In the midst of the Mets being swept in a three-game set by the Tigers, reigning National League batting champion Jeff McNeil took issue with umpire Adam Beck during an at-bat in the second inning.
A frustrated McNeil, who went 1-for-10 in the series, was not happy with a called third strike on a pitch that appeared to be out of the zone.
The Mets second baseman, who was already headed up first base after the offering from Detroit’s Eduardo Rodriguez, was stopped in his tracks by a very late call from Beck.
During the telecast of the game, microphones caught the angry McNeil screaming: “Are you s---ing me?” several times in utter disagreement following the apparent missed call.
Despite the profanity, Beck showed restraint and did not toss McNeil from the game for the outburst.
“ARE YOU SHITTING ME?”
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 4, 2023
-Jeff McNeil, 2023 pic.twitter.com/ijVctW6zpV
The Mets, who managed just three hits in the 2–0 loss, have now lost eight of their last 10 games overall.
Fans of the team from Flushing can only hope that more players show the fire McNeil displayed before the team falls further behind the first-place Braves in the NL East. Following the loss, New York now trails Atlanta by six games in the race for the division crown.