Despite entering Sunday night’s game in a 1-for-19 slump, David Wright delivered the first blow against the Cubs’ ace Jake Arrieta. Wright crushed a double to centerfield over the head of Dexter Fowler that scored Curtis Granderson all the way from first base.
The double ignited the Mets first inning outburst off Arrieta, who did not allow a run during in the first inning over his previous 25 starts.
“Yeah, it felt nice,” The Mets captain said. “I’ve said all along I’ve had some poor at bats and some good at bats where you have nothing to show for it. But through all of it, you try to grind it out and you try to do some other things, if you’re not swinging the bat that well. So it’s nice to be able to come out and contribute early, especially off a guy that’s probably the frontrunner for the Cy Young.”
“It’s huge,” Terry Collins explained. “He’s so important to the club. I told you we had a little laugh last night when I asked him how he was feeling physically and he said he was fine, and he said, “Outside of the fact that I suck right now, I’m doing good.” But that’s the mentality.”
Even though Wright only has two hits this postseason, both have come in huge situations. Wright drove in the winning run in Game 1 against the Dodgers with a RBI single during the 7th inning. He turned on a 99 MPH fastball from Pedro Baez and belted it up the middle with two outs and the bases loaded.
Hopefully, his clutch RBI double last night is a sign that he’s ready to break out very soon. He’s batting just .087 in the playoffs, but he also went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts during his final three at bats yesterday.
However, Wright is one of the best hitters in franchise history, so it’s only a matter of time before he figures it out. After returning from the disabled list late in season, he still preformed at a high level with a .289 average and five home runs during 38 games.
“We need his presence in the lineup,’ Collins said. “He’s still dangerous, and every time he walks in that batter’s box, you just feel good like he’s going to get something good to hit, and hit it over the fence or against the fence. That leadership, you’ve got to have it on the field.”
