The polarizing broadcasting clip involving Francisco Lindor that went viral Wednesday came as a surprise to Lindor on Thursday.
In the fifth inning of Wednesday’s victory over the Phillies, the Mets shortstop caught a line drive from Edmundo Sosa on a play that began with Kody Clemens attempting to steal second base. Clemens, no doubt doubled off, made no attempt to return to first base.
Lindor lobbed a two-hopper to Pete Alonso for the double play, which apparently violated an unwritten rule for the NBC Sports Philadelphia broadcast.
“I’m not a big fan,” said commentator Ben Davis, a major league catcher in the 1990s and 2000s. “Be a little bit more professional about it.”
“Yeah, it’s almost like showing me up,” said announcer Tom McCarthy, a former Mets radio voice.
As the internet debated the play, Lindor was unaware of the criticism.
Informed about the comments, Lindor correctly pointed out that Clemens “was running to the dugout” when he flipped the ball to Alonso.
The runner had given up on the play, so the shortstop wanted to be as risk-free as possible in his throw to first. He did not want to airmail a toss.
“Instead of throwing it to first base, I threw it softer to make sure it was going to be an out,” Lindor said.
Lindor was not bothered by the comments and said the broadcasters were doing their jobs, but he defended how he conducts himself on the field.
“I wasn’t trying to show anybody up. That’s not how I play the game,” Lindor said before the Mets beat the Phillies, 4-2. “I don’t have much to say. I didn’t hear [it]. It doesn’t really mean much.”
If the Mets stay on turn in the next series, Kodai Senga would follow Justin Verlander and Tylor Megill and start Sunday against the Blue Jays in Queens.
Senga pitching on normal rest — for MLB pitchers, at least — is at least on the table for the first time this season.
Senga has received an extra day’s rest for each start after typically pitching once a week in Japan. Buck Showalter said the Mets would do some testing on Senga on Friday to see how he is bouncing back after an excellent start Tuesday.
“We’ll have some things prepared in case it doesn’t happen,” the Mets manager said.
Asked if he knew whom Sunday’s starter would be, Showalter tried to keep a straight face and responded: “I can tell you who it’s not going to be: Howie Rose.”
The Mets’ radio voice threw a ceremonial first pitch Wednesday nearly out of the righty hitter’s batter’s box.
After Mark Canha went deep in the fourth inning, the Mets had homered in 15 straight games, the second-longest such streak in franchise history.
Francisco Alvarez was back at the bottom of the order against righty Taijuan Walker.
The big-hitting catcher went 0-for-3 with a strikeout after he had been bumped up to No. 2 against lefty starters Sunday and Tuesday.
“First, it’s not a left-handed starter,” Showalter said in explaining Alvarez hitting ninth. “No. 2, I kind of like the top of the order behind him.”
“I don’t look at nine like conventional people might. … I don’t think it’s the worst hitter. It might be one of the more important spots in the order when you think about it.”