Yoenis Cespedes glared at the pitcher’s mound on Saturday night, almost staring through Aaron Nola. Nola’s point was clear. Don’t get too comfortable.
Nola drew the ire of the Mets slugger after buzzing him with a high-and-tight fastball in the sixth inning of a 3-1 win. Nola looked back at Cespedes and did not retreat, striking him out on the next pitch with a nasty change-up. Message delivered.
“I was aware,” Nola said when asked if he noticed Cespedes’ stare. “I didn’t want to let him beat me again.”
The righthander has added another layer to himself over the last eight weeks as he emerges as a dominant pitcher with ace potential.