As the Los Angeles Dodgers extended their NL Championship Series Game 6 lead Sunday, the New York Mets could be left wondering, “What if?” by the end of the night.
What if they had capitalized on one of their two early bases-loaded situations, specifically in the top of the third inning when Jeff McNeil was left in to face left-handed Dodgers reliever Anthony Banda? At the time, New York was losing 2-1.
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And what if they had pinch-hit the right-handed Jose Iglesias, who has come up with so many big hits and memorable moments this season? Ex-Yankees and Mets outfielder Cameron Maybin would have made the early-game switch, and so, too, would many watching the Game 6.
“Damn, I can’t help but to think I’d rather see Jose Iglesias in that spot… just saying perfect time to pinch hit and he’s been pretty good with risp this year,” said Maybin, who played for 10 teams over his 15-season career, including with the Mets for nine games in 2021 before he retired.
In the third inning, the Mets loaded the bases with two outs thanks to an infield single by Pete Alonso, a walk by Jesse Winker and a hit-by-pitch of Tyrone Taylor.
In the Dodgers’ half of the third inning, they added four runs via two-run home runs by Tommy Edman and Will Smith. (The Mets got two back in the fourth inning to make it 6-3 thanks to a two-run home run by Mark Vientos):
Entering Sunday, McNeil had received six MLB plate appearances (all in the playoffs; no hits) since Sept. 6, when he suffered a fractured wrist. Even as Iglesias’ magic has cooled somewhat, McNeil hasn’t received a lot of competitive reps and he had a .621 OPS (75 OPS+) against lefties this regular season in 116 plate appearances. During the regular season, Iglesias had a .402 average and .999 OPS against left-handers in 101 plate appearances and batted .375 with a .902 OPS in 62 plate appearances with runners in scoring position, making a potential early pivot to him a logical one for manager Carlos Mendoza.
Still, many MLB fans shared similar thoughts to Maybin’s on X for what could be a costly decision:
@mojohill22: Expecting Jeff McNeil to come back from injury and be good was probably always a stretch.
Easy to say now in hindsight, but maybe Mendoza should have seen if there was any magic left in Jose Iglesias’s bat, despite his struggles.Jose Iglesias should have never come out of the lineup.
@Ben_Yoel: Carlos Mendoza should have pinch-hit Jose Iglesias for Jeff McNeil in that spot. It’s an extremely aggressive move in just the 3rd inning but those can sometimes be the difference between winning and losing. Especially when you consider Iglesias hits lefties a lot better.
@CoachBilly1: Jose Iglesias has been such a big piece of the Mets’ success this postseason, and in the biggest game of the year, they sit him for McNeil, who swings at an awful 3rd strike with the bases loaded
@DylanFearon: I know it’s the third inning but the #Mets could’ve pinch hit Jose Iglesias there. Needed a hit there and it was very unlikely McNeil was going to get one in a lefty-lefty matchup
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