The New York Mets haven't had much to complain about amid an MLB-best 21-10 start to this season, but that record could be even gaudier had the team not found itself on the wrong end of not one, not two but three different blown calls in recent days.
As if the safe call in Minnesota or the phantom triple play in D.C. weren't bad enough already, Wednesday's ump show took the cake. To be clear, New York had only itself to blame for trailing the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-1 entering the bottom of the ninth inning. But it looked like the Mets might manage to rally all the same, starting the frame with a solo homer, two walks and a hit by pitch to put the tying run into scoring position with still nobody out.
Unfortunately, that's when the umpiring crew decided to get involved.
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Missed call costs the Mets an out during potential ninth-inning rally
A Mark Vientos strikeout kept the score at 4-2 with one man out, with Jesse Winker coming up with a chance to tie or win the game. On the third pitch of the at-bat, Winker hit what he thought was a foul ball that caromed off his foot. But the umpires didn't see it that way, ruling it a groundout to first base.
Upon closer inspection, it sure seems like the umps got it wrong — but manager Carlos Mendoza was helpless to challenge it, as the play isn't reviewable according to MLB rules.
While the grounder brought another run in, it came at the cost of a very valuable out. Francisco Alvarez grounded out himself in the ensuing at-bat, and suddenly what had seemed like a sure come-from-behind win had become a 4-3 victory for Arizona.
Of course, there's nothing to say for sure that this call cost the Mets the game. It's entirely possible that Winker would've grounded out or popped out or struck out later in the at-bat anyway. But New York had all the momentum here, and Winker has shown a flair for the dramatic in the past. Unfortunately for New York, the umps took the bat out of his hands, and potentially a win off the board that could come back to haunt the team amid what figures to be a tight NL playoff chase.