Yoenis Céspedes' grand slam was cathartic for everyone

by Nick Giacone April 19, 2018

And now...breeeeeathe.

Yo's monster slam caps our comeback against Washington #MetsWin

RECAP: https://t.co/MTjoSB4S8r pic.twitter.com/YEk4w8FE83
— New York Mets (@Mets) April 19, 2018

Yes, it’s early in the season. Yes, the Mets were already winning when it happened. And yes, had New York lost, they still would have been in first place in the NL East. However, Wednesday night felt like a “must-win." Even after the Mets took the lead, no one in Flushing was breathing easy, especially after what we had witnessed two nights before. Mets fans needed someone to break it open.

Enter Yoenis Céspedes’ grand slam.

Not only did it seal the victory, Yo's bomb taught Mets fans a lesson worth remembering this season: Don't panic over a couple of losses. Not with this team.

It also might have also rescued Yo's ailing bat. Céspedes has been off to a dreary start, which has yielded some alarming strikeout numbers and a batting average that’s hovering right around the Mendoza Line, both uncharacteristic of him. But Wednesday’s thunderous nine-run 8th inning may have gotten him off the snide. He started the madness by getting on base with a single, and capped it off with his monumental bases-loaded dinger. It’s exactly the performance a slumping player needs in order to do an about-face.

Céspedes' grand slam reminded us that this Mets team is special. Their performance in the first two games of the series may have invoked feelings of past Mets horror, but Wednesday’s game put out the fire. And when Céspedes iced it, it reassured us that everything’s going to be okay, including our All Star left fielder's swing.

On behalf of all Mets fans: Thank you, Yo. Everything is back to normal.

Photo credits: Jim McIsaac-Getty Images
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