Ramos excited to face ex-mates

AJ Ramos was eager to face his former teammates Friday night. But there was one Marlin in particular the new Mets closer hoped to see in the batter’s box.

Home run leader Giancarlo Stanton.

“That’s going to be bragging rights the rest of the year,” Ramos said Friday before the Mets opened a series with the Marlins. “Hope I face him a couple of times. We talked about it a little bit.

“I told him I might have to do something after I strike him out, and he said if he hits a home run he might have to do something, too.”

Ramos has pitched well since the Mets acquired him on July 28, converting both of his save opportunities, and striking out 10 over seven innings, while allowing five hits and four earned runs. But no hitter has been hotter than the scorching Stanton, who has posted a slash line of .386/ .462/1.018 in August with a 1.479 OPS, and 11 homers in 15 games. He leads baseball with 44 homers, and has hit 18 in his last 31 games.

But Ramos is ready for the challenge of facing Stanton, his close friend.

“He’s been on a crazy tear. This is exactly when I want to face him,” Ramos said.

Manager Terry Collins said before the Mets call up closer Jeurys Familia he needs to be able to throw 30 pitches in an outing. Familia, out since May 10 after undergoing surgery to remove a blood clot from his right shoulder, has made one rehab appearance, pitching a scoreless inning for Single-A Port St. Lucie on Wednesday.

“I heard the other day the sinker was tremendous,” Collins said. “If we can get his velocity back to what it was before he got hurt, then we’ll know he’s OK.”

Familia may not immediately close games.

Wilmer Flores, after missing the last two games with a sore left rib, was back in the lineup, starting at first base.