In yesterday’s 4-3 victory over the Marlins, David Wright delivered the biggest hit of the game. Wright blasted a RBI double over the head of center fielder Christian Yelich, to break the game’s tie 3-3 and give the Mets the lead. It was his second double of the game and his ninth RBI of the season.
“It was nice to come through, and it’s nice to feel a little more comfortable in the [batter’s] box and contribute,” Wright said. “I think that’s the biggest thing, and the thing that everybody in here wants to do is be part of this run and be part of this year. Just being able to contribute and be a part of this special thing is very cool.” (Kieran, Darcy, ESPN NY)
Terry Collins said that getting the game winning hit last night was huge for Wright who has battled all year to get back onto the field.
“It’s huge, not only for us, but for David,” Collins said of Wright’s game-winning hit. “If you had talked to David Wright in the month of May — late May, early June — the frustration in his voice, not knowing what kind of player he was going to be, if this was an injury that was going to keep him from being able to play at all this year, to coming back and being a big part of what’s going on right now and helping us, it’s huge.”
In 24 games this season, Wright is now batting .294 with a .775 OPS in 102 at-bats. While these numbers aren’t quite like the ones we are used to seeing from Wright, the Mets have absolutely benefited from his return to the lineup. He’s come through in several big spots since returning, and he’s added a much needed veteran presence to the lineup.
Yesterday’s hit was the second time in two weeks that Wright has drove in a go ahead run in a big game. In last Monday’s matchup against the Nationals, Wright hit a RBI single up the middle to give the Mets the lead over their division rivals in a game they would eventually win 8-5.
Wright says that the strength of the lineup has now taken the pressure off and it has allowed everyone to not try to do too much.
“I think that’s the great thing about this team that we have here is that, top to bottom, just do your job,” Wright said. “We’ve got guys capable of putting an offense on their back at times, but up and down the lineup we’re solid. We can stretch out the lineup and have dangerous hitters throughout.”
“It’s nice to be in a lineup where it’s not just one or two or three guys you have to rely on to get the job done, where if they don’t it’s almost a punch to the gut,” said Wright. “We’ve got plenty of guys that can get the job done here and that’s a good feeling to be part of that type of lineup.”
The Mets have now scored the most runs in the MLB since the All-Star Break thanks in particular to the contributions of Yoenis Cespedes and Travis d’Arnaud, but the return of the team’s captain has also played a major role in the offense’s remarkable turnaround.
