NY Mets relief pitcher Drew Smith ousted from match against Yankees following FAILED sticky-substance check
During the Subway Series between the Yankees and the Mets, Drew Smith became the third pitcher to be ejected from a game for failing the substance check. The other two players to be removed from the match comes from these two sides as well in the form of Max Scherzer and Domingo German.
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Drew Smith's reaction after being ejected by the umpires (Pic Credit: CBS Sports)
With the Subway Series between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets underway, the stakes have risen. The two teams started off this series in a similar form. The two giants from NY have had an underwhelming season so far, so something had to give in this match-up. The Yankees rallied to come from behind and win the game 7-6. The match saw Mets relief pitcher Drew Smith be removed for a failed substance check.
Over the two-and-a-half month of the season, the debate regarding the usage of foreign substances like rosin has heated up. Both sides have seen their starting pitchers in the form of Domingo German and Max Scherzer being ejected and suspended. The pitching duo was handed a 10-game suspension for failing this check. Smith became the next unwanted person to be removed from a game for this.
Smith has established himself as one of the trusted relievers in the eyes of manager Buck Showalter. As he made his way to the mound, he was called by the umpires for a substance check. The umpires took some time to come to a conclusion. They eventually agreed that Smith’s hand was too sticky and was immediately given his marching orders.
“They said both of my hands were too sticky,” Smith said. He added that he was really surprised by this decision as he had followed the same pattern which he usually did. The Mets pitcher now faces an automatic 10-game suspension. Whether he will challenge this appeal has not been revealed yet.
Drew Smith claims MLB official who checked his hands in tunnel found nothing sticky
Every professional player wished to be part of such a high-magnitude game. Unlucky for Drew Smith, he never got the chance to take to the mound. Following the failed check, he will now be banned from participation in the next ten games. He perhaps received a major shock after he made his way to the tunnel when an official re-checked his hand.
While going back he grabbed an official’s hand and asked him to check how much sticky they are. Smith claimed that the MLB official laughed off the incident and said that there was “nothing there.” Meanwhile, his teammate Max Scherzer came into his support and admitted that they are “all angry about this one.”
Before this incident, the 29-year-old had pitched 23 2/3 innings. In all those outings he managed to pick up 28 strikeouts with a 4.18 ERA. As a result of his suspension, the team will not be able to replace him on the current roster. The pressure continues to mount on Showalter and the Mets as they go into the second game, hoping for a better result.
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Vinay Dave
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