The New York Mets have one of the more popular broadcast crews with Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez leading the way on SNY, but even the best booths lose the plot on occasion.
As we know, the Mets are stumbling towards the offseason amid a wildly disappointing 2023. The team has given up on the season, and the fanbase has checked out for the most part. The Arizona Diamondbacks, on the other hand, are in a battle for the final wild-card spot in the National League. Manager Torey Lovullo has to treat every game like a postseason game, and that’s exactly what he did on Monday night.
Some basic baseball strategy, though, had the Mets broadcast in disbelief.
"How do you allow the winning run to steal second base?!? That is as bonehead a managerial decision as I've seen all year long." pic.twitter.com/XZxHKbVfc1
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) September 12, 2023
With two outs in the ninth inning, the D-backs up by a run and runners on first and third, Arizona conceded second base to Tim Locastro. Despite Cohen calling it “as bonehead a managerial decision” as he had seen all season, the decision made total sense.
Again, there were two outs. Arizona’s focus had to be getting Brandon Nimmo out to end the game — nothing else mattered. When you consider that Nimmo is a left-handed batter who pulls the ball, Lovullo wanted first baseman Christian Walker in a position to make the play. Had he been holding the runner, any hit that went past Walker could have been enough to score the winning run with Locastro’s speed.
On top of that, Locastro was going to take second without a throw regardless of where Walker was playing. They weren’t going to risk a throw to second with the tying run on third and a backup catcher behind the plate.
If there was just one out, the D-backs may have played that differently. But they knew exactly what they were doing with two outs. And after all that, Nimmo flew out to center field to end the game.
Fans couldn’t believe that the broadcast had a meltdown over a correct decision either.
This was how Twitter reacted
I guess it’s too much to ask for the Mets broadcasters to know the skill sets and tendencies of their own players…I’m glad our dugout does though! https://t.co/A0VIS6oI3s
— Mike Fitzgerald (@MITFitz) September 12, 2023
Someone should explain to Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez why throwing through to second here would have been a stupid idea. https://t.co/NhFhFLOiWO
— Michael McDermott (@MichaelMcDMLB) September 12, 2023
Pathetic from the Mets announcers. Seems like frustrations from their own underwhelming team is getting to them. Not risking a throw to second with the game tying run on third in the bottom of the 9th is tough but it's a decent call. #Dbacks #Mets https://t.co/hOxrAh5ytw
— Aaron Hughes (@AaronrHughes) September 12, 2023
There's a guy on 3rd why risk a throw to 2B and let the tying run walk in? Mets announcers reaching in a dissappoint szn. https://t.co/56kJM4XpeQ
— Suhongva (@Suhongva92) September 12, 2023
Few things:
1. A bad throw into center field ties the game
2. 3rd string catcher not known for a strong arm isn’t throwing out Tim Locastro anyhow
3. 2 outs. Forget the runners, get the batter out and the game is over.
Hilarious overreaction from the Mets broadcast. https://t.co/txcGBwdSj1
— the one they call arthur chase (@Mynameisjackaz) September 12, 2023
So, let me get this straight:
Tim Locastro at 1B.
Tying run at 3B.
And it’s a boneheaded decision to not risk sailing a ball into the outfield that would’ve scored BOTH runners?
Locastro is fast enough that he scores from 1B or 2B on anything more than a weak single.
— Alex D’Agostino (@AlexDagAZ) September 12, 2023
This is why your team is 10 games out of Wild Card spot and sellers at the deadline… @Mets https://t.co/tIAXMPCOUv
— Jordan Cuda (@J_Cuda90) September 12, 2023
Ahh yes the team that’s trying to avoid last place with the $300M payroll trying to talk about boneheaded managerial decisions now that’s funny. https://t.co/mfLvHPiABB
— David Garcia Jr ⚾️ (@Freight_Train6) September 12, 2023
I’m a fan of the SNY broadcasts, but they didn’t do their hw here. Locastro has played the most games in AZ under Lovullo. He started his career 29-0 on SBs. Starting C out on paternity list, 2 outs, dont risk a throw, focus on the batter, win a ballgame.
Who ended up winning? https://t.co/lZlucafCOP
— Dancin’ Rick (@GIFKingsbury) September 12, 2023
