Chicago Cubs postgame host Cole Wright of Marquee Sports Network roasted New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza. Credit: Marquee Sports Network; SNY (Carlos Mendoza) Credit: Credit: Marquee Sports Network; SNY (Carlos Mendoza)
By Matt Clapp on

The New York Mets’ losing streak reached 11 games with a 2-1 loss in 10 innings to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday at Wrigley Field. And Cubs postgame show host Cole Wright of Marquee Sports Network delivered commentary that even some Mets fans would support right now when it comes to New York manager Carlos Mendoza.

As Cubs Postgame Live began, Wright said, “I think Carlos Mendoza may want to update that LinkedIn page, Elise.”

Marquee analyst Elise Menaker responded, “You pitch to Nico Hoerner, that’s what you get. He’s one of the best with RISP (runners in scoring position).”

“Former major-league manager, not great at managing late-game situations. That’s what the update may look like,” Wright added.

In the bottom of the tenth inning, the Cubs had speedy Pete Crow-Armstrong on third base with one out and Nico Hoerner due to bat in a 1-1 game. As Menaker alluded to, Hoerner is one of the best hitters in baseball when it comes to runners in scoring position because of his elite ability to put the bat on the baseball and spray it all over the field. His 9.3 strikeout percentage ranks sixth in the majors, and his strikeout rate is below 11 percent for his career. That’s to go with having an excellent .325/.402/.518 slash line on the season.

With first base open and the winning run at third base, and with a struggling Michael Busch on deck, Mendoza chose to pitch to Hoerner, who hit the first offering from Mets pitcher Craig Kimbrel for a walk-off sacrifice fly. It was an inexplicable decision, and Mendoza provided a weak explanation for it in his postgame media session.

“In that situation, especially with Hoerner, you put him at first base, they’re going to take second base there,” Mendoza said. “You know there’s a contact situation there, but then they got some of their best hitters coming up after that, too. No, I was just going right after him.”

Busch, while a star last season for the Cubs, has a .184/.262/.192 slash line this season, and is a double-play candidate who had already grounded out three times in the game. Even if Hoerner were to steal second, as Mendoza suggested, the Mets could have then loaded the bases for Alex Bregman to set up a potential double play. Bregman, like Busch, is off to a slow start this season and grounded into his league-leading fifth double-play of the year earlier in the game.

There wasn’t a great choice for the Mets, and odds were against them regardless. But Mendoza made the very worst choice in pitching to Hoerner and predictably paid for it.

On Saturday, after the Mets’ losing streak hit 10 games, Mendoza told the media, “We want to win as much as [the fans] do… We’ve got to go out and do it. I understand how they’re feeling. I’d be pissed too if I’m a fan. I’m pissed. They’re pissed.”

And that was followed by the Mets blowing the next game in the ninth inning, to go with Mendoza capping it off in extras with a nonsensical choice on a game-deciding play.

While Wright’s comments may seem pretty harsh coming from an opposing team’s broadcast, he raises a fair question on the job security of Mendoza at this point.

The Mets have a day off on Monday before hosting the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, and it will be interesting to see if Mendoza is still managing the team as New York looks to put an end to this embarrassing losing streak.

About Matt Clapp

Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.

He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.

View all posts by Matt Clapp