Mickey Callaway reserved the cleanup spot for the owner of the lowest batting average and fewest home runs of any Mets position player in Tuesday’ starting lineup.
Robinson Cano then reinforced the manager’s belief that the aging, eight-time All-Star still belongs in the heart of the order — and convinced countless more.
After spending nine years building a Hall of Fame case — and winning a Home Run Derby —while wearing pinstripes in The Bronx, Robinson Cano ended up producing his first-ever three home run game in Queens, steering a season’s worth of animosity from Citi Field crowds into standing ovations, while driving in every run during the Mets’ 5-2 win over the Padres on Tuesday night.