Following the Mets 8-1 loss to the Pirates at Citi Field, Terry Collins vocalized his frustration about the Mets’ botched double play during the 7th inning. Bobby Parnell induced a potential double play ball, but his throw sailed into centerfield because Ruben Tejada failed to cover the bag. The miscue opened the floodgates as the Pirates went on to score four runs during the inning.
“The guy who was covering has got to be there,” Collins said. “End of story. I didn’t see the replay. I heard the throw was okay, but we tried to put our guys in defensive positions depending on who’s pitching in the situation, and if you can’t there, you’ve got to move. You’ve got to be able to get there.”
“I’m late to the bag, that’s the only thing,” Tejada said. “Next time I have to play a little closer to the bag. A double play is a double play.” (Maria Guardado, NJ.com)
These are exactly the kind of mistakes the Mets can’t afford to make, especially against playoff caliber teams like the Pirates who will take advantage of them.
This was the second time in a row where a miscue on defense was a crucial turning point in the game. On Saturday, Daniel Murphy made an ill-advised throw to third base instead of taking the easy out at first during a tie game in the 14th inning. As a result of these mistakes, the Mets squandered an excellent opportunity to gain significant ground on Washington, who were swept by the Giants in San Francisco.
“When you go from thinking you’ve got to two to having first and third and none, it’s frustrating,” Murphy said. “That’s a good club over there and they made us pay for it.”
