Cespedes unfazed after rough Game 4, won't change mentality

Yoenis Cespedes' postseason woes reached a nadir Saturday night at Citi Field, where a series of gaffes from the 30-year-old outfielder contributed to an ugly 5-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals in Game 4 of the World Series, bringing the New York Mets to the brink of elimination.

Rather than dwell on his miscues, though, Cespedes preferred to look ahead to Game 5 as he fielded questions in the Mets clubhouse Saturday night.

"I'm going to go out with the same mentality as always," Cespedes told the New York Post through a translator. "We're going to give the best of ourselves to win the game."

A misplay on a sinking liner from Salvador Perez in the top of the fifth inning led to Kansas City's first run Saturday - and evoked memories of his defensive blunder in Game 1 that afforded Alcides Escobar an inside-the-park home run - but Cespedes' baserunning snafu on the game's final play was his costliest mistake.

(Courtesy: MLB.com)

"I thought it was going to touch grass," Cespedes explained, "so I didn't think it was going to turn into a double play."

"He got (frozen) on a line drive a little bit. He got off," manager Terry Collins said. "I'm sure the first thought in his mind is, 'I'm going to score any ball that gets in the gap, I'm going to make sure (to) score,' and he got too far off."

It's possible, frankly, that Cespedes is simply out of practice when it comes to running the bases. Hampered by a sore shoulder, he entered Game 4 just 2-for-13 (.154) in the World Series before notching a single in four plate appearances in Saturday's defeat, bumping his average up to .176 while also striking out twice.

Still, despite his recent struggles at the plate, Cespedes' confidence hasn't wavered.

"I feel good," he said. "Things may not be coming out my way, but I feel good."