Mets’ Brett Baty Hit in the Face by Ball on Embarrassing Error vs. Dodgers

The infield pop fly got the better of the rookie third baseman.

Mets third baseman Brett Baty made an egregious error during the top of the ninth inning in a one-run game against the Dodgers on Saturday.

With one out and runners on second and third base, Max Muncy hit a shallow pop fly that didn’t even leave the infield. Despite its lack of distance, the fly ball managed to confuse Baty, who struggled to track it over at the hot corner.

Baty ended up losing the ball, diving to the ground as he tried to recover in time to catch it. After the ball hit the ground, it careened back up and smacked the 23-year-old right in the face. The rookie looked stunned as he picked the ball up off the dirt, realizing he’d just made a costly mistake in an important moment of the game.

Oh my goodness 😳

What is happening in Queens?... pic.twitter.com/FAG4ZxHuWu

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 16, 2023

All the while, the Dodgers extended their late lead to 3–1 as Mookie Betts came across to score an insurance run.

Los Angeles would tack on two more runs in the inning, going on to win 5–1. It’s the fourth consecutive loss for New York, dating back pre-All-Star break. 

The Mets fell to 42–50 on the year with Saturday’s defeat, falling further out of the playoff race despite their lofty preseason expectations.