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.
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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.
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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.
“For me, to put the ball in play there I was prepared even before the game,” Torrens said through an interpreter. “Mendy told me there might be a situation where I come in, but for me it’s about being focused and trying to execute in a situation like that.”
Torrens continued: “I really appreciate to be told that earlier on in the game or even before the game just because I’m able to prepare myself the way that I know that I can prepare myself and with whatever situation arises in the game, I’ll be prepared and do my job.”
So, why specifically Torrens, a career .228 hitter, in that moment?
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“He slows the game down, he’s got the ability to use the whole field, he’s not afraid to go the other way, he’s not afraid to work counts,” Mendoza said. “He gets to two strikes and you feel good that he’s going to put the ball in play, he’s gonna take what the pitcher is giving him.
“This is a guy that’s been in baseball for quite a bit now, a lot of winter ball. So I was happy for Luis in that situation.”
A nine-year veteran (as a catcher no less), Torrens has used all of that experience to his advantage. It’s why the Mets have loved having him around for the past three years. In fact, even though he isn’t known for his bat, the 29-year-old is now batting .352 in 54 at-bats as a pinch-hitter, one of the most difficult jobs to do in baseball.
On top of that, Torrens is and continues to be elite at stopping the running game, even throwing out a runner trying to steal second base in the bottom of the ninth inning.
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It’s plays like that, his hit in the eighth and the communication between him and the coaches before the game that had Mendoza commending “the small details” New York made on Sunday that resulted in an impressive win and taking three out of four in San Francisco.
“That speaks to how we prepare as a team,” Torrens said. “I think every single one of us before the game, during the game are all preparing ourselves to do the best that we possibly can and I think that speaks volumes to the group that we have here.”
After a rough stretch offensively to start the season, the Mets have completely turned it around, scoring 24 runs over their last three games. Almost all of that has been without Juan Soto, too.
“It’s special,” Mendoza said. “We’ve got good players, up and down. Dealing with a few guys there with injuries and you still feel really good with not only the guys that are in the lineup or who are getting the opportunity to play more, but [with] what’s on the bench as well and we saw it today.
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“There’s a lot of versatility. There’s a lot of things that we could do because of the flexibility. It goes to show you that it’s a deep roster and it’s fun.”
New York will look to keep the good times rolling back at Citi Field starting on Tuesday when it hosts the Arizona Diamondbacks for a three-game set.