In last night’s victory over the Dodgers, Curtis Granderson had an incredible night at the plate. He crushed a key bases clearing double in the second inning that gave the Mets an early 4-3 lead, and he also doubled again in the 7th to drive in two insurance runs.
“I was able to get a pitch up in the zone,” Granderson said. “But the guys getting on base ahead of me did an amazing job over the course of the game, especially in that inning after we got down 3-0, partly because of my error there. But guys got on there and continued to keep their heads held high and we were able to bring runners across.”
Granderson, who has been excellent all season, has carried over his impressive production into the playoffs. He’s hitting .545 in 11 postseason at-bats, and his five RBI last night ties a franchise record.
Only three other Mets have ever driven in five or more RBI in a single postseason game. The last to do so was Carlos Delgado in game four of the 2006 NLCS.
“This guy is the same way everyday,” Terry Collins said. “He doesn’t look for headlines. He just loves to play. He has led the way most of the season. When he walks up there, he is dangerous.”
During 157 games this year, Granderson batted .259 with 26 home runs and 70 RBI. He’s arguably the team’s unsung hero in 2015 as he played at a high level for the entire season.
However, he wasn’t the only hero last night.
Granderson, along with Yoenis Cespedes and Travis d’Arnaud became the first three players in Mets history to all have three or more RBI in a single playoffs game. The last time any team accomplished this was ten years ago when Scott Podsednik, A.J. Pierzynski and Juan Uribe of the World Series Champion White Sox did so against Boston in the ALDS.
“The big thing is continuing to believe in each other,” Granderson said about the total team effort. “We understand the ability that’s there. It’s just a matter of being able to execute it when you want to. And understanding that the effort level continues to remain high.”
This is one of the reasons why the Mets are such a dangerous team in the playoffs. With players like Granderson, Cespedes and d’Arnaud, the entire lineup is stacked with very good hitters who can all do a lot of damage.
