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Mets’ Luis Robert Jr. walks off Pirates with 11th inning bomb
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- Mets’ Luis Robert Jr. walks off Pirates with 11th inning bomb
Mets' Luis Robert Jr. walks off Pirates with 11th inning bomb appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
When the New York Mets acquired Luis Robert Jr. in an offseason trade with the Chicago White Sox , many fans expressed excitement for the Gold Glove defense and athleticism the Cuban center fielder could bring to the club. Following back-to-back seasons with a sub-.665 OPS, any worthwhile offensive production was seen as a bonus. Well, he is smashing those tempered expectations through the first two games of his tenure in Flushing .
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With the Mets trailing 2-1 with no outs in the bottom of the 11th inning, Robert blasted a three-run home run to catapult the team to a 2-0 record. Left-handed relief pitcher Hunter Barco threw a slider near the bottom of the zone, but that did not deter the 2023 Silver Slugger and All-Star. He gave it a ride and now has five RBIs in this season-opening series.
New York is hoping that a change of environment and uniform rejuvenates Robert. Although it is perilous to overly read into a two-game sample size, he definitely looks happy to be in New York. Judging by his recent comments , the 28-year-old was seemingly ready to leave the rebuilding White Sox and hit the reset button on his MLB career.
He possesses ample talent — that has never been the problem – but injuries and poor plate discipline have caused his numbers to crater. Players are supposed to rise above adversity, but constant losing can crush an athlete. Although the Mets are coming off their own failures, there is new energy surrounding this reshaped ballclub.
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And Luis Robert Jr. is contributing to it. He will look to keep the good vibes going in Sunday's series finale versus the Pirates.
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Related: How Bo Bichette's approach at the plate can help Mets reach World Series goals
