It was quite a shot for a pinch-hitter, especially for a fresh face against a veteran. Beltran hadn't hit a home run in 82 at-bats when that shot landed in the bleachers during Saturday's sixth inning, his longest homerless drought of his Mets career.
Like any player with a few years in the league, Beltran said he started to overthink each at-bat.
"Probably a 2-2 count," Beltran said he speculated while at the plate. "They might throw me a slider."
"Right now, I see in him, that he's not thinking about anything," Beltran said of Murphy. "He's having fun, and good things are happening for him."
While that might be true, because manager Jerry Manuel has called Murphy one of the more professional young hitters he's ever seen, it was definitely time for Beltran to rediscover the fruits of his baseball labor. For weeks, he worked with hitting coach Howard Johnson to correct his swing from both the left and right sides, and Manuel just kept waiting.
"He will, he will," Manuel said a couple weeks ago, reiterating that a high-caliber player such as Beltran can't go forever without making a splash. And Beltran made a splash on Saturday night, blasting a 96-mph fastball from reliever Matt Lindstrom straight over the center-field fence in the seventh inning.
It was appropriate enough that it came the inning after Murphy's shot, because Manuel said that Beltran isn't just re-emerging as a hitter, but also as a clubhouse leader. In recent days, he has taken Murphy and fellow rookie outfielder Nick Evans under his arm and said, "Hey, this is what you do and this is how you do it," according to Manuel's observations.
"I feel very good about the way he is swinging the bat," Manuel said after watching Beltran hit an RBI double from the right side and then the home run from the left. "He's emerging as one of those solid, solid, solid leadership guys in the clubhouse, as well."
Manuel called both hits "impressive," and while Beltran's longer hit came from the left side, he said he still feels better from the right side. It also doesn't really matter to him one way or the other whether he is batting in the No. 2, 4 or 5 positions, as long as Manuel continues to let him know beforehand.
Beltran moved back to the cleanup spot on Saturday because of his success against Marlins starter Scott Olsen. Carlos Delgado, who swapped with Beltran into the No. 5 position in the order, said it doesn't matter much where you are positioned when it's only a one spot difference.
Still, Delgado found the move accommodating as well -- he crushed a ball clear over the bullpen in right field in the first inning.
"I have hit longer," Delgado said, smiling.
More importantly, Beltran seems to have reaffirmed his standing in the Mets' order with his 3-for-3 outing, including two runs scored, three RBIs and a walk.
His home run to center field was refreshing, but, like a veteran surely would, he thought about how the game of baseball can just as easily seize a seemingly divine gift away from you.
"Thank God nobody was there to catch it," Beltran said. "It was a good day for me, and I am looking forward to continue staying like that."
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