While ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball certainly has room for improvement, the broadcast’s use of in-game interviews and live microphones offers some great moments for fans watching at home.
That was definitely the case in Sunday’s Cardinals-Red Sox game when ESPN had first baseman Triston Casas mic’d up in the third inning. We got to hear exactly how a (kind of) slumping Nolan Arenado interacted with the opposing first baseman.
In late April and early May, Arenado went through a slump that saw his average drop all the way down to .232. He’s shown signs of breaking out of the rough spell as of late, particularly in the Red Sox series. But the struggles at the plate did lead to a great exchange once Casas asked Arenado for a jersey swap.
Arenado seemingly reserve jinxed himself out of a slump in the process.
Triston Casas asked Nolan Arenado for a jersey swap.
Nolan: "You take it, I can't hit in this thing" 😭 pic.twitter.com/8J73RZUrsM
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 15, 2023
When Cases asked to swap jerseys, Arenado responded, “You can take it. I can’t hit in this thing.”
Baseball works in mysterious ways, though. In the sixth inning, Arenado stepped to the plate and drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single to center.
Nolan is a liar pic.twitter.com/1SqoDrMIQz https://t.co/pLqDHb1ARF
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 15, 2023
He followed up that hit with a two-run home run in the eighth inning. It was his third home run of the series at Fenway Park.
Nolan Arenado reverse jinxing himself was a veteran move pic.twitter.com/F84rRkg7J3
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 15, 2023
I think the jersey worked just fine. MLB fans also enjoyed that mic’d-up conversation.
This was how Twitter reacted
Following this interaction, Arenado had a 2-run single and a towering HR over the Green Monster… 😂 #STLCards https://t.co/dJKudNrq1P
— Mitchell Ferris (@fishthe904) May 15, 2023
Hall. Of. Famer https://t.co/rDONPc3yjs
— Paul (@pbev8) May 15, 2023
he can in fact hit in this thing https://t.co/S3UPNhgc7Z
— kai (@cloaksandagger) May 15, 2023
very cool moment. Casas is a cool dude https://t.co/rLtMMNbnDu
— riley (@rnw1827) May 15, 2023
This whole interview has been amazing. I’m a fan for Triston Casas now 💯 https://t.co/1UxEpiE7Kf
— Johnny Quarantine 🥇 (@ADeeHD) May 15, 2023
he proceeds to hit a nuke 2 ABs later … 🤣
— Cam Faucett (@CamFaucett) May 15, 2023
MLB broadcasts need more of those moments.
