The Mets dropped their 12th straight game, and this one stung in a particularly frustrating way.
Byron Buxton’s momentum-shifting home run off Nolan McLean might’ve been the difference-maker, but here’s the kicker – McLean may have accidentally telegraphed what was coming next.
It started with the pitch before the homer. McLean ran one inside on Buxton and immediately gestured “my bad” to the Twins star. That’s where things got interesting.
Ron Darling picked up on something crucial during the SNY broadcast. He pointed out that Buxton could now plan on the next pitch not being inside after that apology.
Ron Darling’s insights are great. He pointed out that the prior pitch was tight inside, and McLean offered Buxton a “my bad”. Ron said the apology tipped Buxton off that the next pitch wouldn’t be inside – and then he homered on an outside pitch. https://t.co/zwnoFjcgM1
— Kelley Franco (@threeinningfan) April 22, 2026
Sure enough, there’s Buxton leaning out over the plate, ready for something away. He turns on an up-and-away fastball and drives it deep to left field.
There’s no way he pulls that pitch if he’s not already leaning out, expecting it away from him.
The Mets still had the lead at that point, but the homer helped propel the Twins to eventually overtake them. McLean didn’t do anything inherently wrong – pitchers apologize for brushback pitches all the time. But if Buxton really was using that gesture to set up for the next pitch, it ended up costing New York.
Twelve straight losses creates the kind of hole that’s incredibly difficult to climb out of, no matter what comes next. Every little mistake gets magnified when you’re scuffling like this.
The way I see it, it’s just another example of how everything seems to be going wrong for this Mets team right now. Even the courtesies of the game are working against them.
