ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It took less than two innings for the Mets to fall in love with the quirks of Tropicana Field.
Brett Batty hit a ball in the second inning against the Rays that apparently disappeared, then reappeared in the right field seats and hit a three-run home run.
With two outs and second base, Batty hit a center field sinker from starter Aaron Civale, and almost everyone in the park believed it was going to be a fly out.
Tampa Bay’s Harold Ramirez was camped pretty deep on the right side, waiting for the ball but couldn’t find it.
Ramirez threw out his arm in confusion, and the ball disappeared somewhere in the catwalk-filled dome — before the estimated 378-foot home run could be seen far behind him.
Before this series against the Rays, the Mets had not played at the infamous AL East stadium since 2021.
