When New York Mets pinch-hitter Jesse Winker stepped to the plate in the ninth inning of a 3–3 game Wednesday in Queens, he was a man badly in need of a home run.
Winker had hit well enough (.275) since coming over via trade on July 28, but hadn't been able to find the modest power stroke he had with the Washington Nationals—for whom he hit 11 home runs in 101 games.
Consider that stroke found. On a 3-2 four-seam fastball from pitcher Seranthony Dominguez, Winker crushed a 417-foot home run to center field that handed the Mets a 4–3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
Making the home run even sweeter was Winker's visceral celebration—which saw him face the dugout, fist-pump, and hurl his helmet to the ground.
New York, in a dogfight for National League playoff positioning, sits two games behind the Atlanta Braves for the final wild-card spot in the Senior Circuit.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mets' Jesse Winker Had One of the Best Celebrations of MLB Season After Walk-Off HR.