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Clutch Lindor buckles down under pressure
- Updated: June 3, 2016
CLEVELAND — Francisco Lindor usually has a song running through his head when he walks to the plate. Especially when the pressure is mounting on the field, the lyrics and beat that flow in his mind serve as a distraction for the Indians shortstop.
As Lindor walked to the batter’s box in the ninth inning of Thursday’s 5-4 walk-off win over the Royals, the internal tune of the night — “Space Jam” by the Quad City DJ’s — disappeared on him. With the Progressive Field crowd buzzing, and the game-tying run on third base, Lindor had something else consuming his mind.
“Brantley’s voice,” Lindor said with a laugh.
An inning before Lindor’s ninth-inning heroics, which set off the second walk-off celebration in as many nights, the shortstop was chatting with outfielder Michael Brantley. The young shortstop had been dealing with a minor slump of late, going without a hit in a dozen at-bats heading into this series with Kansas City. As Lindor prepared for his ninth-inning plate appearance, his drought included only two hits within a stretch of 19 at-bats.
Brantley — one of Cleveland’s most reliable and consistent hitters when healthy — offered some advice to Lindor.
“He was like, ‘You can’t go to the plate thinking, “I’ve got to get a hit,”‘” Lindor said. “‘Think about making hard contact. If you make hard …
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