Yoenis Cespedes failed to make an impact in his New York Mets debut, but his presence in the middle of the lineup inspired a massive performance from one of his teammates.
Cespedes, hitting third in manager Terry Collins' lineup, went 0-for-3 with a strikeout and was intentionally walked in the eighth inning with a runner in scoring position. The outfielder did, however, provide protection for cleanup hitter Lucas Duda, who went 3-for-3 with two home runs and three RBIs in New York's 3-2 victory over the Washington Nationals.
"It's sure nice to have him (Cespedes) in our lineup," Duda said postgame. "That's for sure."
Related: Duda continues torrid home-run pace with 2 bombs vs. Nationals
Cespedes, who was acquired Friday from the Detroit Tigers for two minor-league pitchers, received a warm ovation from the Citi Field faithful prior to his first at-bat.
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
The Mets announced a crowd of 42,996, which is a sellout and the second-largest attendance figure in stadium history next to Opening Day in April.
"The stadium was just how I like to play," Cespedes said through an interpreter. "It was full. It was full of energy, a lot of screaming fans so I enjoyed that."