Bassitt dominates in Home Opener, Mets Surge on Offense

📸 Photo Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports

Flushing, New York – On Friday afternoon, the New York Mets hosted Ketel Marte and the Arizona Diamondbacks for their home-opener at Citi Field. To keep it short, Citi Field was sold out with approximately 43,820 fans packed to the brim; the stadium was a madhouse. The spectacular views, the flavoring ballpark scent and sudden crowd eruptions is what baseball is all about. Fans were exhilarated to be back in the ballpark. 

Each year on April 15th, MLB commemorates the heroic and courageous actions taken by Jackie Robinson in breaking the color barrier across baseball in 1947. For this season, it just so happened the Mets home opener and Jackie Robinson Day coincided with each other.

To add to the Opening Day festivities, the New York Mets unveiled the Tom Seaver Statue located outside of Citi Field. Thousands of fans drove in early to be there in person to see the Mets honor Tom “Terrific” Seaver. He earned the famous nickname due to his legendary pitching demeanor. Seaver is the Mets franchise leader in wins, strikeouts and complete games. 

Past Latino Sports Award Winners Showcase their Power

Former Latino Sports Award winners, Robinson Canó and Francisco Lindor carried the Mets by a final score of 10-3 over the Diamondbacks on Friday afternoon. Canó jacked a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the fourth inning. Canó was voted the Latino Sports American League MVP in 2011. Next inning in the bottom of the fifth, Lindor delivered a two-run homer on a 3-2 count into the Coca-Cola Corner. Back in 2016 with the Cleveland Indians, Francisco Lindor was awarded the Latino Sports AL Most Valuable Player.

Manager Buck Showalter expressed his thoughts on Lindor’s spectacular day in front of the Mets crowd: “Our fans, they’re waiting to embrace him and he gave them something to embrace him about. He hasn’t been talking once about what he’s going to do this year and everything is going to be.” 

Chris Bassitt’s Dominance on the Mound

In his second start in a Mets uniform, Bassitt has been everything you could ask for from a top starting caliber pitcher. On Friday against the D-Backs, he pitched six total innings with just two hits allowed, one earned run and six strikeouts. Mets fans applauded Bassitt with a standing ovation as his day came to an end. In Bassitt’s first two games pitched on the season, he has given up only five hits and 14 strikeouts in 12 innings pitched. 

Even on days, Bassitt is not pitching, he is fully engaged in the dugout by teaching and providing feedback to his fellow teammates. Bassitt was shown giving pointers to pitcher, Tylor Megill on the team’s iPad during this past Tuesday’s matchup against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. 

Starling Marte and Lindor go Back-to-Back in the 8th inning

The Mets offense made this game unbearable for the D-Backs pitching. With a 6-1 score entering the bottom of the 8th inning, Starling Marte smashed a 3-run home run scoring Travis Jankowski and J.D. Davis. Starling Marte has bloomed excellently with his new team in New York. Marte has a .286 on base percentage with 6 hits and 5 runs batted in. Following Marte in the batting order, Lindor added to his day with a rocket to the left field corner for a solo home run. On the day, Lindor hit a home run from each side of the plate. 

In regards to Lindor and his new teammates, Showalter emphasized post-game, “He’s got some people here that share the way he plays the game.” 

Player to Watch: Eduardo Escobar – Villa de Cura, Venezuela

Escobar signed with the Mets over the offseason in November of 2021 before the well-known lockout took place. Last season, he played with the Arizona Diamondbacks before being dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers around the time of the trade deadline. Escobar contains a complex blend of defensive durability and offensive firepower. In Friday’s matchup against the D-Backs, Escobar went 1-5 with an RBI double. 

New York will continue their seven-game homestand with two more against the D-Backs, followed by a four-game series against the San Francisco Giants next week.

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