Jeff McNeil finally displayed a glimpse of his vintage self on Friday night at Citi Field.
The two-time All-Star and 2022 Silver Slugger had a breakthrough against the Astros, highlighted by a three-run home run in the sixth inning to give the Mets a 6-2 lead in their 7-2 victory — their fourth straight.
“He needed that,” manager Carlos Mendoza said after the win. “I think for him after going through a pretty tough stretch here, you know, but I’ve been saying that I like the at-bats as of late. And today, finally getting results with obviously the three-run homer there. Huge. Credit to him.”
“I thought it was going down in the corner,” McNeil said of his home run. “I knew it was extra bases, for sure, and, you know, no better feeling once that ball got in the first row.”
McNeil, who has had a terrible season at the plate with a .595 OPS, went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs.
It was his first three-hit game since May 7, and third of the season. His home run was his first since May 22.
The outing built upon his last four games that saw strong line drives against the Cubs and he carried over to go 2-for-4 with two runs scored in the Mets’ 9-7 Subway Series win over the Yankees on Tuesday after going hitless in his previous 15 at-bats.
“It’s been a tough year for me. I haven’t been happy with how I’ve been playing,” McNeil said. “It’s been frustrating for me because I haven’t really been able to kind of pinpoint exactly what was different in my swing, but I’ve been working really hard the last week or so. Some people told me some things that really clicked. … I’m feeling like myself again and hopefully I can get that confidence back and ride it out the rest of the year.”
Mendoza couldn’t pinpoint one specific thing that caused McNeil’s bat to come alive, only that he’s “tried everything” and that something must have finally clicked.
“Finally, the last four or five games, there’s better swings, better takes. He’s seen a lot of line drives, using the whole field and obviously today with the pull homer on the [first base] line,” the manager said. “So, good hitter, they make adjustments and now [it’s] good to see him getting results.”
The homer — his fourth of the season — also made up for what was an awkward start to the game.
In his first at-bat, McNeil hit a pop up toward third base that both Astros’ third baseman Alex Bregman and shortstop Jeremy Pena let drop in between them after seemingly no communication while Pena was mic’d up for the Apple TV+ broadcast.
After making it safely to first base, McNeil ruined the string of luck by overstepping first base, ending up in a pickle between second and was eventually tagged out.
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