Michael Conforto’s plunking by a 100-mph fastball brought yells from the Mets’ dugout Tuesday, but manager Luis Rojas didn’t deem the pitch intentional.
The Phillies’ Jose Alvarado threw high-and-tight to Conforto in the sixth inning in Game 1 of the doubleheader before drilling him in the right wrist with the next pitch (subsequent X-rays were negative). Conforto sat the nightcap of the doubleheader and will be evaluated Wednesday.
Rojas exited the dugout, but said his only real purpose in speaking with plate umpire Joe West was to let tensions evaporate.
“I know somebody in our dugout said something when Conforto got hit,” Rojas said after the Mets rallied for a 4-3 victory in eight innings en route to a doubleheader sweep over the Phillies. “That typically happens in the game. A teammate gets hit and somebody says something and at one point both sides are yelling. I came out to see if I could help tone it down and talk to Joe and kind of tell our dugout that I am talking to the umpire. That’s when things can progress into something else.
Michael Conforto gets hit by a pitch in the first game of the Mets’ doubleheader sweep over the Phillies. Corey Sipkin“We just wanted to control the game and make sure everything is OK. I feel that wasn’t thrown or anything, we don’t feel that way. We just wanted to tone everything down and keep playing.”
Conforto was involved in a controversial plunking last Thursday, when he leaned over the plate and got clipped on his elbow guard to force in the winning run against the Marlins. After that game, plate umpire Ron Kulpa admitted he had been mistaken, and said Conforto should have been called out because the pitch was a strike.
The slumping Conforto went 0-for-2 in Game 1 on Tuesday, but drew a walk in the eighth inning as part of the Mets’ winning rally.
Before the game Rojas said Conforto had been putting in extra work to find his swing. After Monday’s game was postponed because of rain, Conforto remained at Citi Field to hit indoors.
“He was hitting off the machine, hitting breaking balls, he is hitting from live arm, he is doing different drills, just to keep swinging and doing reps, a high amount of swings,” Rojas said. “He can respond in so many ways. The best we can do is try to simulate game speed and use those different drills that are going to put us in touch, in game.”
Taijuan Walker allowed one run on three hits over 4 ¹/₃ innings to receive a second straight no-decision to begin his Mets career.
“He was outstanding,” Rojas said. “That guy, he has a really good plan and his stuff is really good right now.”
