NEW YORK — The beauty and charm of October come in small samples. Take into account Josh Bell?, Padres’Designated hitter. He completed the first postseason match of his career with one bat flip on Friday. It was incredible.
“I blacked out,” he said.
It wasn’t even a flip, really. It was more elegant than that, tasteful — “Don’t think it was anything too egregious,” Bell said — as if he was tossing an umbrella to a fellow cast member in “Singin’ in the Rain” on Broadway. It was quick and stylish, and it silenced Citi Field during the opening minutes of a 7-1 win over the opposition. MetsFriday night’s Wild Card Series Game 1 was played.
It happened in the top of the first innings as a Mets starter. Max ScherzerAs the crowd at Citifield was erupting, Bell stalked around the mound. Bell, the Padres’ burly slugger, stepped to the plate with Jurickson ProfarOn base with two outs, he did a 3-1 count and then jumped on a 95-mph fastball that traveled up and into his proverbial garage. Scherzer was trying for the infield. He failed to go far enough. Bell unleashed an incredible uppercut swing, propelling the baseball deep left-center at 108 mph. Bell swung so powerfully that he almost lost balance during his follow-through.
“I felt like I was on a cloud,” he said.
Bell didn’t have to see the baseball sail across the wall.
