Yoenis Cespedes is the bat upon which the New York Mets rely most. When the Cuban outfielder is feeling it at the plate, the team can make any pitcher cower in fear. When he's struggling, however, the Mets seem like mere mortals when they step into the batter's box. On Tuesday night, the Philadelphia Phillies were stuck with the most lethal version of the outfielder, as he smashed not one, not two, but three Home Runs - all in the first five innings of a dominant victory.
Dominant night at the plate
Cespedes didn't take long to get rolling on Tuesday night.
In the top of the first inning, he came up with men on second and third base and Clay Bucholz manning the mound for the Phillies. He crushed a ball to left field, hitting his first home run while bringing home the two runs and giving the Mets a 3-0 lead in the first inning. It was a lead the team would never come remotely close to surrendering.
His second home run came in the fourth inning; new pitcher (Adam Morgan), the same result. Nobody was on when Cespedes came to the plate, but the team was already up 7-1. Once again, the Mets outfielder let one rip. As soon as he hit it, he knew it was leaving the park - he stopped to admire his work before rounding the bases for the second time in the evening.
Just an inning later, Cespedes would come back up to the plate. Morgan - who wound up giving up four home runs in relief - was still the victim, but luckily for him, there was nobody on base once again. Like clockwork, the outfielder sent the ball to the same region as the other two, boosting the Mets' lead to 9-2 and putting on a show the Philadelphia fans wouldn't soon forget.
Not all good news for the Mets
Cespedes somehow managed to add a double to his home run barrage for the night, as the Mets crushed the Phillies 14-4. The team couldn't get out of the evening unscathed, though, as their biggest concern for the season crept up in an unexpected manner once again.
Starting pitcher Matt Harvey, who is coming off a season-ending surgery last season, was forced to leave Tuesday night's game.
While covering first base on a routine grounder, Harvey pulled up limp after he tagged the base. He seemed to believe the injury wasn't serious after the game, but it did require him to leave the game, which is severe enough considering the Mets' questionable pitching health history. The team hopes he won't have to miss any time, but if he does, Cespedes looks ready to help out on the offensive end.
