The New York Mets finally received an encouraging performance from Bo Bichette on Monday night, and manager Carlos Mendoza quickly showed confidence in the veteran infielder after weeks of growing criticism. Bichette helped lead New York to a 16-7 extra-inning win over the Washington Nationals, finishing with a home run, three hits, and three RBIs in one of his best games of the season.
After the game, Mendoza defended Bichette and made it clear he still believes the former All-Star can become an important piece for the Mets offensively. “I know it’s been a big topic, but at the end of the year, we’re going to look back at these seven weeks and nobody’s going to be talking about this,” Mendoza said, according to MLB.com. “He’s that good of a hitter. He’s that good of a player.”
Before the game, Bo Bichette had shown frustration with his performance, but that changed on Monday. The strong outing arrived at an important time for him, as he entered the night batting just .219 with a .570 OPS. His struggles had become a major storyline around the Mets, especially after a difficult Subway Series against the New York Yankees.
Bichette delivers much-needed breakout performance
Bichette gave the Mets an important boost in the seventh inning when he crushed a solo home run to left field against Nationals pitcher Mitchell Parker. The hit ended a long stretch without an extra-base hit and appeared to give the infielder a noticeable confidence boost at the plate.
Manager Carlos Mendoza #64 of the Mets looks on during the seventh inning. Christian Petersen/Getty Images
After the win, Bichette admitted he felt better about his recent swings even before the results finally started showing up. “I feel like I’ve had a lot of swings that have been really close lately,” Bichette said. “I was just kind of waiting for something to connect to feel good about it.”
Mendoza believes Bichette can still help Mets
Despite Bichette’s slow start, Mendoza continues to support the infielder publicly and privately. The Mets manager believes experienced hitters can eventually work through difficult stretches, especially during a long MLB season.
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Monday’s performance also helped shift attention away from Bichette’s recent struggles and reminded the Mets why they trusted him entering the season. Mendoza now hopes this game becomes the beginning of a more consistent stretch offensively.
