It doesn't take much to get Mets center fielder Brandon Nimmo to crack a wide grin, and he had a big reason to smile early in Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Pirates -- when he robbed Bryan Reynolds of a home run to end the top of the first in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Citi Field.
After Reynolds smacked starter Marcus Stroman's sinker 105.9 mph to center field, Nimmo tracked the high arcing drive and needed every inch of his leap to snag the ball after it traveled well over the wall.
“That was an outstanding catch," manager Luis Rojas said. "I’m so proud of Brandon. He has come a long way. He is a really good outfielder right now. I think he is more confident there. That’s why he got to the wall, very much aware where he was on the warning track. He could jump from his glove side, which is usually the toughest side to jump and have some extension. That was really nice.”
After bounding back into the dugout and celebrating with his teammates, Nimmo opened the bottom of the first with a single and came around to score the first run of the game on a Kevin Pillar single.