On Wednesday night, the Mets made the bad moments even worse.
After Luis Severino allowed a tying single to the Nationals’ Juan Yepes in the top of the fourth inning of a game the Mets eventually won 6-2, the starting pitcher failed to cover home plate and catcher Francisco Alvarez, allowing another run to score on a throwing error by right fielder Tyrone Taylor.
SNY commentator Ron Darling wasn’t too pleased with Severino’s performance on the play.
“That’s inexcusable,” Darling said on the broadcast. “It just takes a little bit more work from the pitcher. When you give up a run or you’re playing third base, you’ve got to step back, 100 percent.”
The same problem surfaced again on the next play, when Severino failed to cover third base after Ildemaro Vargas singled.
“You just have to do it,” Darling said. “It’s one of those plays where if the catcher blocks it every time or the third baseman never catches the ball, it doesn’t affect you for three seasons. Literally three years.”
“he [Severino] He’s taken that out of his game. It’s unfortunate. He needs to step back. That’s how you play professionally.”
Severino’s second error didn’t end up costing the right-hander, as he ended the inning with a liner to left field with two runners in scoring position.
One moment early in the next innings, however, seemed to epitomise the importance of Darling’s emphasis.
After the Mets loaded the bases on a single by Jose Iglesias, Washington starter Patrick Corbin caught a throw from right fielder Lane Thomas behind home plate, keeping the runners at bay.
“Corbin did what Severino couldn’t,” play-by-play announcer Gary Cohen said.
After the game, coach Carlos Mendoza was asked about the situation and said both he and Severino knew what happened.
“We’re going to address that, and he knows that,” Mendoza said. “He let the play develop and he didn’t get where he needed to be. We’re going to talk about that.”
Darling’s astute comments about Severino not playing as a backup carry even more weight considering he was a Gold Glove winner himself in 1989.
The former All-Star pitcher followed his teammate Keith Hernandez on SNY as a Mets commentator, voicing his dissatisfaction with something surrounding the team.
During the Mets’ win over the Pirates on Sunday, Hernandez expressed his displeasure with one of the chants that Mets fans sometimes use.
Despite the mental miscues, Severino 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.
