Yoenis Cespedes had his best game as a Met on Friday night, and quite possibly the best game of his career, exploding for a 5-for-6 performance including a single, a double, and three home runs.
The first of those three home runs was a grand slam, and he finished the night with seven RBIs, five runs scored and a stolen base.
It was the third time this season that a Mets player had a three-homer game as Cespedes joins Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Lucas Duda.
Cespedes’ 15 total bases were the second-most in franchise history, behind only Edgardo Alfonzo who had 16 on Aug. 30, 1999.
“I’ve been feeling great all this time,” Cespedes said through an interpreter. “But it’s like any other good hitter — they find a night they can lock themselves in and they won’t miss the ball and they hit it hard.” (ESPN New York)
Cespedes actually came close to collecting his sixth hit of the game when came to bat in the top of the 9th inning, but gold glover Carlos Gonzalez ranged over to make a great play on a ball that was crushed into the gap. Edgardo Alfonzo remains the only Met to ever have a 6-hit game.
“I haven’t seen anything like that,” manager Terry Collins said about Cespedes. “He just continues to display some of the things that everybody says he can do. When you see it, you just shake your head. Now, you just can’t wait to see what he’s going to do tomorrow.”
In addition to providing stellar outfield defense, Cespedes is now hitting .297 with 23 HRs and 76 RBIs on the season. He has now hit 5 home runs as a Met, and is approaching his career high in home runs (26).
He continues to be a fantastic acquisition for the Mets, who now lead the Washington Nationals by 5.0 games. That ties them with the Cardinals for the largest division lead in the National League, and second-largest in MLB behind the Royals.
