NEW YORK ¨C It¡¯s Wednesday afternoon. Same scenario as Monday night.

Orioles right-hander Seranthony Dom¨ªnguez was on the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning with the game tied at 3. This time it wasn¡¯t Francisco Alvarez hitting the game-winning homer, though. It was Jesse Winker in an emphatic 4-3 victory at Citi Field, and the outfielder might have done what appeared impossible -- one-upping Alvarez's epic celebration.

After the ball landed in the left-center-field seats, Winker paused in front of the home dugout and let out a roar, chucking his helmet at the ground before shedding his elbow guard at first base.

¡°I thought it was maybe a line drive, maybe a double, but that thing just kept on going,¡± manager Carlos Mendoza said. ¡°Big swing for us, for him. We needed it.¡±

It was an outpouring of emotion that matched the crowd's energy after an important series victory over an American League playoff contender.

But Winker wasn't quite finished with his memorable trip around the bases. As he rounded third, Winker pointed at his teammates like a choreographer, telling them to part the way for him as he reached home.

The first Met to greet him was Francisco Lindor, his childhood friend during their travel ball days in Florida, and then Winker went down the line high-fiving his teammates before finally stomping on the plate. It was the Mets¡¯ first pinch-hit walk-off home run since Amed Rosario did the trick against the Yankees on Aug. 28, 2020.

¡°On a personal level, it¡¯s one of my favorite things I¡¯ve ever done.¡± Winker said.

Lindor is not surprised that his boyhood friend came through in the clutch. Winker was getting similar hits when the two were travel ball teammates and opponents in high school.

¡°He is like he is right now ¨C goofy and he can hit,¡± said Lindor, who smacked a homer of his own on Wednesday to reach the 25-25 plateau. ¡°He is an amazing guy. He works really hard at his craft. I¡¯m not shocked by the success he is having. To be locked in and prepared to face a guy like Dom¨ªnguez who throws 99 to 100 [miles per hour] and takes him deep the other way is impressive.¡±

Winker was looking to hit only a single so he could be sent home by Lindor.

¡°I was trying to make Dom¨ªnguez¡¯s job hard, but then, as the at-bat went on, he missed on a couple of fastballs and a slider,¡± Winker said. ¡°It went to 3-2 and [I] just barreled it up. The whole time, it was crazy. I was thinking about getting on first. You hit a ball out, it was crazy.¡±

After the ball went over the fence, Winker said he blacked out.

¡°I was just happy,¡± he said. ¡°I have no other answer than that. It was a whole blackout moment for me. You just want to help any way you can. I was just really happy.¡±

Imagine how the Mets fans reacted to the homer. Winker has had a relationship with them dating back to his second full season with the Reds in 2019. He was known to sarcastically wave at them whenever he made a great catch in the outfield or hit a home run. New York fans now have Winker on their side while he helps the Mets during their playoff push. He has already made an impact on the team.

¡°It¡¯s a lot better having them behind you than the other way,¡± Winker said about the fans. ¡°I will always say this: I have a ton of respect for the Mets fans. I have [that respect] since 2019. It¡¯s cool having their support. We are going to need them. They travel well, too. That¡¯s another thing. It¡¯s a blessing to be here. It¡¯s an honor.¡±

The game was tied at 3 when the left-handed Winker swung at a 3-2 pitch and hit the ball to the opposite field for his first homer as a member of the Mets. New York took two out of three games and now goes to San Diego to face the Padres for four games.

Winker¡¯s game-winner overshadowed the performance of Mets left-hander Sean Manaea, who overpowered Baltimore throughout the game. He retired the first 17 batters he faced until he hit Jackson Holliday with a pitch with two outs in the sixth inning. Manaea then allowed his first hit of the game, a two-run homer off the bat of Austin Slater to tie the score at 2.

Manaea ended up with a no-decision, and he was in the trainer¡¯s room when Winker hit the walk-off homer.

¡°Elation. [The Orioles] are a very good team over there. To walk off like that is really cool,¡± Manaea said.