Jeff McNeil got the start in left field for the Mets on Tuesday night, his 12th at the position after spending the bulk of his time at second base, but on one particular play during the series opener in Atlanta, he looked like he didn’t belong.
As the Braves orchestrated their comeback from an early 4-1 deficit, Eddie Rosario laced a double towards McNeil in left, cruising into second as McNeil chased the ball down on the warning track. Rosario would eventually coast into third as McNeil picked up, and eventually dropped, the ball three times in a row before finally firing it back into the infield.
McNeil first tried to play the ricochet off the wall with his bare hand, but couldn’t secure the ball, then twice in a row tried to pick it up with his glove, only to see it squirt out and back onto the dirt on the warning track.
McNeil was finally able to get a hold of the ball, but the Mets were never able to regain hold of the game in a 6-4 loss.
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