In Cleveland, New York Mets rookie Jefry Yan's celebratory move went viral. The 29-year-old left-handed pitcher made his major league debut, striking out the first batter he faced and drawing attention. The event occurred during the Mets' 6-5 win in Cleveland, as reported by infohub.kz.
Yan's celebration — jumping high, spreading his legs, landing on the mound, and slapping the grass with his left hand — was an emphatic display after his first strikeout. He had used the same move in spring training games earlier. Yan said he was very excited but also a bit nervous. "Honestly, I was really excited. I was also a little nervous," he said through a translator.
After Yan's first strikeout, the Guardians loaded the bases with two singles and a walk. However, Yan escaped without allowing a run, recording his second strikeout and ending the inning. "Once I was able to get out of the inning, I said, you know, I can finally breathe right here," he said.
Mets interim manager Andy Green praised Yan's performance: "It's real stuff. It's really impressive. To get out of a bases-loaded jam, get your first punchout, just excited for him. He deserves that." After the inning, Yan bounded off the mound, slapping his glove several times, and responded to the crowd's boos. "If they want to yell at me, if they want to boo me, they can do whatever they want," Yan said. "I'm in my zone. And yeah, I'm going to enjoy my game any way that I want to."