With a 1-0 lead against the Orioles at Citi Field, the Mets looked all set to steal a tight one, until a sudden managerial decision shifted the momentum with jarring speed. As the eighth inning opened, Carlos Mendoza faced a crossroads. Stick with David Peterson, who had been cruising, or play the matchup game against a lefty leading off the inning? Mendoza chose the former, hoping to squeeze one more out from his starter. But after a single put a runner on base, he turned to Ryne Stanek, just as Orioles manager Brandon Hyde countered with a lethal pinch-hit option: Gunnar Henderson.
But as it turned out, Stanek surrendered a two-run homer to Henderson, allowing the Orioles to turn the tables and power their way to an eventual 3-1 victory. “Peterson was brilliantly efficient all afternoon,” wrote MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo on X. “Mendoza understandably tried to squeeze one last out from him… That batter singled. Ryne Stanek entered and served up a go-ahead, two-run homer to pinch-hitter Gunnar Henderson.”
David Peterson was brilliantly efficient all afternoon. Carlos Mendoza understandably tried to squeeze one last out from him against a lefty leading off the eighth.
That batter singled. Ryne Stanek entered and served up a go-ahead, two-run homer to pinch-hitter Gunnar Henderson.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) July 10, 2025
Within minutes of Henderson’s blast landing in the right-field seats, social media exploded with criticism. Many fans questioned why Mendoza didn’t anticipate Henderson’s availability. The frustration wasn’t just about one decision; it was the weight of a season full of ‘almosts’ and missed chances piling up again.
Even those who understood the logic behind Mendoza’s decision couldn’t ignore the result. Stanek had been solid recently, but the moment called for feel as much as formula. The Mets were holding on to a lead, with their starting pitcher still in a groove, while Henderson had already caused trouble for them earlier in the series.
In a vacuum, the decision might not seem egregious. But context matters. The Mets have been teetering, and Mendoza’s margin for error continues to shrink. In a city where wins are demanded and patience is short, every move is magnified, and on this night, it came at the worst possible time.
Mendoza’s gamble backfires as Mets fans’ frustration boils over
It took only seconds for everything to spiral. One pitching change, just one, and a game the Mets had in their grasp slipped through their fingers. What looked like a routine late-inning move turned into the gut-punch moment of the night, with fans watching in disbelief as David Peterson’s gem unraveled before their eyes. While a few tried to defend Carlos Mendoza’s call, most weren’t in the mood for explanations. The conversation shifted fast from praising Peterson to questioning, yet again, what Mendoza was thinking.
“Nice job, Mendy, and this dogsh-t offense,” wrote a fan, sharing his unfiltered thoughts. It’s not just about one missed pitch; it’s the compounding frustration of watching an offense that vanishes after the second inning and a manager who has been making questionable calls. Fans are done sugarcoating it. When the lineup can’t tack on insurance runs and the skipper pulls a red-hot starter into a mess, it feels less like a strategy issue.
NICE JOB MENDY AND THIS DOGSHIT OFFENSE
— 𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞 ✞ (@PeteForMVP) July 10, 2025
And that’s the heart of it for many Mets fans. “This is why Mendoza was never a manager for 20 years,” wrote another fan. Decisions like these, substituting a starting pitcher locked into the game during an inning where the team holds a lead, showcase the judgment that distinguishes experienced managers from those still building their craft. For a fanbase starving for stability and tired of late-game struggles, Mendoza’s managerial inexperience is adding to the frustration.
“No, the problem was Mendoza pulling him mid-inning. EVERYTIME he pulls a pitcher mid-inning, everything goes wrong,” read a comment. The issue isn’t just that Mendoza pulled Peterson; it’s when he did it. It was more than just managing workloads or showing trust in the bullpen. It disrupted a rhythm that was working smoothly to begin with. Fans aren’t frustrated by one decision; they’re fed up with a trend that’s developing. Another fan echoed the same sentiment: “How many times have we seen this script? Small lead early, can’t build on it, blow it late. Who didn’t know this was going to happen?”
It’s like déjà vu. Fans didn’t just expect it; they knew it was coming. As soon as Mendoza made the switch, the writing felt like cutting into the outfield wall: another winnable game, another late-inning collapse.
“Mendoza special. Stanek will now have 5 losses on the season. 4 of those were in games the Mets were winning when he entered the game. And Mendoza goes to him in a one-run game with a runner on. Makes NO sense,” one more X user commented. Well, that’s not just a stat, that’s a red flag. And yet, with a one-run lead and a runner on, Mendoza went right back to Stanek. No clean inning, no matchup advantage, just another high-risk mess handed to a reliever who has repeatedly struggled in those very spots.
It’s decisions like these that leave fans shaking their heads, asking the same question over and over: What exactly is the plan here? Because it’s clearly not working.
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