Life as a backup catcher isn’t easy.
There are some weeks when you may be lucky to get one start. If the starting catcher is on a hot streak, forget it — the team’s manager may ride him for a while.
But with Sunday being a day game after a night game, manager Terry Collins gave Anthony Recker the start behind the plate, and the 30-year-old made the most of the opportunity.
Making his first appearance in more than a week, the Mets’ backup catcher slugged a three-run homer in the first inning that gave the Mets a 5-0 lead, and from there, it was mostly smooth sailing, as the Mets won the rubber game of their series with the Rangers, 8-4.
“It’s always good to get off to a good start in any game,” he said. “To put five up in the first inning’s pretty cool. It definitely helped a lot, and [I’m] just happy we got the win.”
In addition to helping the Mets with his bat, Recker also called a strong game for Zack Wheeler, who allowed only one run in 6 ¹/₃ innings and recorded his first victory at Citi Field this season.
“He threw the ball really well,” he said. “He kept the ball down in the zone and honestly, he threw his off-speed [pitches] really well — curveballs and sliders, [especially]. We used the slider a lot.”
In the wake of Travis d’Arnaud’s demotion to Triple-A Las Vegas last month, Recker had been splitting time behind the plate with Taylor Teagarden. But d’Arnaud was recalled two weeks ago — a move that restored Recker to being a full-fledged backup.
A backup catcher’s opportunities are few and far between, and Recker was satisfied with his performance on Sunday.
“It always feels good to produce,” he said. “Anytime I can come in and help the team win a game is obviously all I’m here for. I’m just glad I was able to.”