Fair Enough

Third base coaches’ names rarely come up in spaces like these unless one finds fault with a third base coach’s decision or execution on a pivotal play.
The Mets’ third base coach’s name is Mike Sarbaugh.
I don’t think I’ve ever brought it up here before despite Mike having been the Mets third base coach these past two seasons, one of which extended into the playoffs, another of which is — despite recent trends — poised to do so again.
Ignoring Mike Sarbaugh until something goes wrong is probably not fair.

Here’s why I and no doubt you noticed Mike Sarbaugh Monday night.
Mike Sarbaugh should have sent Tyrone Taylor.
You know what I’m talking about.
Carlos Santana dropped the relay throw.
You know which relay throw I’m talking about.
Taylor was around third when it was dropped.
Sarbaugh has to make a snap decision based on the best available evidence.
The best available evidence to Sarbaugh was a relay throw had been made cleanly by Nolan Jones.

But Taylor was in there Monday night in the bottom of the ninth in a tie game as a pinch-runner, somebody who can score from first on a double to deep right.
Francisco Lindor doubled to deep right.
Taylor took off with every apparent intention of getting as far as he could.
He could have gotten home.
He could have won the game right then and there.

The game was 5-5.
The Mets had been behind, 5-0.
Sean Manaea had pitched beautifully through five before imploding in the sixth.
The Mets came back.
Pete Alonso hit his 251st career home run, putting him one behind Darryl Strawberry, a three-run job that got us on the board in the sixth.
Alonso was part of another rally, driving in one of two Met runs in the eighth.
Our bullpen didn’t do anything appreciably wrong for four-and-two-thirds.
Our defense was unforgivably sloppy.
But theirs was no great shakes, either.

It may or may not be fair to say Monday night’s 7-6 loss in ten innings to Cleveland at Citi Field came down to Sarbaugh holding up Taylor.
I understand what the third base coach saw.
I understand Juan Soto was up next with one out, and runners would be on second and third for him.
I understand that once Soto was intentionally passed (a predictable decision by the Guardians), the bases would be loaded for Alonso, he of the 4-for-4, 4 RBI night.
I understand that if Pete hits a bases-loaded fly ball with one out, Taylor trots home with the winning run.

I also understand that this team needs to grab chances when they appear.
Taylor rounding third was a chance.
Santana dropping the relay throw from Jones was a bigger chance.
The Mets took no chance.
Alonso struck out.
Jeff McNeil lined out.
We went to the ghost-running tenth, where Ryan Helsley pitched fine, but plays were not made on his behalf, and there, essentially, went the rest of the ballgame.

Sarbaugh should have sent Taylor.
Some night when the Mets win because Sarbaugh stopped a runner, I hope I remember to acknowledge the third base coach’s contribution.
It’s only fair.
Just as it’s fair enough to say his stop sign Monday night helped doom the Mets to their sixth loss in seven games.
Goodness knows they didn’t need any more help like that.