CLEVELAND (AP) — New York Mets rookie Jefry Yan jumped high in the air with his feet spread apart, landed on the front of the mound and then slapped the grass with his left hand while briefly going to a knee. It was an emphatic celebration for the 29-year-old left-hander after striking out the first batter he faced in his major league debut during the Mets’ 6-5 win in Cleveland on Wednesday night. “Honestly, I was really excited. I was also a little nervous,” Yan said through a translator. Yan’s viral moment came after pinch-hitter Angel Martínez took an 88.7 mph slider for a called third strike to open the Guardians sixth. After the leap and slap, Yan stood straight up with his feet together and lifted both arms over his head.“Once I had him with two strikes I said, you know what, I’m going to throw that slider,” he said. “And if I freeze him, which is exactly what I did, I celebrated accordingly.”
That was already a signature celebration for Yan, who did the same after striking out a batter in a Mets spring training game earlier this year.After Martínez struck out, the Guardians loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. But Yan escaped without giving up a run with his second strikeout and an inning-ending grounder. “Once I was able to get out of the inning, I said, you know, I can finally breathe right here,” he said.
