The anticipation was electric at Citi Field as No. 84, Jefry Yan, came out of the bullpen in the eighth inning Saturday afternoon. Barely two weeks since his major league debut, Yan’s big arm and unique leaping celebration captivated 34,737 fans, setting the stage for a dramatic 5-4 walk-off victory over the Washington Nationals. Yan, a left-handed reliever, has only pitched in five major league games, but his boisterous style on the mound is already a known quantity for Mets fans.
Yan’s Energy Is Contagious At Citi Field
Yan’s energy was front and center for the first time in Flushing, and it momentarily lifted the home crowd out of the team’s reality in the standings. He picked up five straight outs, including four of his signature celebrations. Three of those were well-earned with strikeouts, though one was a slight miscalculation on a ball call, proving the guy is just pure emotion. Yan exited the game with his first career win after Francisco Lindor delivered the winning RBI single in the ninth.
“I was just trying to go out there and do my best because the last couple outings that I’ve had, I’ve battled a little bit,” Yan said through an interpreter. “When I got to the mound, first and foremost, try to do my job and then once I did my job, it was time to have fun with the fans. We really enjoyed that part.” It is clear this team is embracing a new, looser style of play.
This Is What “Free And Easy” Looks Like
The Mets front office might have planted the white flag at the trade deadline on August 3, dealing away their entire bullpen backend along with two starters, Clay Holmes and Freddy Peralta, and outfielder Tyrone Taylor. But these Mets have put the blinders on to that reality. They’re playing free and easy, and it shows. With Saturday’s victory, the Mets have now won eight of their last 11 games since the trade deadline, improving their record to 55-69.
Interim manager Andy Green spoke about the team’s current mindset. “When you talk about joy, you’re not talking about everybody smiling on the field sometimes,” Green explained. “Sometimes you’re talking about like the enjoyment of getting to do this every single day, and it doesn’t always manifest in a big smile on the face but you’re excited to be on the field and at the ballpark. When you have that and you have resilience and you know it’s going to be hard at times, you embrace that, that’s foundation for winning baseball.”
In the eighth inning, with the Mets down by one run, Lindor knocked a leadoff single but was thrown out when he hesitated looking to take second on a throw in the dirt. The Mets left the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position when Jared Young struck out and Marcus Semien grounded out. But the ninth inning brought the drama. Against Clayton Better, Brett Baty drew a leadoff walk. Jorge Polanco and Francisco Alvarez, who had been a combined 0-for-6 with four strikeouts earlier, collected back-to-back hits. Alvarez delivered the game-tying RBI double to left field, and Lindor atoned for his baserunning mistake with the game-winning hit. Lindor summed it up, saying, “After that, I was just relying on the teammates. They put quality at-bats after that, we just didn’t score. In the ninth, the guys did what they”
The Mets are finding joy and resilience in unexpected places. This kind of play, battling back and celebrating every out, could be exactly what keeps this team exciting for the rest of the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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