Page 32 - bon-dia-aruba-20210831

A32 sports
Diamars 31 augustus 2021

Boo who? Báez, Mets flip thumbs down on fans; team prez mad

(AP) — Javier Báez and innings.
his New York Mets team-
mates turned the boos at Soto homered off Aaron
Citi Field to cheers this Loup leading off the sixth —
weekend — and turned the first homer surrendered
their thumbs upside down by the Mets lefty to a a left-
at frustrated fans. handed hitter since Tampa
Bay’s Corey Dickerson con-
Báez launched a 444-foot nected in 2017.
home run Sunday in a 9-4
win over the Washington Na- Bell homered again in the
tionals, then flashed a double eighth. The two-homer
thumbs-down gesture to- game was the first of the sea-
ward the crowd on his way son for Bell and the sixth of
back to the dugout. his career.

Later, he said Mets play- Fedde allowed five earned
ers have been making the runs on eight hits, including
hand signal after big hits in the homers by Báez and Vil-
response to fans who have lar, in 5 1/3 innings.
jeered the club during a
rough August. “These comments, and any or is directed in a negative had another uniform,” Ro- “The pitch to Baez and the
gestures by him or other way toward our fans. I will be jas said. “Probably that’s why one to Villar were just pretty
“When we don’t get success, players with a similar intent, meeting with our players and he’s sharing (and) venting. bad pitches in general,” said
we’re going to get booed,” are totally unacceptable and staff to convey this message It’s a learning experience. Fedde, who whirled and
Báez said. “So they’re going will not be tolerated,” Alder- directly,” he said. There’s different guys that crouched as soon as Báez
to get booed when we have son said in a statement. probably felt that way com- made contact on his homer.
success.” The Mets are 8-19 this ing into here and probably
“Mets fans are understand- month, dropping them from not performing immediately. RUIZ TIME
Báez, a two-time All-Star ably frustrated over the the NL East lead to third But they learned how to deal The Nationals announced
acquired from the Chicago team’s recent performance. place, 7 1/2 games behind with it and they know where they will recall catcher Keib-
Cubs last month, good friend The players and the organi- the division-leading Atlanta the fanbase is coming from.” ert Ruiz, who became their
Francisco Lindor and Kevin zation are equally frustrated, Braves. top prospect upon being ac-
Pillar all were seen giving but fans at Citi Field have ev- Said Alderson: “Mets fans are quired from the Los Angeles
the thumbs-down during the ery right to express their own Báez, who is batting .210 with loyal, passionate, knowledge- Dodgers in last month’s Max
win. disappointment. Booing is 22 strikeouts in 62 at-bats able and more than willing to Scherzer-Trea Turner block-
every fan’s right. since being traded on July express themselves. We love buster trade, prior to Monday
Mets President Sandy Alder- 30, said the booing doesn’t them for every one of these night’s home game against
son swiftly condemned those “The Mets will not tolerate bother him but that it is dis- qualities.” the Philadelphia Phillies.
remarks and signs. any player gesture that is un- couraging.
professional in its meaning Lindor forced a run-scoring Ruiz, 23, hit .308 with five
“I love the fans and I like balk and hit a two-run dou- homers and 14 RBIs for Tri-
playing for the fans,” Báez ble and new leadoff hitter ple-A Rochester.
said. “But we can’t have our Jonathan Villar hit a two-run
fans against us.” homer as the Mets won the “We feel like he’s ready to
final two games of the three- come up and get an oppor-
Manager Luis Rojas, who game sert. It was their first tunity to play up here and
heard chants of “Fire Ro- series win since sweeping watch him play,” Nationals
jas” during a loss to the San three from the Nationals on manager Dave Martinez said.
Francisco Giants on Wednes- Aug. 10-12. “We’re all excited about it.
day night, said he wasn’t He’s part of our future here.”
aware what the downturned Villar missed the cycle by
thumbs meant. a double and scored three “We’ll see how this is all go-
times. He and Brandon ing to work out, but we want
“I didn’t know there was any Nimmo, who moved from to give him an opportunity to
intention of giving anything leadoff to the second spot play,” he said. “We’re going to
back to the fans,” Rojas said. Saturday, combined to reach play him as much as we can.”
“We want to win for the orga- base seven times in 10 plate
nization. We want to win for appearances. UP NEXT
ourselves, we want to win for Nationals: RHP Josiah Gray
our front office, our owner Báez’s homer put the Mets (0-1, 3.75 ERA), acquired
and we want to win for our ahead for good 3-2 in the with Ruiz from the Dodgers,
fanbase. So that’s where the fourth inning. will throw to him Monday
focus should be.” when he makes his sixth start
Pete Alonso had an RBI sin- for Washington in the opener
Rojas said the reaction by gle among his three hits and of a three-game series against
Báez could be part of the ad- Dominic Smith delivered a the Philadelphia Phillies.
justment process following run-scoring, pinch-hit single.
the first trade of his career. Mets: After an off-day Mon-
Lindor, who signed a 10-year Josh Bell homered twice and day. RHP Taijuan Walker (7-
extension before playing a Juan Soto also connected for 9, 3.82 ERA) will “relieve”
game with the Mets, and Pil- Washington. Those were the teammate Marcus Stroman
lar are also in their first years Nationals’ only three hits. and RHP Trevor Williams
in New York. (4-2, 4.54 ERA) will start the
Tylor Megill (2-3) allowed second game of Tuesday’s
“I think it’s something that two runs on one hit — a unusual setup against the
he’s probably getting used fourth-inning, two-run Miami Marlins. The second
to — it’s the first time he’s homer by Bell — over five game will be seven innings.