Diamondbacks backup catcher Adrian Del Castillo might need to go to the Keith Hernandez School of Baseball after he missed a tag in the sixth inning of a tie game Wednesday night.
Del Castillo had plenty of time to tag out Starling Marte but whiffed on the tag, allowing the Mets to grab a one-run lead in their eventual back-breaking 8-5 loss in Phoenix.
“You have got to catch that ball and cover the bag,” Hernandez added, radiating frustration with the backup catcher’s lack of fundamental baseball. “It’s a la-di-da tag. It’s right on the line. Get there and — you can block the plate after you’ve got the ball.”
“That’s just a terrible … terrible tag,” Hernandez concluded.
The Mets had battled back from a 4-0 hole to tie the game at 4-all and had the speedy Marte on third with one out when Pete Alonso lofted a fly ball to left field.
Marte raced outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s throw to the plate, which came in perfectly on one hop and provided ample time for Del Castillo to make the tag.
The Mets outfielder, though, creatively slid around the Diamondbacks catcher, who did not get in front of the plate for the incoming collision.
It’s hard to argue that Marte would’ve been safe on the play had Del Castillo properly played the perfect throw from Gurriel, as the ball beat the runner in plenty of time.
Del Castillo is not the Diamondbacks’ normal backstop, with everyday catcher Gabriel Moreno landing on the injured list early in August.
“Here comes the throw on a hop, and Marte is safe,” Mets broadcaster Gary Cohen said as Hernandez simultaneously interjected with “bad tag.”
“A perfect throw by Gurriel on one hop to the plate, but Marte is able to beat the tag with a head-first slide, and the Mets take the lead, 5-4.”
Marte’s creative slide could’ve been the deciding factor in the game, but it went for naught.
Mets closer Edwin Diaz imploded in the bottom of the eighth inning when he threw eight of his first 10 pitches for balls before he served up a go-ahead grand slam to Corbin Carroll.
New York now sits four games back of the Atlanta Braves for the final wild-card spot as they send David Peterson to the mound Thursday afternoon in a virtual must-win game.
