While the Mets’ season has been over for a while, these final games matter a lot to guys like Tim Locastro who are hoping to make a big league roster next year. When Locastro and his agent talk with teams this winter about what he can bring to a team, they should use this play he made on Sunday night in Philadelphia as an example of the little things he does to make a team better.
In the sixth inning, Locastro made a brilliant—and unusual—decision on the base paths to prevent a double play and keep the inning alive.
Tim Locastro, Evasive Maneuvering pic.twitter.com/J8udyJYNnF
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) September 24, 2023
After Locastro reached with a one-out single, Jeff McNeil hit a weak grounder toward second. Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott charged the ball, which brought him right into Locastro’s path. It looked like Stott would be able to tag Locastro and throw to first to complete the double play and end the inning, but Locastro’s quick thinking prevented that.
As Stott drew nearer, Locastro suddenly dropped into a slide and Stott couldn’t make the tag. The Phillies were only able to make the play at first.
It was a genius play by Locastro. Most players would have tried to stop and forced Stott to choose between making the tag and making the throw. But by executing a textbook pop-up slide 45 feet from the base, Locastro was able to keep his momentum as he tried to reach second.
Locastro’s quick thinking kept the inning alive, which was very fortunate for the Mets. The next batter, Ronny Mauricio, hit a homer. Baserunning like that should be enough for Locastro, a 31-year-old pending free agent, to land a job somewhere next year.
