ST. LOUIS — New York Mets right-hander Chris Bassitt expressed frustration and concern for his teammates after three more Mets batters were plunked in Tuesday night’s 3-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, raising the team’s major league-leading total to 18.
Bassitt blamed the baseballs, which he says are “all different.”
“It’s extremely annoying to see your teammates constantly get hit, and if you get hit by certain pitches it is what it is, but to get hit in the head the amount that we’re getting hit is unbelievable,” Bassitt said. “I had some close calls tonight, and I’ve been hit in the face [by a line drive] and I don’t want to do that to anybody ever, but MLB has a very big problem with the baseballs. They’re bad. Everyone in the league knows it. Every pitcher knows it. They’re bad.
“They don’t care. MLB doesn’t give a damn about it. They don’t care. We’ve told them our problems with them, and they don’t care.”
Cardinals starter Jordan Hicks hit Dominic Smith in the second, and Pete Alonso was drilled by a Kodi Whitley pitch in the helmet in the eighth inning, after which benches and bullpens started to clear. Both benches were warned, and tensions quickly fizzled down. It’s the second time this season that Alonso has taken a pitch off his helmet.
In the ninth inning, Mets outfielder Starling Marte was plunked by Aaron Brooks with the bases loaded, leading to the final score.
Mets manager Buck Showalter said Alonso passed all of his concussion tests after Tuesday night’s game but said Alonso will probably sit out Wednesday afternoon’s game.
Showalter echoed Bassitt’s concern about Mets batters being hit in the head with pitches.
“It’s one thing to get hit in the toe or knee, but we’re getting a lot of balls in the head and the neck, and it’s just not good. Not good,” Showalter said. “You care about your players, and without getting into right and wrong and what have you, you reach a point where it’s about safety of your players. We’re lucky. You’re talking about a pitch that broke his helmet. It’s not good, I’m not happy.”
Bassitt (3-1) struck out six batters and allowed two hits and two walks in six innings to help the Mets pick up their franchise-best sixth straight series win to start the season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.