Don Mattingly critical of umpires after Marlins’ loss to Mets: ‘It was shaky tonight’
The Marlins aren’t predicted to win a lot of games this season, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to just accept questionable umpiring.
Manager Don Mattingly made that clear after the Marlins (2-3) fell to the Mets 7-3 in front of an announced crowd of 6,489 Monday night at Marlins Park.
“I don’t understand a lot of it tonight, to be honest with you,” Mattingly said of the umpires’ calls. “… I understand the whole Marlins aren’t supposed to be good this year, and I guess it’s OK to pile on. But it’s got to be better than that. It was shaky tonight.”
Specifically, Mattingly was referring to a questionable hit-by-pitch call during the Mets’ game-deciding four-run ninth inning.
After Dominic Smith singled to start the frame, Juan Lagares looked to be hit by a pitch from Marlins reliever Drew Steckenrider on a bunt attempt. According to Mattingly, home plate umpire Sam Holbrook ruled it a hit by pitch because he felt Lagares made an effort to get out of the way of the ball.
The Marlins disagreed and challenged the play, but the hit-by-pitch ruling was upheld to give the Mets runners on first and second with no outs in the ninth inning.
“We’re looking at it and the ball hits the bat and then hits his hand,” Mattingly said. “I’m not quite sure about that one. He’s got his hands on the bat and I’m not sure about that one. I’m sure the league will look at that and we’ll get some kind of response and they’ll tell us the judgment or whatever. That’s a little shaky right there. That was a shaky call, to be honest with you.”
With the score tied 3-3 entering the ninth, the Mets (3-1) went on to score four runs on three hits, all against Steckenrider. Amed Rosario broke the tie with an RBI single. The next batter, Pete Alonso, crushed a three-run homer over the center-field fence to provide some breathing room.
Mattingly also disagreed with a pair of pitches that were called balls in the second inning and prolonged the Mets’ at-bats — a pitch to Michael Conforto, who went on to hit a single, and a pitch to Jeff McNeil, who went on to hit an RBI double to cut the Marlins two-run lead to one. Both pitches in question would have been the third strike.
“They cost us a run early. Sam [Holbrook] misses two, Conforto’s strike three and McNeil’s strike three in the run inning. That cost us probably 15 pitches with [Caleb Smith] and it cost us a run. I guess I’m not supposed to complain about calls or whatever, but the league needs to look at it because it was shaky tonight.”
Marlins starter Caleb Smith ended up pitching five innings, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out eight. It marked the 27-year-old’s first start since June 24 due to a Grade 3 lat strain that required season-ending shoulder surgery.
“I thought Smitty was OK. Honestly, he didn’t seem sharp to me,” Mattingly said. “I think fastball command was not great tonight. But he hung in there. It’s not as clean as we’ve seen him in some outings in spring. But Smitty hung in there, still gets us through five and really with one. It should have been one run. Obviously, we’ve seen Smitty better.”
It was a back-and-fourth affair from the start, with the Marlins taking an early 2-0 lead on a two-run homer from Starlin Castro But the Mets tied the score at two in the fourth inning when J. D. Davis scored on a wild pitch, adding to the second-inning run scored on McNeil’s double.
Castro delivered again in the sixth inning for his third RBI of the night, when he hit a sharp single to left field to score Rosell Herrera from third base. But it didn’t take long for the Mets to respond, with a solo homer Lagares in the seventh inning against Marlins reliever Tyler Kinley.
Then the Mets scored four in the ninth inning to take control.
Next up for the Marlins is the second contest of their three-game set against the Mets on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. Miami will start right-hander Jose Urena against New York left-hander Jason Vargas.
This story was originally published April 1, 2019 at 10:21 PM.
