A failed suicide squeeze ran the Braves out of a golden alternative Thursday in what finally turned a mistake-filled extra-innings loss to the Mets.
Outfielder Ramon Laureano — who later overran Jeff McNeil’s walk-off single within the 3-2 loss — was caught between third base and residential plate after Jarred Kelenic didn’t try and bunt on a pitch means out of the zone, leading to Laureano being tagged for the second out in a tied sport within the tenth inning.
“I don’t know what that was, fairly truthfully,” Braves supervisor Brian Snitker mentioned when requested about Laureano’s learn. “You’re going to should ask them. I didn’t have something. We usually don’t bunt in that state of affairs however I used to be making an attempt to attain a run, and we had two fairly good hitters developing, I believed.
“That’s unacceptable.”
Laureano and Kelenic tried the squeeze play seemingly on their very own with one out and a runner on third base, with Austin Riley, Marcell Ozuna, and Matt Olson to observe.
Kelenic squared up earlier than Mets reliever Phil Maton launched the pitch and Maton launched a excessive and out of doors pitch that may have been fairly troublesome — if not inconceivable — to put down a good bunt.
Nevertheless, with a security squeeze, it’s on Kelenic to at the very least try and make contact to stop his runner from being caught in no-man’s land, which is strictly what occurred.
“I feel it’s fairly easy,” Kelenic mentioned, per MLB.com. “I feel I’ve acquired to swing the bat there. I used to be making an attempt to do an excessive amount of. I feel that’s all there’s to it.”
It appeared as if Laureano had an opportunity to get again to 3rd, however he hesitated on the throwback to 3rd base and he was useless to rights.
Through the rundown, Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez took exception to a shoulder shot from Laureano, however neither aspect acquired overly heated after the play.
The bottom-running blunder marked the second in as many innings by the struggling Braves.
Within the ninth, free-agent pickup Whit Merrifield was additionally thrown out making an attempt to steal third base, though the Mets broadcast sales space disagreed with the evaluation by umpires.
“For those who’re not scoring, you possibly can’t make outs on the bases like that,” Snitker mentioned.
Laureano, a Gold Glove-nominated outfielder in 2020, added to his depressing evening within the backside of the inning when he overran McNeil’s game-winning single on a fly ball to proper area.
“It’s laborious on the highway to win scoring one run,” Snitker mentioned. “While you’re not scoring runs, you bought to just about play clear baseball.”
For the Mets, it’s their fourth straight win and third over projected playoff groups, though neither the Yankees nor the Braves are taking part in significantly sound baseball proper now.
The Reds simply swept Atlanta in a two-game collection and Atlanta has now dropped 5 straight video games.
The Mets’ (54-48) successful streak places them a half-game behind Atlanta for the highest wild-card slot with three video games remaining on this four-game set.
They’ll ship Kodai Senga to the mound Friday for his season debut reverse Charlie Morton with an opportunity to overhaul the Braves.
