The Mets’ performance on Wednesday may not have been particularly spectacular, but fans got some fun via the broadcast booth.
After the team was trailing the Twins by five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and ultimately lost 8-3, SNY play-by-play announcer Gary Cohen and analyst Keith Hernandez got into a casual spat about Hernandez’s use of the nickname “Twinkies.”
“I don’t think the Twins like being called ‘Twinkies,'” Cohen countered, referring to Twinkie the Kid. “It’s kind of a little insulting to say the least.”
“No, no, I mean that very sympathetically,” Hernandez said. “I have nothing but positive things to say about it. We called them Twinkies. Always thought that was a cool name. We’re going to call them the Twins.”
Cohen continued to act as an intermediary.
“That’s OK, call me what you want,” the veteran announcer said, “I just don’t want to take out my anger on the other guy, because we don’t see each other that often.”
Hernandez then joked that he never uses the nickname “Twinkies” when talking about Minnesota legends like Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew and Cesar Tovar.
“Maybe this tells us exactly where we are now,” Cohen mused.
The controversy may have temporarily distracted Mets fans, but the team still lost to the Twins.
Starter Luis Severino was ineffective, allowing six runs and six hits in just three innings.
Meanwhile, Minnesota won the final game of the three-game series thanks to home runs from Byron Buxton and Matt Wallner.
Twins starter Pablo Lopez also pitched strongly, allowing two runs and striking out seven in six innings.
The loss put the Mets at 57-51, 1/2 game behind the in-form Padres for the final National League wild card spot.
The team’s SNY booth has provided some memorable moments throughout the 2024 campaign, including poking fun at Yankees announcer Michael Kay and Ron Darling scolding Severino for not backing up on a throw to third base in early July.
The Mets will look to get back on track with a 10-game, four-city road trip that begins Friday against the Angels in Los Angeles at 9:38 p.m. ET.
