You almost just expected it to happen. A man on base, the Mets trailing by one run, Yoenis Cespedes at the plate. You almost knew he would come through and provide the go-ahead homer.
In what has become a given it seems this year, Cespedes provided another big blast, a two-run shot that gave the Mets a lead in their 5-3 victory over the Reds Tuesday night. A lead they would never surrender. Manager, Terry Collins was not surprised at all with what a player of Cespedes’ caliber delivered.
“They come through when you need them,” Collins said. “That’s why they get paid.” (NY Post)
The homer was Cespedes’ 28th of the season and came at a time in the game when his team needed it most. Over his last 15 games, Cespedes has hit to a .321/.397/.679 slash line to go alone with six homers and 11 RBI. La Potencia has continued to be the player this team so desperately needs down the stretch. The current way the team has been playing has reminded him of 2015.
“I said it back in New York,” Cespedes said. “This feels like what we did last year.”
If he continues on the pace he is currently on, he again will carry the Mets into the postseason. The team continues to keep pace with the Cardinals and Giants, sitting just one game back behind St. Louis for the second Wild Card spot.
Cespedes has had a great season in his first full one as a Met. Overall on the year he has hit to a .293/.366/.564 slash line with 28 homers and 70 RBI. Of course with each homer and game-winning hit, it seems to more solidify the fact that he will opt-out after the season with a weak free agent class in his path. For now though, lets enjoy it while we have it as we may never see another player on this team as exciting and clutch as Cespedes for a long time.
