Miami vise
Ramos flops in return vs. Marlins
MIAMI — AJ Ramos’ homecoming couldn’t have gone much worse.
In his first appearance against his former team since the July 28 trade that sent him to the Mets, the veteran reliever cratered, blowing a save in the ninth inning by allowing three runs. The Mets’ meltdown was then completed when J.T. Realmuto homered against Paul Sewald in the 10th inning for a 5-4 loss to the Marlins.
Ramos, who recently said he had been exchanging text messages with Giancarlo Stanton in which the two jokingly trash-talked each other, was removed after walking Stanton with two outs in the ninth to load the bases. Sewald entered to strike out Christian Yelich and send the game to extra innings.
“My stuff hasn’t been as crisp as normal, but maybe I was a little too amped up today,” Ramos said. “They just beat me, plain and simple.”
Ichiro Suzuki’s RBI single off Jose Reyes’ glove tied the game against Ramos in the ninth, after A.J. Ellis had singled moments earlier to bring the Marlins within one. Justin Bour’s homer against Ramos started the comeback.
Seth Lugo rebounded from an awful performance last week at Wrigley Field (he wasn’t alone among pitchers hammered by the Cubs) by allowing one earned run on four hits and one walk before he was removed at 82 pitches, as team officials remain cognizant of the partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
Lugo lasted only three innings in his start against the Cubs last week and surrendered seven earned runs.
Travis d’Arnaud put the Mets ahead with a two-run homer in the sixth, and Josh Smoker, Jeurys Familia, Jerry Blevins each pitched a scoreless inning before Ramos entered.
Reyes homered in the first inning and drove in the Mets’ final run with an RBI single in the ninth.
Amed Rosario is unlikely to play again before Friday as he battles gastroenteritis. Rosario was treated Monday night at University of Miami hospital, according to a medical update issued by the Mets, and was resting at the team hotel on Tuesday. In late July, Rosario battled gastroenteritis that kept him sidelined briefly at Triple-A Las Vegas.
Noah Syndergaard will be reevaluated Friday, after throwing 39 pitches in a simulated game earlier this week. The righthander is hoping to make two appearances for the Mets before the season concludes.
Nori Aoki, after a third-inning infield single, has reached base safely in all 16 games he has played since signing with the Mets on Sept. 2. The veteran outfielder had a .375 on-base percentage with the Mets.