Carlos Mendoza's explanation for controversial Game 3 lineup decision really doesn't add up

It's been tough to find too many reasons to criticize Carlos Mendoza amid the New York Mets' magical run to the NLCS. He's pushed the right bullpen buttons, his players clearly play hard for him and he's kept the faith despite all manner of seemingly impossible situations over the last couple of weeks. Now, after emphatically taking Game 2 on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers, his team heads back home with a golden opportunity to earn its first trip to the World Series since 2015.

That is, if Mendoza doesn't get in his own way first. At the worst possible moment, the manager has thrown a curveball, changing up the lineup that's worked so well for New York so far in October. And as if that weren't confusing enough, his explanation for the decision suggests that he might not have his finger as firmly on the pulse of his club as we thought.

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Carlos Mendoza offers bizarre explanation for J.D. Martinez's inclusion Mets' Game 3 lineup

J.D. Martinez will be in New York's lineup for Game 3, serving as the designated hitter and batting sixth. This despite the fact that Martinez is slugging a measly .286 in six games so far this postseason, and despite the fact that his replacement, Jesse Winker, has been scorching hot in his stead, and despite the fact that Martinez has hit lefties far better than he has righties — which would seem to make him a bad fit in a game featuring a right-handed starting pitcher in Walker Buehler and a Dodgers bullpen featuring just one low-leverage lefty.

In the face of all that evidence, Martinez remains Mendoza's guy, for ... well, we're still not exactly sure why, even after hearing Mendoza's explanation.

For starters, while it's true that Buehler has "fairly neutral" platoon splits, it's also true Martinez (.683 OPS against righties this year vs. .836 against lefties) and Winker (.788 against righties vs. .674 against lefties) very much do not. Winker has been mashing right-handed pitching all October long, and that wouldn't seem to be affected very much by which particular righty is on the mound — particularly one who's struggled overall as much as Buehler has.

And that's not even getting to the second part of Mendoza's argument, the idea that Martinez is too important to the Mets lineup to let sit on the bench gathering rust. New York has gotten this far without getting much of anything from its veteran DH, and the playoffs are not the time for long leashes and patience; the only thing that matters is the next game, and whichever players might give you the best chance to win. On this day, and in this moment, that's inarguably Winker, and burning a game in order to try and get Martinez going wastes a chance the Mets can't afford to squander.