The second game of the New York Mets’ Tuesday night visit to Fenway Park featured some surprising pyrotechnics. Home plate umpire Mike Estabrook dismissed Red Sox starting pitcher Walker Buehler and manager Alex Cora. The league office and the umpire’s union should closely examine the entire exchange because it presents Estabrook in a negative light. However, Francisco Lindor was at the center of it all.
Lindor was struck on the back foot in the top of the third inning. Buehler believed Lindor leaned into the pitch on purpose. Lindor stole second base after Juan Soto, the following batter, was given a favorable ball call. This threw Buehler over the edge, as he shouted at Estabrook from the mound. After taking a few steps in the direction of the mound, the combative umpire dismissed Buehler and Cora.
Francisco Lindor vindicated by Mets-Red Sox replay
The ball really struck Lindor’s back foot, despite the Red Sox and Buehler’s claims that he leaned into an inside pitch. The baseball did not strike Lindor’s front knee, but it did buckle. In essence, it doesn’t matter if the Mets star leaned into the pitch. The baseball fell on his back foot, which was still.
We don’t have much defense for the remainder of the play. As Estabrook threw Buehler out, Lindor shouted enthusiastically in the spirit of competitiveness. Lindor was probably ecstatic at the moment since the Red Sox were using up their bullpen and the Mets were getting better matchups. Sadly, things did not turn out that way for New York. In a 2-0 triumph, the Sox’s ‘pen shut out the Mets despite having to cover almost seven innings. In his social media retort to Lindor and the umpires, Buehler may have stated it best.
“Neither would I want to be out there. Unfortunately, there are a lot of [expletive] animals in the BULLPEN. “Hard decision,” Buehler remarked.
Buehler is right. The Red Sox bullpen performed well on Tuesday. When these two teams play the last game of their series on Wednesday night, it will be interesting to see if some of those same superstars can manage a fast turnaround.
