FLUSHING, NY — Mark Vientos. Cool. Calm. And Collective.
Hours before the first installment of the Subway Series opening up on Tuesday night at Citi Field, a matchup that many view as a New Yorker’s Super Bowl, Mets third baseman Mark Vientos went through his cool, calm, and collective pre-game routine.
The 24-year-old Vientos, a Florida native, of Dominican heritage, who grew up a Mets fan, went onto smack two home runs off of the reigning American League Cy Young award winner, Gerrit Cole — one in the second inning, and another in the fourth, which helped lead the Mets to a 9-7 victory, their 38th on the year, 38-39 overall.
Mark Vientos watches his towering home run fly into Citi Field’s left field seats – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
So, what was the mindset leading up to the daunting matchup against Cole, one of the best in the game?
“Just treating it like every other pitcher, not really thinking too much of it,” said a motivated Vientos in a one-on-one interview following the Mets’ batting practice session on-the-field. “When you think too much of it, you make it more complicated. It’s just another pitcher, and another game to prepare for.”
Just another game to prepare for, yet one of this magnitude must bring out a different sort of emotion, a feeling that professional athletes seek out for, and enjoy once it’s in front of them…
“The best, it’s the best feeling,” Vientos noted on the thrill of the Subway Series. “Honestly just going out there and getting the experience of playing in something like this is… not a lot of people can do it. So, I’m just gonna go out there and have fun.”
Lights, Camera, Action: Mark Vientos poses in celebration after his home run on Tuesday night against Gerrit Cole in the Subway Series at Citi Field – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
“Have fun,” is one way to put it. In front of a sellout crowd of 42,824, split between pinstripes and orange and blue apparel, Vientos became just the 12th Met in franchise history to record a multi-home run game against the crosstown rival Yankees, and in the process, raised his season OPS from .870 to .925.
He also tied Yoenis Céspedes for a franchise record of homering in three consecutive at-bats, dating back to his final at-bat this past Sunday, June 23rd, which came against Chicago Cubs reliever Tyson Miller — Céspedes accomplished the same incredible feat on August 21st, 2015 (@ Colorado Rockies).
Carlos Mendoza greets Mark Vientos at the top step of the Mets dugout following his second inning blast – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
“We know that every time he puts the barrel on the baseball, he can do some damage,” stated Mets manager Carlos Mendoza of Vientos in the postgame. “We saw it tonight.”
Vientos added: “Doing it in the Subway Series is sick.”
Robert Rizzo is a journalist and editor of Latino Sports – Email: RobertRiz994@gmail.com
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