Lindor fights through flu to spark Mets' comeback win

Francisco Lindor drove in the winning runs for the Mets in Thursday's come-from-behind win over the Cubs, but he wasn't supposed to be playing.

After being ill for days, Lindor left Wednesday's game early after feeling like he was "going to throw up ... or do No. 2 at shortstop," he said, per MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.

Despite spending most of Wednesday night sick, Lindor begged manager Carlos Mendoza to play. Instead, Mendoza said he'd come off the bench.

"I'll give you the first four or five innings off because I know you're going to come up big," Mendoza told Lindor.

The shortstop's first heroics came in the sixth inning when he smacked a double into the right field corner that cut the Cubs' lead to 5-4.

(Video source: MLB.com)

Then, with the Mets trailing 6-5 in the 11th inning, Lindor hit a game-winning two-run double.

(Video source: MLB.com)

"When you have a player like that who's dealing with an illness, it's just super uncomfortable," Mets outfielder Starling Marte said. "For him to be able to come through and have two big hits in that game in the moments where we needed it, it was really special."

Lindor helped the Mets salvage a series split with the Cubs and lift their record above .500 at 16-15.

New York kicks off a three-game set with the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.