New York Mets interim manager Andy Green pointed to “the dumbest rule in baseball right now” after the 4-3 loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday.
The play happened in the game-deciding third inning, which started with Kyle Tucker’s home run off the right-field foul pole. With Dalton Rushing on first, Shohei Ohtani hit a ground ball that could have easily turned into a double play. However, when the Mets tried throwing to second to catch Rushing, Brett Baty’s throw bounced off Rushing’s helmet. As a result, Ohtani and Rushing reached first and third safely. The Mets made another error on a double-play ball, leading to Rushing scoring.
After the game, Green objected that Rushing veered onto the grass, which intentionally or unintentionally got in the way of Baty’s throw.
“Play with Brett at first,” Green said. “It is a play where you have to get rid of it quickly and thread that gap that exists there before the runner veers into the grass. In baseball right now, that’s probably the dumbest rule in baseball, that you can run into the grass to get in the way of the throw. Certainly, that’s something that’s pretty uniform across the game now, where everybody is doing it. In the last couple of years, you’ve seen that play frequently.”
Green defended Baty, claiming it is not an easy play when runners are allowed to veer on the grass with a chance to deflect the throw.
“That is not an easy play for any first baseman to make. That’s why every runner veers into the grass. It’s pretty stupid that we continue to let that be a rule, but it is a rule, so we have to deal with it,” Green added.
Mets Error-Prone Night Led to Dodgers’ 4-3 Win
Once again, the Mets’ defensive miscues became a source of bother for them, as they have been for many games this season.
On Saturday night at Citi Field, the Dodgers scored three runs in the third inning, but only one of them was earned.
After Tucker’s solo home run snapped Mets ace Nolan McLean’s 19-inning streak without allowing an earned run, the Mets made two costly errors. After the above-mentioned error that was charged against shortstop Francisco Lindor, the Mets couldn’t handle another ground ball.
Andy Pages hit a ground ball that the Mets couldn’t convert into a double play, leading Rushing to score. Later, Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez was charged with a passed ball, allowing Pages to score as well.
These errors ultimately proved costly for the home team, which tried making a comeback with a two-run eighth inning.
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