Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets celebrated Bobby Bonilla Day in the best way possible by beating the Rangers on Friday, thanks to a starring role from Eduardo Escobar.

July 1 is a big day in Mets land every single year given that it is the day Bonilla has collected a $1,193,248.20 check from the Mets since 2011, and he will continue to do so through 2035. It is a day fully celebrated in sports every year and it has even been fully embraced by owner Steve Cohen.

July 1 also proved to be a big day for Escobar who literally wiped the slate clean and turned the page after what was a tough June. From June 12 until Friday night, the veteran had a slash line of .093/.128/.163 and he had managed just four hits in that span.

However, with one violent swing of the bat, Escobar began a new month by righting some of his wrongs from June with a clutch hit that proved so crucial in a game the Mets badly needed. With two outs and men on second and third in the bottom of the fourth, Escobar launched an absolute moonshot of a home run that travelled 417 ft. with a 106.5 MPH exit velocity.

Escobar’s three-run homer gave the Mets a lead they were able to hang on to, sealing a big W in the process and also ensuring that the 33-year-old began the month of July with a new mentality at the plate.

“I said (Friday morning), ‘It’s the start of a new month and the new season starts today,'” Escobar said. “So I’m feeling — start hitting more.”

The way Escobar was able to put his recent struggles behind him to launch what was a game-defining, momentum-shifting hit in the fourth tells you everything you need to know about the veteran’s makeup. It served as solid proof that his daily grind was always going to lead to good results.

“I still work as the same,” Escobar said. “And I think it’s everything more when you’re thinking too much. Be coming here, working hard and everything every day, watch my video, everything. Today, it’s ‘Go and have fun.’ That’s the most important part. Have fun, control yourself — you control working hard every day. It’s what I do my whole career — come into the field, respect the game, working hard, play hard.”

You could tell Escobar had a lot of fun Friday night. Now slashing .223/.283/.386 with seven home runs and 33 RBI through 70 games, the third baseman showed what he’s capable of in big moments and the Mets will hope that serves as a spark for both Escobar and the team overall heading into the All-Star break.

Having dropped three straight for the first time all season prior to Friday, and having sat Escobar against the Astros on Wednesday, Mets manager Buck Showalter understood better than most the importance of the veteran’s ability to come up clutch against Texas.

“I think it’s more mental, emotional,” Showalter said. “Nobody cares more than Eduardo does — almost to a fault — and it’s well documented what kind of human being he is. It felt like 25 other guys hit the home run with him. That’s how much guys kind of revel in whatever he does.

“But we know there’s potential for him to get stuff like that going in an extended period of time. I’ve talked a lot of times — sooner or later, guys kind of chase their track record. And we hope this is the start of it. We needed it (on Friday), obviously.”