While the Mets’ offense was stymied by Kenta Maeda and the Dodgers’ bullpen, Juan Lagares provided the only spark with a pinch hit solo home run against reliever J.P. Howell during the 8th inning.
It was Lagares’ second homerun of the season, and he’s now hit one in consecutive games.
Overall, he’s batting .310 with an OPS of .803 during 74 plate appearances this season.
It’s encouraging progress for Lagares, who disappointed last season after signing a 4 year, $23 million dollar extension. He batted .259/.289/.358 with six homeruns in 465 plate appearances in 2015, and his defense in the outfield noticeably declined.
His Ultimate Zone Rating dropped from 18.5 in 2014 to 3.5 last year according to Fangraphs.
But he seems to be adjusting well to his role as the team’s fourth outfielder. His excellence on defense appears to have returned, and the power he’s flashed the last two days shows he can be a valuable bat off the bench. He’s become a formidable weapon for the Mets against left-handed pitching.
