San Diego Padres fans react to Blake Snell blaming PitchCom for tossing home run ball to Pete Alonso of New York Mets: "Making excuses why he sucks"
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Blake Snell has had it with the PitchCom pitch signaling system. Padres fans have pretty much had it with Snell, too.
The Padres were locked in a 2-2 battle with the host New York Mets at Citi Field on Wednesday as Snell fell behind 2-0 to hulking Mets first baseman Pete Alonso in the bottom of the fifth. He proceeded to lob a fastball down the pipe to the slugger, who promptly swatted it over the left-center field fence to give New York the lead for good.
The Mets went on to win the rubber game of the three-game series between projected National League contenders by a 5-2 score.
Blake Snell is NOT a fan of PitchCom:
"Terrible." https://t.co/xq7tRpx1ku
Blake Snell said he tried to press slider on pitchcom for Alonso's HR. He kept hitting two-seamer. With time running out, Snell figured he'd rather throw a 2-0 fastball than be assessed a ball.
"But I threw it down the middle, where he hits home runs. It was really frustrating."
Upon leaving the field after being pulled following the Alonso homer, Blake Snell held up his PitchCom and mouthed a few words of displeasure at a camera to the side of the dugout.
After the game, the embattled San Diego Padres hurler said that he was attempting to press the button to alert catcher Austin Nola that he intended to throw a slider, but kept hitting the button for a two-seam fastball.
Not wanting to be assessed a third ball on account of violating the MLB pitch clock, he let loose what is termed a "meatball" in baseball parlance.
He told reporters:
"I threw it down the middle, where he hits home runs. It was really frustrating."
Padres fans weren't buying the excuse.
@BenVerlander Blake Snell is also not a fan of the strikezone or being efficient.
@BenVerlander He’s also not a fan of being good at baseball it seems.
@BenVerlander Any idea what exactly he thinks the PitchCom did wrong that led to that homer?
Blake Snell, a once dominant hurler with the Tampa Bay Rays, has had a turbulent time since joining the San Diego Padres in 2021. His ERA when in Tampa Bay was 3.24; with San Diego, it has ballooned to 3.91. He is just 15-18 over 54 career starts with the Padres, including Wednesday.
Needless to say, Snell is far from a fan favorite at Petco Park.
@AJCassavell I am so over Snell, he is so inconsistent.
@AJCassavell Watching Snell pitch is really frustrating!!!!
@AJCassavell Bro just making excuses to why he sucks
Padres fans questioned why Snell decided that the best course of action in light of his claimed PitchCom troubles was to toss a center-cut fastball to a man who has hit 152 home runs in 543 games over five seasons to begin his big league career.
@AJCassavell "I hit the wrong button, so better just throw it down the middle"
@AJCassavell Can he not step off? I know I’m still getting used to the new rules but if he hasn’t stepped off in the at bat can’t he do that at least once per at bat instead of throwing a meatball on 2-0
@AJCassavell @TimBritton Just grooving one down the middle doesn’t seem wise, but I’ve never been a professional baseball player so maybe I’m wrong.
Of course, if Snell doesn't want to use PitchCom, there are other methods for pitchers and catchers to communicate. Before 2023, catchers often flashed signs to the pitcher regarding what pitch to throw. What a concept.
@AJCassavell Maybe the catcher should just give signs like they did in the olden days... of 2022.
Blake Snell wearing out his welcome in San Diego
Snell is in the final season of a five-year, $50 million contract that he signed while still with Tampa Bay. Not exactly a bank-busting contract given today's MLB marketplace, but San Diego might be willing to let him walk after this season rather than ponying up more to keep him.