game for the Mets and pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings. “It was nice to see him do that from the dugout. He’s been dialed in since he got here and it’s been a lot of fun to watch and get to know him.”
Despite it being just game two of 162, this was a special moment for Robert.
“It’s real special. I don’t think I’ve hit a walk-off home run since 2020, so to be able to do it here [at Citi Field], these last two games have really been special.”
Main Photo Credit: © Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
