The Mets lost the series decider against the Diamondbacks, and it’s the same script repeated. Offense faltered, and pitching couldn’t prevent run flow. However, Sunday witnessed a few brutal errors on the field that cost the game for the Mets. Blame it on the Mets’ luck or incompetence, a veteran who was picked up just a week ago to bolster the offense was the one who gifted the game to the D-Backs.

Manager Carlos Mendoza was asked after the game, and fans are left unamused with his templated response.

“Those are routine plays. At this level, you expect those plays to be made. As simple as that,” Mendoza said about Andy Ibáñez.

Ibáñez committed two errors on Sunday, which were routine plays. His first error happened in the fourth when the Mets’ David Peterson was on the mound. He allowed a two-out single to James McCann in the fourth and should have ended the inning on Jorge Barrosa’s grounder. But Ibáñez’s error caused Peterson to again come back to retire the D-Backs’ next batter.

While this error proved nothing fatal for the Mets, Ibáñez’s second throw in the sixth inning was. D-Backs’ Ildemaro Vargas hit a grounder to the third, and it was a routine out as he covered the first. Ibáñez’s throwing error allowed Vargas to reach leading off the bottom of the sixth. His throw from the hot corner pulled Mark Vientos off the first for an error. Result?

The inning continued, and the D-Backs responded with back-to-back two-out run-scoring knocks. Ketel Marte’s ensuing triple widened the deficit to 5-1. All three runs were unearned. “I stood a little bit wide, and it got away from me,” Ibáñez said through interpreter Alan Suriel. “It’s one of those things where you don’t want it to happen, but it’s baseball.”

It’s baseball, but such errors in a routine play, especially in New York, are a crime.

Sunday’s loss thus could be attributed solely to the Mets’ fielding blunders. The 33-year-old Andy Ibáñez was designated for assignment last week by the A’s after playing 11  games in 2026 and recording 2-for-17 (.118) with three RBIs. The Mets picked him up off waivers for a boost to their offense. Probably Ibáñez’s 2023 slashline, .264/.312/.433 with 11 home runs, made the Mets front office believe in Ibáñez.

In reality, he is still hitless after 3 starts with the Mets, and now his defense gaffe has added to the woes.

Mendoza’s response was the same as his earlier response to the Mets’ struggle. Last month, Mendoza was asked about the Mets’ struggle. “It’s just not a good showing, not good at-bats up and down [the lineup],” he responded. Nothing has improved so far. This time again, Mendoza’s similar response caused outrage among the fans who were demanding accountability for a long time.

The Mets fans are left unamused

Mendoza gets questioned for selecting ineligible players in the roster. “Why is Andy Ibáñez playing?” One fan asked. “Almost like he’s a f—— waiver claim for a reason. Quit putting these players on the team,” another added.

We also wonder about why the Mets chose to proceed with Ibáñez. With the A’s, he was already struggling at .118. The Mets, boasting one of the worst offenses in MLB, needed a spark, not a player at a low point in production. It feels more off when the Mets have prospects like Nick Morabito in the minors. Morabito is hitting .267 in 2026 in AAA. He is coming off with a .273 average last year.

Still, Ibáñez was selected and no wonder, Mendoza’s response wasn’t what the fans were asking.

“But wait, didn’t Boy Genius say the focus was on defense and run prevention?” one user took a dig at the Mets president, David Stearns. “Stearns destroyed this team. And his evaluation of players is wrong. Obvious to anyone,” another added. Last September, Stearns said, “Run prevention is where we fell short this year… It’s where we need to get better.”

After playing 40 games this year, the Mets have already committed 20 errors. And as per the Mets fans, the blame also goes to Stearns for the wrong selection. Last offseason, the Mets let go of names like Jeff McNeil and Brandon Nimmo and landed Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien. After about 40 games, McNeil is hitting .283, Nimmo is hitting .273, Bichette is at .222, and Semien is hitting .225.

So, the Mets botched their roster development since the offseason, and picking up Ibáñez is the latest example. “He doesn’t belong at this level, and you keep playing him so it’s on you, Mendoza…. bum a–!!!!” One fan took a dig at Mendoza. It’s surely a manager’s job to have the final say in the roster development. And Mendoza is putting Ibáñez in the active roster means the blame goes to him also.

The Mets are currently 15-25 in the NL East, and fans are left wondering if anything worse is yet to come.