NEW YORK — A sloppy loss for the New York Mets reached an embarrassing nadir in the top of the ninth inning Tuesday when they committed a misplay and multiple errors on one shallow fly ball from Gunnar Henderson.
New York had just scored four runs in the eighth to trim a six-run deficit to two. With two Baltimore Orioles on in the ninth, Henderson lifted a ball to shallow left field. The usually reliable Brandon Nimmo missed the ball while sliding, As it trickled to the side wall, Cedric Mullins came around to score from second.
Nimmo unleashed an errant throw home anyway, which skipped past catcher Francisco Alvarez and allowed Ryan Mountcastle to advance to third. Pitcher Danny Young, backing up the play, flung the ball past third and back into left field, permitting Mountcastle to score and Henderson to reach second. Nimmo threw home again, this time accurate but late, at which point Henderson took off for third, beating one more throw from Alvarez.
New York Mess pic.twitter.com/Uv0ODUxMTP
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) August 21, 2024
Four throws, no outs.
“We’ve just got to stop the play,” manager Carlos Mendoza said, thinking the Mets should have held the ball after Nimmo’s initial throw home. “Once you start throwing the ball all over the place, it’s not a good thing.”
Most nights, Nimmo probably wouldn’t have had any issue catching Henderson’s fly ball. However, he was just returning Tuesday night from a right shoulder injury that had knocked him out over the weekend. His one goal coming into the night?
“I wanted to avoid diving. Of course, baseball finds you,” he said. “When you’re timid toward things, that’s when mistakes happen.”
“We got back in the game and then we gave it (back) right away,” said Mendoza.
The two insurance runs provided a cushion for Yennier Cano and Craig Kimbrel to close the 9-5 victory in the ninth.
It wasn’t the only defensive miscue on the night for New York. Earlier in the game, Alvarez had stumbled trying to field and flip a swinging bunt to first base in one motion. In the process, nobody covered home plate, and Colton Cowser took advantage to score from second.
The lights are on but nobody’s home. pic.twitter.com/1cOvRYLSji
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) August 21, 2024
“It was just one of those nights,” said Mendoza.
The loss, combined with Atlanta’s win, dropped the Mets to 2 1/2 games out of the playoff picture in the National League.
(Photo of Ryan Mountcastle sliding past Francisco Alvarez: Wendell Cruz / USA Today)
