Mets' Carlos Mendoza says pitch thrown behind Rhys Hoskins was unintentional
It’s been an eventful couple of days for the Mets and Brewers.
After Milwaukee slugger Rhys Hoskins slid late into Jeff McNeil at second base, causing both benches to clear, Mets RHP Yohan Ramirez threw behind him causing an ejection. While the benches almost cleared again, cooler heads prevailed but manager Carlos Mendoza wants it to be known the throw was not intentional.
“You hate to see it. Definitely not trying to hit him,” Mendoza said after the Mets’ 7-6 loss on Saturday. “I understand their frustration with everything that’s going on…. He threw behind him… It’s going to be a topic with what happened yesterday.”
Mendoza explained that Ramirez is a pitcher who historically has “control issues.” And that the right-hander tried to pitch up and in on Hoskins to induce a groundball, but his sinker got away from him.
The first-year Mets skipper also pointed to the situation. The score was 6-2 in favor of Milwaukee and there was already a runner on first so it doesn't benefit the Mets to put another runner on. Also, Ramirez ran toward home plate to cover after the wild pitch.
“I know it looks really really bad, but we’re not trying to hit anybody here,” Mendoza added.
“I was trying to throw my sinker inside,” Ramirez said of the pitch via an interpreter. “Sometimes when I try to get it too in, the ball just runs. With this type of weather, I don’t have the grip that I’m accustomed to having. At that point, the pitch just ran, but I’m not trying to hit him.”
The Mets and Brewers have one more game in their three-game slate on Sunday. Could Milwaukee decide to retaliate? There’s a possibility, but Mendoza hopes it doesn’t come to that.
“It should end there. Again, it’s not like we’re trying to hit him,” Mendoza said. “What happened yesterday with the slide, which was legal, our job is to get him out and we didn’t do a good job today.”
Hoskins went 3-for-4 with a home run and drove in four of the Brewers’ seven runs on Saturday. Although the Mets’ offense made a valiant comeback effort, the pitching staff could not keep Hoskins from putting runs on the board.
Now at 0-2, the Mets hope to salvage a game in their opening series when Tylor Megill goes up against Colin Rea.
