Ramos channels Mays with incredible catch in Giants win over Cubs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – It’s been quite a momentous week for Heliot Ramos.
When the Giants played a historic game last Thursday at Rickwood Field in honor of Willie Mays, Ramos hit a huge three-run home run that made people reminisce about the Say Hey Kid.
The celebration continued for Mays and Ramos on Monday.
With everyone on the Giants wearing No. 24 to commemorate the greatest player in baseball history, Ramos had one of his best games of the season: three hits followed by an intentional walk in the ninth inning that set the stage for the walk by Wilmer Flores. off walk that gave the Giants a 5-4 comeback victory over the Chicago Cubs.
As if that wasn’t enough, Ramos gave the Oracle Park crowd quite a thrill when he made an over-the-shoulder catch that was eerily reminiscent of Mays’ historic catch in the 1954 World Series.
The catch had many people invoking Mays’ name, but Ramos sheepishly refused to include himself in the same conversation.
“Every time I watch the highlights and stuff, I dream of making a catch like that,” Ramos said. “I don’t think it was even close to what he did.”
Still, it was a fitting way to honor Mays.
More importantly, Ramos’ performance all around was the key for the Giants to end their five-game losing streak.
“He’s really inspired by Willie,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “And to play in midfield and do what he does and be able to wear No. 24 tonight, I think it was kind of fitting that he played like that.”
Ramos has made all kinds of plays, both with his bat and his glove. He entered Monday’s game leading the NL in RBI (35) and tied for fifth in home runs (10) since being called up from the minors on May 8.
He added to that on Monday at the age of 18e multi-hit game since joining the major league team and has a hard-hit percentage that ranks among the best in baseball.
However, Ramos was in a bit of a funk last week (1-for-22) – the only hit was his home run off Rickwood.
On Monday, he flipped the script and did something Giants fans have come to expect again. He finished the day with a .301 batting average, the only San Francisco regular to hit over .300 to date.
“After you go through a rough patch, you just try to battle at the plate, get on base and get good at-bats,” Ramos said. “For me, the most important thing is the confidence, just trying to stay confident and just trying to stay on my game.”
Not lost on Ramos was what it all meant on Monday, from the pre-game ceremony to his spectacular catch and his three goals.
“It’s an honor, a privilege,” Ramos said. ‘We all know who he is. I really thought it was great that we did that for him today. It is certainly a super special day.”
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