By Rich Mancuso/Sports Editor
You can say this is expected with the New York Mets and their season of 2017. The come from behind wins have been few and that was the situation again Monday night at Citi Field in a 6-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. And this was an opportunity to get a win with Yoenis Cespedes at bat in the Mets ninth inning.
And again Yoenis Cespedes did not deliver in the ninth inning. Two men on, one out, and a chance for the Mets to get that come from behind game tying run or win. He took three balls that were high and outside from Brett Cecil and then went with the 92-mile fastball.
Cespedes and his four-year $110 million contract did not deliver. He pulled the pitch to the left side and it was a game ending double-play. Now 7-for his last 37 at bats, that is what Yoenis Cespedes ended the night with and that is not what should be expected.
A healthy Cespedes in the lineup and the Mets may have had a comeback win, and even though this loss added to their very slim playoff hopes, you expect more from the player who was purchased to deliver. The slump is one thing, Cespedes; health could be another.
However, we may never know what the real issue is. Cespedes once again bolted from the clubhouse before the media could get to him and the explanation was, he left early to be with his family. This was Cespedes once again not delivering to the media and more should be expected from the highest paid player on the Mets roster.
And no explanation from one of the high profiled players in this town, well that deserves an explanation, however in his two and a half years in New York, this has become to be expected from Yoenis Cespedes.
He is no David Wright in that Mets clubhouse who is deeply missed. Heck, Yoenis Cespedes does not top the controversial moments of Alex Rodriguez in that crosstown Yankees clubhouse Because when it got tough for A-Rod, the one-time most lucrative athlete in New York, he faced the music and answered the questions.
Instead, manager Terry Collins did the talking and whether or not the Mets have that mindset that they are still believers, you would like to hear what the answer is from Yoenis Cespedes.
“It’s got to be his pitch,” said Collins about the 3-0 pitch. “He’s the home run hitter. He’s the guy on our team that you turn to, and you’ve got him in a great count that he’s got to get something great to hit. He just didn’t hit it.”
Maybe two years ago, Cespedes would have hit it to deep left and Mets fans go home happy. Or, he takes the next pitch and works the count that works into a bases loaded walk. But not this time, or this year because it is obvious that there is something wrong with the swing or with his mindset.
There is no answer from this lucrative athlete who once had a lovefest with Mets fans. But this time as they exited Citi Field, disappointed again, all you could hear were boos as Yoenis Cespedes left the field and went into the dugout.
He rushed to get dressed and met his family and there was no explanation. Mets fans and the media deserved some type of explanation about the 3-0 pitch and his failure to get the job done. In the meantime, Zack Wheeler gave his opinion of 5.1 innings and his shutout before the Cardinals erupted for the first of four runs in the sixth inning.
“It was my fault,” he said. “I should have made my pitches. Our bullpen, I trust them in every situation. Today, we just couldn’t get the job done when we needed to.”
But Yoenis Cespedes could not offer his explanation. That is unacceptable and one too many of those missing in action post game situations for the ballplayer that is doing it the wrong way in a city that deserves answers.
Then again, this was another loss in a season that has a simple answer for the Mets. This has become that slogan of not being their season and more so for Yoenis Cespedes in many ways.
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