Wilson Ramos
Yesterday, the Mets needed a ninth inning rally to beat the Braves. Today, things were not nearly as dramatic as Michael Conforto‘s RBI ground out in the second gave the Mets a 2-1 lead and the lead for good.
That lead grew to 3-1 on a Yoenis Cespedes RBI double. Pete Alonso homered in the first, and Wilson Ramos homered in the eighth in the Mets 4-1 win.
Steven Matz picked up the win after limiting the Braves to one run over six. Edwin Diaz earned the save.
Yesterday, the Mets could only muster a run against the Pirates. When Michael Conforto hit a two run homer in the first, the Mets surpassed that total. They also provided Steven Matz with more than enough run support.
Matz picked up the win after allowing just one run over 5.2 innings.
Wilson Ramos also homered. Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Jeff McNeil also delivered runs in the Mets 6-1 win.
Rick Porcello had what was probably the best start of his computer simulated baseball career allowing just one earned to the Cardinals over 6.2 innings.
Even though he had allowed just three hits up until that point, Luis Rojas went to his bullpen. Justin Wilson and Dellin Betances kept the Cardinals off the board heading into the ninth for Edwin Diaz, who converted the save.
In this 2-1 Mets victory, Brandon Nimmo hit a second inning RBI single against Cardinals starter Daniel Ponce de Leon scoring Wilson Ramos. In the fourth, Yoenis Cespedes hit a solo homer, which proved to be the game winner.
The Cincinnati Reds are built somewhat similar to the 2015 Mets – exciting young pitching with some interesting position players. Today, we saw the Mets did it better with Steven Matz out-dueling Trevor Bauer.
Michael Conforto and Wilson Ramos hit back-to-back one out doubles in the first to give the Mets the lead. That lead grew to 2-0 when Brandon Nimmo homered in the second.
Overall, Matz gave up one run over six. Robert Gsellman and Dellin Betances picked up the hold, and Edwin Diaz got the save in the Mets 2-1 victory.
In last night’s game, it took the Mets until the later innings for their offense to explode and route the Braves. Tonight, the Mets scored in each of the first three innings with a seven spot in the third.
Jeff McNeil homered yesterday, and he had a two home run game tonight. He had a four RBI game. Wilson Ramos had five, and Robinson Cano had three.
With Rick Porcello holding the Braves to three earned over six, this was an easy 15-5 victory.
The Mets jumped out to a 3-0 lead on a three run homer by Wilson Ramos in the second inning. Unfortunately, the Mets could not hold onto the lead.
The Marlins got to Rick Porcello in the fifth scoring six runs off of him en route to a Marlins 8-4 victory.
The Mets fell behind 3-0 with the Brewers putting up three through the fourth against Marcus Stroman. The Mets would take the lead in the fifth.
The first run was scored on a comically bad throw to the pitcher on a Michael Conforto grounder. Yoenis Cespedes, Robinson Cano, and Wilson Ramos followed with RBI singles. The Mets didn’t push another across with J.D. Davis striking out with the bases loaded.
With that comically bad error, all the runs were unearned. Whether earned or not, the Mets won 4-3.
Keston Hiura and Justin Smoak hit a pair of two run homers in the second inning off of Jacob deGrom giving the Brewers an early 2-0 lead. The Mets responded immediately in the bottom half of the inning with a Wilson Ramos solo shot and a Jeff McNeil two RBI double to take a 3-2 lead.
Smoak tied the game back up in the fourth with an RBI double. Ramos’ fifth inning RBI single retook the lead.
Christian Yelich homered off Robert Gsellman to tie the game in the seventh. Gsellman would load the bases that inning, but Jeurys Familia would get out of the jam.
It was Ramos again in the seventh with a go-ahead RBI single scoring Michael Conforto giving the Mets a 5-4 lead.
The Mets would win the game by that score after Edwin Diaz recorded the save. That means the Mets are undefeated this year when wearing their black jerseys on Friday.
The Mets feel behind 2-0 before Michael Conforto hit a tying two run homer in the first. In the fourth, Wilson Ramos had his own two run shot.
The Mets held on to beat the hated Atlanta Braves with Marcus Stroman picking up the win, and Edwin Diaz getting the save.
Right now, players are finding ways to work out to stay in shape in the event baseball is played in 2020. For Marcus Stroman that means going out into the street and pitching to Dominic Smith.
Working daily with my dawg @TheRealSmith2_. Still cold with the windup variations! ? #HDMH @Mets pic.twitter.com/MKP9hOmRNv
— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) March 30, 2020
What is interesting with Smith is this isn’t his first foray into catching. In fact, Smith told Michael Mayer of MMN he caught in high school. As seen above, he hasn’t completely given up on it as he was slated as the Mets emergency catcher in 2019. Overall, reviews of his limited work behind the plate are somewhat positive.
My dawg was nice behind the plate back in high school ? believe it or not @TheRealSmith2_ https://t.co/EFVIBGvi1I
— Braxton Davidson (@Braxdavidson) March 30, 2020
Looking at 2021 and beyond, Wilson Ramos is going to be a free agent, and Smith is a player who is blocked from playing his everyday position of first base by Pete Alonso. Seeing him catching Stroman, being an emergency catcher last year, and the positive reviews of his limited work back there, you do wonder if the Mets should try to move Smith behind the plate.
Before addressing the point in full, as noted by The Hardball Times, Jack Clements is the only left-handed catcher in Major League history to catch at least 1,000 Major League games. His last game was in 1900. To that end, you could consider him the only true left-handed catcher in Major League history, and he played in the Dead Ball Era.
There have really been a handful of left-handed catchers in Major League history (14 in total) with Benny Distefano being the last one to appear in a game. What is somewhat interesting about that is he played first base and the outfield from 1984-1988 before he was permitted to catch three games in 1989, which was a function of his preparing to be an emergency catcher. More interesting than that was the fact he didn’t catch in his professional career before those three games.
With his limited experience, Distefano noted the issues for a left-handed catcher were bunt plays towards third base as well as applying tags at the plate. (New York Times). The Hardball Times addressed this in their article, and they noted there is a slight issue with it, but they also noted a left-handed catcher would not have the same issues with a right-handed batter the right-handed catcher would.
The bigger issue is getting the tag down, which The Hardball Times confirms. On both issues, it was noted it is such a small part of the catcher’s duties it likely would not have a real impact on the game. That is all the more so when you consider the advantages a left-handed catcher would have including fielding plays right in front of the plate and catching breaking pitches from right-handed pitchers.
In total, at least in theory, there would be no real discernible difference between right and left handed catchers other than the fact seeing a left-handed catcher would look strange. In the end, it is not like a left-handed shortstop or third baseman where playing the position is an impossibility.
Seeing how it could happen, we revisit the question of whether the Mets should look to move Smith behind the plate.
Certainly, it helps he already has some experience in terms of high school, preparing to be an emergency catcher, and now catching Stroman. Being a first baseman, he is accustomed to the bunt plays towards third and making the left-handed throw to third base.
We know he has the agility to do it between his first base and left field experience. In terms of left field, we know he has the ability and willingness to learn a new position if it means helping out the team. Overall, he has shown himself to be a team first person, who may prove willing to do this. That may prove to be all the more the case if it meant a regular position for him.
In terms of the Mets, Ramos has a $10 million option for 2021 which may or may not be picked up. Tomas Nido is a defensive back-up with no remaining options. Ali Sanchez may be nothing more than a better defender and possible a worse hitter than Nido. The shot in the dark is Patrick Mazeika who is still just a part-time catcher in the minors.
Really, from an organizational standpoint, the Mets are exactly the team who should experiment with this. After all, Smith is an everyday caliber player, and he has the experience. More than that, he has nothing to do now but work out on his own and to meet up with Stroman to catch him.
The more he catches Stroman, the better prepared for the transition he will be. Speaking of Stroman, Jose Bautista working out with him led to his getting work outs to try to return to the Majors as a pitcher. At the end of the day, there isn’t much reason not to at least see if this could happen.