Yohan Ramírez of the Dodgers has had a successful season after a viral moment with Dave Roberts.
Kevin Skinner Proceed to X06/08/20240. Read Facebook X Reddit for two minutes
In 2024, Yohan Ramírez has experienced an extremely turbulent trip. The New York Mets offered him a contract in April, which the Baltimore Orioles selected. The Mets then took him back in early May, and on May 20, the Dodgers signed him.
Ramírez pitched 14.1 innings with a 6.91 ERA when he was signed by the Dodgers. The Dodgers may have taken notice of him because of his 3.56 FIP and.342 BABIP. This suggests that he may have been unlucky to have his defense provide minimal assistance.
It was impossible for his first two appearances with Los Angeles to have gone any differently. In two spotless innings, Ramírez shut out the Arizona Diamondbacks. After walking one batter and hitting two more three days later against the Cincinnati Reds, he did not record an out; all three batters would later score.
Then, on May 26, against the same Reds, his season took a turn for the better. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts exited the dugout after hitting two more hitters in the eighth to load the bases. This usually means he’s switching to a new reliever, but not this time.
The Dodgers captain wrapped his arms around Ramírez and conversed with him for a good twenty seconds in a now-viral video. He ended the inning by getting the batter to line out to right field on the following pitch.
Roberts’s words to Ramírez at the time are unknown, but they undoubtedly had a favorable effect. The seasoned right-hander has since pitched 6.1 innings without giving up an earned run.
Since then, Ramírez has transformed into a completely different pitcher. His command has significantly increased, and he now pitches with genuine assurance.
This was demonstrated maybe best on Friday night against the New York Yankees. In the top of the eleventh inning, the Dodgers made their breakthrough and took a 2-0 lead. Roberts had no choice but to resort to Ramírez when facing the Yankees’ starting lineup in order to salvage the game.
After four pitches, the right-hander struck out former Dodger Alex Verdugo. The ghost runner was then scored when Yankees captain Aaron Judge somehow reached a ball well inside and hooked it down the left field line.
Ramírez got Giancarlo Stanton looking at a four-seam fastball down the middle of the plate with Judge on first in a 2-1 game. Anthony Rizzo finally popped out in foul area, setting up a thrilling conclusion, and catcher Will Smith made a terrific play.
That last catch had elements of every single item. As near to a playoff game as one could get in June, the atmosphere was electrifying. Subsequently, the ball exhibited considerable tailing motion, requiring Smith to lean backward in order to make the catch.
But Ramírez was not going to let the ball fall. Running off the mound, Ramírez slid under the backstop’s glove as a precaution. Had there been a collision or Ramírez’s general interference, forcing Smith to drop the ball, the play could have ended disastrously.
Later on, though, after securing his first save of 2024, Ramírez suddenly appeared and gave Smith an embrace of sheer joy. Roberts takes a lot of heat for the decisions he makes during the game. But nobody should be critical of the way he manages his players.
