SI

Mets Fans Credit Grimace—the McDonald's Mascot—for Team's Winning Streak

Tom Dierberger

Grimace throws out the first pitch before a game between the Mets and Marlins on June 12.
Grimace throws out the first pitch before a game between the Mets and Marlins on June 12. / SNY
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The New York Mets looked lost for the first two-plus months of the 2024 MLB season.

New York started the year 0–5 and went 9–19 in May. Edwin Diaz, the Mets' prized closer, blew four saves and was briefly demoted from his ninth-inning role, and relieverJorge Lopez was designated for assignment after getting ejected from a game and chucking his glove into the stands. Television play-by-play announcer Gary Cohen went viral about every other night for his depressing one-liners during inexcusable losses.

It was all going south until a hero wearing nothing but purple arrived to Citi Field's doorstop.

Grimace, the character from McDonald's fictional universe, McDonaldland, threw out the first pitch before the Mets' matchup against the Miami Marlins on June 12. The Mets racked up 14 hits that night and beat Miami 10–4, thus beginning the Grimace Era in New York.

New York has rattled off seven straight wins since Grimace first toed the rubber at Citi Field, beating the Marlins twice, sweeping the San Diego Padres and taking the first two contests against the defending champion Texas Rangers.

Before Grimace took the bump, the Mets were 28–37 and 3.5 games back of the third and final National League wild-card spot. After beating the Rangers 7–6 on Tuesday night for their seventh straight win, the Mets stand at 35–37—just a half-game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the third wild-card spot.

The Mets-Grimace phenomenon only grows with each win. McDonald's official account on X, formerly Twitter, now features a picture of Grimace wearing a Mets hat as its profile picture.

The Mets themselves also acknowledged the magic of Grimace on Tuesday night, posting an image of the mascot high-fiving fans while walking off Citi Field.

Following the Mets' win over the Rangers on Tuesday, fans paid tribute on social media to the beloved purple monster:

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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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