A bad moment was made worse by the Mets on Wednesday night.
After Luis Severino gave up a game-tying RBI single to the Nationals’ Juan Yepez in the top of the fourth inning of the Mets’ eventual 6-2 win, the starter didn’t back up home plate and catcher Francisco Alvarez — enabling another run to score after right fielder Tyrone Taylor made an errant throw.
SNY color commentator Ron Darling wasn’t too pleased with Severino’s effort on the play.
“This is inexcusable,” Darling said on the broadcast. “All it takes is a little hustle by a pitcher. When you give up a hit that could score a run, or a play is at third, 100 percent of the time, you have to back up.”
The same problem reared its ugly head on the very next play when Severino didn’t cover third base after a single by Ildemaro Vargas.
“You just have to do it,” Darling said. “It’s one of those plays that you could go three seasons without it affecting you — that the catcher blocks it each and every time, or it never goes by the third baseman. Literally three years.
“He [Severino] has taken it out of his game. It’s a shame. You have to back up. It’s the professional way to play the game.”
Severino’s second blunder ultimately didn’t cost the righty, who induced a lineout to left field to end the inning, strandong two runners in scoring position.
Nevertheless, a moment in the next half inning seemed to epitomize the importance of what Darling was stressing.
After the Mets loaded the bases on a single by Jose Iglesias, Washington starter Patrick Corbin snared a mishandled throw from right fielder Lane Thomas behind home plate — keeping the runners at bay.
“Corbin does what Severino failed to do,” said play-by-play man Gary Cohen.
After the game, manager Carlos Mendoza was asked about the situation, saying he and Severino both know what happened there.
“We’ll address it, he knows,” Mendoza said. “He let the play develop and he didn’t get where he needed to get. We’ll talk about it.”
Darling’s piercing comments about Severino not backing up hold extra weight given that he won a Gold Glove in his own right in 1989.
The former All-Star pitcher joined SNY teammate Keith Hernandez as the latest Mets commentator to express a gripe about something surrounding the team.
In the Mets’ win over the Pirates on Sunday, Hernandez expressed his distaste for one of the Mets’ chants fans have been using at times.
Despite Severino’s mental error, he allowed just two runs in 6 ¹/₃ innings in the Mets’ 6-2 win over the Nationals and is now 6-3 with a 3.78 ERA.