WASHINGTON -- Earlier in his eighth-inning at-bat on Saturday,
For years, Davis -- a veteran hitting coach previously with the A’s, Red Sox and Cubs -- has preached a contact approach, which stands in contrast to the Mets’ swing-for-the-fences mantra during Sandy Alderson’s eight-year tenure as general manager. That front office valued home runs, which often came at a cost: over those eight seasons, the Mets ranked 29th in the Majors in batting average.\n\n• [Lugo struggles in odd late-relief siutation](https://www.mlb.com/mets/news/seth-lugo-struggles-to-shut-door-against-nats)\n\nThis spring, with Davis in the cage, the Mets placed a renewed prominence on situational hitting. They stressed the importance of going to the opposite field. They de-emphasized home runs. They even encouraged bunts to beat sizable defensive shifts, hoping opponents will dramatically reduce the amount they shift against the Mets.\n\nSo when Davis came to the plate in the eighth inning with the bases loaded, his intention was well-practiced. Asked afterward if he was trying to go to the opposite field, Davis replied: “Of course.”
\n\n“I just widened out, shortened up my stride a little bit, choked up a little bit on the bat,” Davis said. “He ended up making a mistake. In my head, I told myself to try to stay inside the ball as much as I can.”\n\nIn that approach, Davis was far from alone. Take [Pete Alonso](https://www.mlb.com/player/pete-alonso-624413) as Exhibit B. In the first inning, the right-handed rookie punched a soft single into right field with an overshift against him. In the second, he blasted a double over center fielder Victor Robles’ head. In the eighth, with Davis still on base, Alonso crushed a double that hit the right-center-field scoreboard on the fly. He finished 3-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and two RBIs.
\n\n“One of my strengths is I can hit the ball wherever it’s pitched,” Alonso said.\n\nIt helps that New York’s personnel is built for this sort of thing. Alonso likes to name former White Sox slugger Paul Konerko, whose 40-homer power did not prevent him from eclipsing a .300 batting average four times in his career, as one of his idols.