Ramos owns MLB's longest hitting streak in '19
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NEW YORK -- Pete Alonso broke the Mets’ single-season home run record Tuesday, but catcher Wilson Ramos has been New York’s hottest hitter in August.
Ramos singled in the first inning in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Cubs to extend his hitting streak to 22 games. The hitting streak is the longest of the veteran backstop’s 10-year career, the longest streak in MLB this season and the eighth longest in franchise history. Ramos is the first Met to have a 20-game hitting streak since David Wright did it from Sept. 14, 2007, to April 2, 2008. New York’s franchise record belongs to Moises Alou, who had a 30-game hitting streak in 2007.
“The streak is amazing,” manager Mickey Callaway said before Thursday’s game. “Every night, he has the ability to slap one the other way. It’s really an approach thing that allows him to extend this streak like it’s been extended.”
Being superstitious, Ramos didn’t want to discuss his streak before the game, but as they often do in baseball, the numbers tell the story.
During his streak, Ramos is batting .429. His 38 hits in August are tied with Amed Rosario for the team lead and are the most by any Major League catcher this month.
Before September ends
Both outfielder Brandon Nimmo (bulging cervical disk) and infielder Jed Lowrie (calf) are making progress at Triple-A Syracuse, Callaway said. On Wednesday night, Lowrie played five innings, going 1-for-3, while Nimmo played seven frames, hitting a homer and driving in two runs.
Lowrie started again for Syracuse on Thursday, batting second, and hit a home run. Nimmo was given the day off. The Mets are hopeful that both players will be able to be activated come Sept. 1 when rosters expand, but Callaway made it clear that there’s no set timeline for either player’s return, especially Lowrie, who has yet to play in a Major League game this season.
“The Minor League season ends at some point and then if [Lowrie] doesn’t feel ready, then you have to get creative and do different things,” Callaway said. “It’s really tough for any of these guys that have missed so much time to say this [specific] day they’re going to be here and be ready to go.”
However, Callaway acknowledged that the return of Nimmo and Lowrie would provide a boost to a Mets team that had lost five consecutive games going into Thursday.
“Obviously, these guys are two very good players,” Callaway said. “If they’re in the starting lineup or on the bench, you have a better offense automatically and probably a better defense, depending on where they play.”