There isn’t a team that can manage to find a new low quite like the Mets. They can make a late-game meltdown look like an art form, and that was certainly the case on Wednesday afternoon.
After dropping the first two games of their series with the Dodgers, the Mets went into the eighth inning tied at 3-3. Reliever Adam Ottavino struggled, allowing two runs, and he was replaced by Jorge López. That was when everything really fell apart for the Mets.
The Dodgers added four more runs in the inning, which included a two-run shot from Shohei Ohtani. López was understandably frustrated with the outing, but that seemed to carry over into a conversation with third base umpire Ramon De Jesus. In the middle of Freddie Freeman’s at-bat, De Jesus ejected López from the game.
Jorge López has been ejected by third base umpire Ramon De Jesus.
López threw his glove into the crowd on his way off the field. pic.twitter.com/5BlF6badFQ
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 29, 2024
At that point, López was so heated that he tossed his glove over the netting and into the stands before heading to the clubhouse.
It was unclear why López was upset with De Jesus as the umpire actually saved López from a throwing error earlier in the inning. But something was clearly said that got De Jesus — who is notoriously quick to eject players/managers — to toss López in the middle of an at-bat.
Jorge López's pickoff attempt at third base deflected off Brett Baty and hit third base umpire Ramon De Jesus pic.twitter.com/S1NzEVfmRl
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 29, 2024
If that sequence doesn’t sum up the Mets’ season, I don’t know what does.