New York Mets fans are livid over a Carlos Mendoza decision that looks like a major red flag for the second-year manager

That decision didn't sit well with fans. 

I think Mendoza is a really good manager, but this decision was a massive mistake and it almost certainly lost him a lot of trust with the fan base. 

Look, I know that a comeback against the Phillies was unlikely. But it wasn't impossible. The great thing about baseball is that there is no clock. No deficit is insurmountable if a team keeps hitting. 

Soto has one of the highest on base percentages in baseball when leading off an inning. There's a pretty decent chance he would've gotten on base to start the 9th. Every rally starts somewhere, and Soto is arguably the most likely player on the roster to start a rally in that situation. 

I understand that Mendoza is playing the long game. I get that Soto and Nimmo are outfielders who play every day. If the Mets would've been facing a 10-run deficit, then I would've understood sitting your star players. 

But sitting those guys -- one of which was a key part of that famous Mets comeback against the Phillies in 2022 -- in a stadium where the team has come through in that exact situation before isn't just baffling, it's insulting. 

It's insulting to the team and it's insulting to the fans. Mendoza essentially sent the message that he isn't willing to fight until the last out against a division rival. And that's a shame. 

Hell, just three weeks ago, the Arizona Diamondbacks overcame a six run deficit in the ninth inning to beat the Atlanta Braves on the road. A comeback was unlikely for the Mets on Sunday night in Philly, but it damn sure wasn't impossible. 

It was a major misstep by Mendoza, and considering the awful baseball the Mets have played over the past week, it’s going to take a lot for him to earn back the trust of the fan base.