Callaway defends his quick pen move

It proved to be inconsequential in the grand scheme of things Monday night, as the Mets fell to the Phillies 3-1 in the nightcap of a doubleheader. But it went down as another questionable move from Mickey Callaway.

As Maikel Franco batted against Mets reliever Jacob Rhame to lead off the top of the eighth, the Phillies’ leading hitter, Odubel Herrera, came out to the on-deck circle to bat in the pitcher’s spot.

After Franco popped out, Callaway walked out of the dugout to make a double switch before the left-handed Herrera could be announced as a pinch-hitter. With lefty Jerry Blevins coming in from the bullpen, Phillies manager Gabe Kapler pulled Herrera back and instead pinch-hit the switch-hitting Jesmuel Valentin.

Blevins wound up striking out Valentin (who batted righty) then retired Cesar Hernandez to end the inning, keeping the Mets’ deficit at 3-0. But Callaway’s quick move kept Herrera available off the bench instead of making Kapler choose to hit him or waste him had he been announced.

“We didn’t want them to even announce Herrera,” Callaway said. “Herrera’s hitting [.293] with an [.804] OPS against lefties. I thought he was their best lefthanded-hitting option off the bench against a lefty. The numbers said so. So I wanted to get out there as quick as possible and then let [Kapler] make the decision if he wanted to continue to hit him. ... I was hoping they would do what they did.”

The veteran Blevins has actually fared better against righties this season — the opposite of his career splits — entering the night holding them to a .147 batting average as opposed to .318 for lefties.

Blevins said he was not caught off guard by facing Valentin instead of Herrera but was prepared either way. Herrera was 1for-12 in his career against Blevins.

“I saw Mickey come out so I was like, ‘I don’t know if they announced [Herrera],’ so right away I was prepared for either way,” Blevins said. “I’m ready to go against whoever.”