Mets pitcher has suspension shortened for throwing behind Brewers' Rhys Hoskins over benches-clearing incident

New York Mets reliever Yohan Ramírez's suspension was reduced from three games to two games on appeal, according to MLB.com, and he will begin serving it Monday. Ramirez was suspended Sunday after he was fingered as having intentionally thrown at Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins during Saturday's game. 

Because Ramirez appealed his suspension, he was able to pitch until the appeal was heard, and he threw three innings and 41 pitches Sunday. He was unlikely to be available the next two days away. The suspension will cost Ramirez two days' pay but the Mets won't necessarily be short a reliever. Technically, they will have a 25-man roster during Ramirez's suspension.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was also suspended one game and fined. He served his suspension Sunday. Managers are automatically assessed a one-game suspension when a pitcher is deemed to have thrown at a hitter intentionally.

Hoskins had an eventful first game of the season at Citi Field, and his second game of the season – back in Queens against those same Mets – turned out to be no less eventful (MIL 7, NYM 6). Hoskins in Friday's season opener for both teams nearly touched off a brawl when he slid hard – but not illegally – into Mets infielder Jeff McNeil at second base. As you're about to see, things got heated in a hurry: 

Hoskins also not-so-subtly called McNeil a crybaby.

The Brewers wound up winning that one by a count of 3-1. Given that the Mets' second baseman was the affronted party, it was tempting to think of Saturday's second contest of the series as the Jeff McNeil Revenge Game. Hoskins, though, had other ideas. 

After some vigorous booing from the home fans, Hoskins in the first inning lined a two-run single off Mets starter Luis Severino, who wound up permitting six runs on 12 hits in five innings. Two innings later, Hoskins did this: 

That's his first home run of the season and the 149th of his career, which, prior to this season, had been entirely with the Phillies. Hoskins in the fifth picked up his third hit of the day, another line-drive single, and later scored on a balk. 

Then his next time up in the seventh, Hoskins received this pitch from the aforementioned Ramírez: 

Make your own judgments as to the intent – or lack thereof – of the pitch. Ramírez was ejected and has now been suspended. Hoskins eventually walked, which meant he reached base for the fourth time on the afternoon. 

"Big-leaguers don't miss by eight feet," Hoskins said after the game (via The Athletic). "Whether it was on purpose or not is really not for me to decide. But this game has had a way of policing itself for many, many years. So let's focus on doing it the right way if we're going to do that."  

Although there was plenty of dramatics in the first two games of the series, Sunday's game was played without incident as the Brewers completed the three-game sweep at Citi Field.