Yes, yes, we all know that the last two games have been amazing games for the Mets, largely because of their starting pitching. Johan Santana followed suit last night and delivered six shutout innings as New York posted their second consecutive 5-0 victory over the Orioles.
But what seems to be missed in the run of great starting pitching is the heating up bat of the Mets right fielder. Last night Lucas Duda went 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBI. Duda has now hit safely in eight of the team's last 10 games, raising his average to just under .270. He leads the team with 11 home runs and 42 RBIs.
This Mets team is not a very powerful team. They will play a lot of small ball, slapping singles, moving runners over and waiting for the gap double to plate some runs. When Duda is on, he changes that mentality. He has the power to hit the ball out of any park, pull or opposite field.
Over the second half of last season, Duda was the most consistent power threat in the line up. This may be the time of the year when he begins to really heat up again. David Wright's been consistent all season long, by far with the highest On-Base Percentage on the team. Ike Davis has slowly been turning it around, getting so close to the .200 average mark. Combine those two with Duda's power in the middle of the line and the Mets offense should be able to compliment their starting pitching the rest of the way.
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