The Mets have already exhausted the patience of their fans, but Tuesday’s blunder against the Cincinnati Reds took the frustration to another level. A clear mental mistake from a starting pitcher forced even the commentator to lose his cool and absolutely rip New York’s coaching staff.

“It happens every game, we just don’t point it out,” Ron Darling sharply criticized the Mets clubhouse on air during the second game against the Reds. 

It was their second 2-7 defeat in as many days, so the mood was always going to be negative. But it was one play during the sixth inning that grabbed the most attention for all the wrong reasons.

The Reds were already leading 6-0 when Tyler Stephenson scored on an RBI double to left field. Bo Bichette then made a wild throw from shortstop, forcing catcher Luis Torrens to track it down while Stephenson advanced to third base in the chaos. While the error was charged to Bichette, what really set Darling off was pitcher David Peterson standing idly near the mound.

“I don’t understand it,” Darling added. “It really tells me that coaches really don’t have as much influence as the players as they think they have because someone should rip someone at some point.”

Backing up the bases on the throws toward home is baseball 101. Pitchers learn that in Little League. And an MLB starter making such a mistake is absurd. That’s why the commentator bluntly stated that the coaches aren’t being strict because they don’t want to upset anyone. 

Notably, his frustration didn’t stem from just this game. Last week, the Mets were comfortably ahead of the Nationals 5-0 at the top of the second inning. But at the bottom of the same inning, James Wood hit an 85-mph sweeper to the left-field corner with the bases loaded. While debutant Nick Morabito failed to hang on to it and Tyrone Taylor chased it down in center field, Wood completed an inside-the-park grand slam. Washington ultimately won the game 9-6.

Even the Marlins series last weekend was riddled with defensive errors from New York. Combine that with an offensive slump, and the series sweep becomes easy to understand. And these aren’t isolated events.

The Mets rank 22nd in MLB with 29 errors this season and are averaging 0.51 errors per game. Their offense has also struggled badly, with a .226 team batting average and just 210 runs scored.

Gary Cohen, Darling’s co-commentator, was quite taken aback by his sudden outburst. He even tried to lower the frustration by asking if Darling really believed that the coaches weren’t addressing the issues at all. Ron Darling, a World Series-winning pitcher and Gold Glove winner, doubled down on his earlier statement.

“It might be, but not addressed the way it should be addressed, because if it wasn’t addressed, Gary, it wouldn’t happen,” he stated. 

played for the Mets during the 1980s and is well known for both his pitching (3.87 ERA) and exceptional defense, winning a Gold Glove in 1989. Because of that history, his words naturally carry extra weight around the organization.

Even Mendoza might be running out of answers

Carlos Mendoza told the reporters during the postgame interview that he would directly address the issues. He even suggested confronting Peterson about the huge mistake, and there are also speculations that the starter might be shifted to a bullpen role. And Sean Manaea, who replaced Peterson on the mound this Tuesday, might be replacing him as a starter. 

But Mendoza has expressed his discontent with the team’s overall performance. And he practically delivered an ultimatum to the clubhouse after the first 2-7 loss to the Reds this Monday. 

“There’s so much I could sit here and say that we worry – we’ve got to go out and do it ourselves,” Mendoza said, via SNY. “We’re not putting ourselves in good positions. It’s not early anymore. Whatever I say here doesn’t matter; we’ve got to go out there and do it.”

The Mets have been stuck at the bottom of the NL East for some time. And with a 22-33 record, there isn’t really much hope for a title run this season. The fans have repeatedly expressed their frustration with the manager and the front office.

Unfortunately, there haven’t been any real changes. And Mendoza hasn’t really been able to come up with a solid answer. That’s why Ron Darling’s scrutiny adds extra punch. And the fans will eagerly wait for some impact.