Brett Baty faced a pivotal moment in Wednesday’s matchup against the Royals, stepping up to the plate in the eighth inning with the bases loaded and two outs. The Mets held a slim 2-1 lead, a precarious situation that demanded additional runs. Despite struggling earlier in the game with an 0-for-3 showing, Baty was determined to keep his hitting streak alive. Down 1-2 in the count against Royals’ right-hander Alex Lange, Baty turned the tide by connecting on a changeup that caught too much of the plate, driving in two crucial runs with a single.
“It was huge,” Baty reflected after the Mets secured a 6-2 victory. “It was awesome to come through in a big spot like that.” The hit not only added to the scoreboard but also extended Baty’s hitting streak to a career-high eight games.
While Baty’s season has not unfolded as he or the Mets had envisioned, with a batting average of .218 and a .603 OPS, he has contributed defensively by adapting to multiple positions, some of which were new to him this year. However, during this hitting streak, he has shown signs of improvement, batting .300 (9-for-30) with four doubles and four RBI.
Interim manager Andy Green praised Baty’s progress, noting, “Coaching staff is doing a nice job with him right now. There’s much more action to the pull side with him right now than it was for the majority of the season.” Green emphasized that Baty’s approach at the plate has evolved, allowing him to swing freely without altering his natural game. “He’s maintaining aggression. Really encouraged with that,” Green added.
When asked about his approach during this successful stretch, Baty credited his focus on simplicity. “My pregame work is really good right now. Trying to just clear my head and trying to hit balls hard,” he explained. “I’ve always been good at that. And the first part of this year, I was terrible at it. Just trying to hit balls hard again.”
With key players like Jorge Polanco and Francisco Lindor returning from injury, Baty is optimistic about the Mets’ offensive capabilities, especially following a five-run eighth inning. The team has now scored six or more runs in four consecutive games, posting a 3-1 record during this stretch. “This whole season, we’ve known what we could do as an offense. It’s just about going out there and doing it every single night,” Baty said. “We got guys that specialize in getting on base, scrappy at-bats, and we got guys that can put it in the seats too. It’s a complete lineup when we’re firing on all cylinders.”
Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.
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