Mets set season hit-by-pitch record in loss to Brewers
Mark Canha of the Mets is hit by a pitch from Adrian Houser of the Brewers in the fifth inning during a game at American Family Field on Wednesday in Milwaukee. Credit: Getty Images/Patrick McDermott
MILWAUKEE — In the ninth inning of a game that was all but decided Wednesday, the Mets made history in a way that for months has infuriated manager Buck Showalter.
Brewers reliever Jake Cousins yanked a slider way inside, catching Luis Guillorme’s back foot. That was the 106th time this season opposing pitchers hit a Mets batter with a pitch, a modern baseball record.
The 2021 Reds, with 105 HBPs, previously held the mark. (Several teams in the late 1890s got plunked even more.)
Showalter asked for and received the record-setting baseball in the moments after Guillorme got hit. Tomas Nido then grounded into a double play to end a 6-0 loss.
“It would be obscene to tell you what I am going to do with it,” Showalter said. “No, I haven’t even thought about it, to be honest with you. I gave it to the hitting coaches. They can do with it what they want to."
Mark Canha got hit twice Wednesday to set a franchise single-season record with 24 HBPs. He passed Brandon Nimmo’s 2018 total of 22. Nimmo has 16 this year and is the Mets’ all-time leader with 57.
The Mets don't think many or any of the drillings have been intentional. But they do get annoyed, occasionally enraged.
“We just kind of roll our eyes when it happens now,” Canha said. “And move on. There’s nothing you can do except capitalize on it, make it hurt. It’s all you can do. Yeah, sure, we’re frustrated. It’s not a great thing to have happen to your team. But what are you going to do? Move on and drive those runs in.”
Nimmo said: “Teams are having to try and figure out ways to get us out. I guess that’s part of the (reason), they’re trying to pitch inside. So you’re going to get hit when that happens.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
