The Twins and Joe Mauer were the latest victims of atrocious postseason umpiring in Friday’s game against the Yankees, when the likely MVP sliced a liner down the left-field line and had it drop a foot fair, only to see the ball ruled foul by left-field umpire Phil Cuzzi.
Cuzzi did have to contend with left fielder Melky Cabrera’s body on the play, as the ball ticked off Cabrera’s glove and then dropped, but he hardly seemed to be screened. He should have had a clear view of the ball coming down inside the line.
Cuzzi’s sole purpose in being on the field is making that call, and he simply didn’t do his job. It’s just the latest example of an obvious call being missed by a seemingly bored umpire, and it’s yet another in a long line of great cases for expanded instant replay in baseball.
Forget putting six umpires on the field. Simply put one in the booth with the TBS, FOX or whatever feed in front of him. Within 10 seconds of Cuzzi making the call, it was obvious to the millions of people watching that he had blown it. Why should anyone stand for it? We need to let the players on the field decide the game’s outcome, and technology can help get us closer to that goal.
MLB homer leader Pete Alonso to IL with bone bruise, sprain in wrist
Dale Zanine/USA TODAY Sports
PITTSBURGH — The New York Mets will have to dig out of an early-season hole without star first baseman Pete Alonso.
The leading home run hitter in the majors will miss three-to-four weeks with a bone bruise and a sprain in his left wrist.
The Mets placed Alonso on the 10-day injured list Friday, retroactive to June 8. Alonso was hit in the wrist by a 96 mph fastball from Charlie Morton in the first inning of a 7-5 loss to Atlanta on Wednesday.
Alonso traveled to New York for testing on Thursday. X-rays revealed no broken bones, but the Mets will be missing one of the premier power hitters in the game as they try to work their way back into contention in the NL East.
“We got better news than it could have been,” New York manager Buck Showalter said. “So we take that as a positive. It could have been worse.”
New York had lost six straight heading into a three-game series at Pittsburgh that began Friday. Mark Canha started at first for the Mets in the opener. Mark Vientos could also be an option, though Showalter said the coaching staff may have to use its “imagination” in thinking of ways to get by without Alonso.
“I’m not going to say someone has to step up and all that stuff,” Showalter said. “You’ve just got to be who you are.”
Even with Alonso in the lineup, the Mets have struggled to score consistently. New York is 16th in the majors in runs scored.
The team also said Friday that reliever Edwin Uceta had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Uceta initially went on the IL in April with what the team called a sprained left ankle. He is expected to be out for at least an additional eight weeks.
New York recalled infielder Luis Guillorme and left-handed reliever Zach Muckenhirn from Triple-A Syracuse. The Mets sent catcher Tomás Nido to Triple-A and designated reliever Stephen Nogosek for assignment.
Nogosek is 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA in 13 games this season.