Over the course of a 162-game season, even the best MLB teams have bad moments and even the worst will have bad moments. But it will be hard to imagine any one play better summing up a team’s season than what happened to New York Mets outfielder Jeff McNeil on Friday against the Philadelphia Phillies.
McNeil stepped into the batter’s box for a tenth-inning at-bat against Philadelphia’s Seranthony Domínguez. The first pitch from Domínguez was inside, but McNeil swung anyway, producing a foul tip.
Ordinarily, this wouldn’t be much of a big deal. But this was a different situation. McNeil didn’t just foul the ball off. He fouled it off into himself, hitting an unfortunate part of his own body.
Jeff McNeil drew a walk in the 10th inning after this happened on the first pitch of the at-bat.
(via @AppleTV) pic.twitter.com/HsXRndylpg
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) September 23, 2023
If any play sums up what’s happened to the Mets in 2023, it’s this or Brett Baty’s misplay of a popup that bounced off of the ground and into his face.
In both cases, baseball fans had a lot of commentary.
He should be afraid to swing after that https://t.co/jGH4hiH7jp
— Roy Bellamy (@roybelly) September 23, 2023
Jeff McNeil our thoughts are with you sir 😫 pic.twitter.com/8SB4scopKo #LGM #MLBTwitter
— TEAM NBS Media (@TeamNBSMedia) September 23, 2023
If there was single video to describe what being a Met fan is like; this is it https://t.co/uiNb223cAP
— Jenny Snowstorm (@littlerussianx3) September 23, 2023
Jeff Mcneil’s season in 2023 …#LGM pic.twitter.com/fFb5n1nWdC
— The Shea & Son's Podcast (@SheaNSons) September 23, 2023
Ok, I am going to need the Jeff McNeil getting hit in the balls with a pitch he swung at with the Hans Moleman getting hit in the groin sound effects.
— Steamboat Philly (@YoshkeZoidberg) September 23, 2023
the real definition of two balls one strike https://t.co/rE326f54cc
— Sachi🧜🏽♀️ (@gaybres) September 23, 2023
This is the only thing that hadn’t yet happened to the Mets this year. Season complete. ✅ https://t.co/Dz47vT0xXo
— Danonymous Man (@DanonymousMan) September 23, 2023
While McNeil did end up drawing a walk anyway, it didn’t make much of a difference. Pete Alonso followed McNeil and struck out to end the New York half of the inning. In the bottom half of the inning, Philadelphia’s Alec Bohm singled to drive in Trea Turner to win the game. And with that, the Mets were officially eliminated.
[SNY Mets, Photo Credit: Apple TV]
