Mets' preparation 'even before the game' for Luis Torrens pinch-hitting situation comes in clutch

Luis Torrens is in his ninth season in the league and his third with the Mets . During that time he has not been known for his offense and has played the role of backup catcher for most of his career. Yet, on Sunday against the San Francisco Giants, with New York down 2-1 in the eighth inning but threatening, Torrens was called upon as a pinch-hitter against a left-hander.

The move was a bit surprising. Not only was Torrens replacing Jared Young who was already 3-for-3 on the day, albeit against right-hander Logan Webb , but with a thin bench the Mets could ill afford to lose their backup catcher should the game go to extra innings or anything unforeseen happening. But according to manager Carlos Mendoza who spoke after the game, that was the exact moment the Mets were hoping to use Torrens.

“I gotta give credit to [bench coach] Kai Correa there,” Mendoza said. “... He brought it up to me way before the game started – like in a big spot, Luis Torrens against one of those lefties… Sure enough, the situation presented itself and we [used] him and he was ready to go from the very beginning and he executed it.

” Facing LHP Erik Miller with one out and runners at second and third, Torrens fell behind in the count but fouled off some pitches and was able to work the count full. On 3-2, Torrens got a changeup off the plate that would’ve been ball four, but the catcher swung at it and poked it down the right-field line for a two-run double that put New York ahead, 3-2. The Mets scored twice more in the inning and went on to win 5-2 thanks to the four-run eighth inning, but the big hit came from Torrens who had been ready for that scenario since before the game even started.